Talk around Federated lately sounds more like chefs making their grocery lists than agronomists making their recommendations, but the analogy is a good one. What groceries are to a chef, nutrients are to a crop.

So, start with the appetizer. Starter fertilizers – pop-up fertilizers, aptly named for the way they make a crop pop up out of the soil – are the first part of the meal. It’s important to get the crops off to a good start with a “snack,” said Tim Stelter, agronomy manager at Federated’s Osceola location. Starter fertilizer pays off with good ROI, “even in challenging times,” he said. “It gets the corn off to a faster start with better roots.”

Additionally, the early nutrient applications help reduce environmental stress to the crop, such as from cold, wet, or compacted soils. Then, at harvest, corn planted with start-up fertilizer is typically 1-2% drier. However, Selter said, start-up fertilizer “is not the full meal the corn needs. Corn needs lots of groceries.”

Start feeding the crops a good meal with a consistently high-quality fertilizer such as XLR-rate™ (7-23-5), by CHS, and then deliver the main course through an effective nutrient management plan. XLR is safe, effective, affordable, easy to handle, has a low salt index, and is compatible with additives such as zinc and root growth enhancers (see article below).

Talk to your Federated Agronomist about the “grocery list” for your crops soon.