Seed-applied liquid nutrient approved for cereal crops

A new liquid formulation of a seed-applied nutrient has been cleared for use on wheat, barley, oat and corn crops.

Colorado-based Loveland Products’ seed treatment Awaken ST, to be distributed by ag input retailer UAP Canada, has picked up approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and will be sold as one of UAP’s "Nutritionals" products, the company said.

Awaken ST’s micronutrient package including five per cent zinc plus boron, copper, iron, manganese and molybdenum, the company said.

The combination "helps develop a larger, more extensive root system, quicker emergence, greater plant biomass and improved plant health and vigour," said UAP product manager Eric Gregory at Oak Bluff, Man.

Research by Joel Ranson of North Dakota State University research has shown a "significant increase in plant emergence and an eight per cent-plus yield increase when compared to untreated seed," UAP said.

The company also claims Awaken ST’s formulation — a clear, dark-green-coloured liquid — differs from other registered seed-applied nutrients in that it can be applied using "traditional" treating equipment.

Awaken "can be applied on its own, blended or applied sequentially with traditional chemical-based fungicide or insecticide seed treatments," said Jeff Crampton, general manager of Loveland Canada, an affiliate of Agrium-owned UAP and manufacturer of UAP’s crop protection line.