Finding the “Sweet Spot” for Sweeter Beets

When it comes to farming, the Red River Valley is one of the most fertile farming areas in the world. For four generations Gary Wagner and his family have carved their living on what has grown to 5,000 dryland acres in Crookston, MN: sugar beets, wheat, soybeans and navy (edible) beans. Some of their success has been attributed to two sustainable product lines which continue to prove their worth in providing early and faster growth, more healthy plants and cost-effective returns on investment: Calcine® and nanotechnology-based products from Aqua-Yield®. 

Jim and Darcy Erickson of Erickson Custom Operations (ECO) have built a successful business based on these two product lines, and Gary Wagner is one of their first growers to have used both product lines and continues to push the limits of these great technologies. Wagner is very pleased with the synergies he sees with Calcine® and Aqua-Yield® products working together to stimulate fast and more healthy growth, especially with his sugar beet crop.

The sugar beet season begins with NanoPro®: “With recommendations from Jim Erickson and Tom Vander Heiden of ST Biologicals we immediately get a start controlling our ragweed using NanoPro®,” says Wagner. “We couldn’t get complete control with our herbicide, so that is a big plus for us. Now, every application contains NanoPro®.” At just 4 oz/ac, farmers across the country are seeing nice control of weeds when applying NanoPro® with their herbicides. 

Next is addressing the high salt issues. High salt levels cause farm ground to become heavily compacted, lowering the amount of nutrients available in the soil, ultimately lowering producer’s profit yield. When applied, Calcine® opens up the soil, releasing the natural nutrients reducing salt levels allowing quicker emergence of seed when planted.

“So to start we put in (4 oz) NanoPhos® with the Calcine®… we blended the two as a starter fertilizer putting it down in the same seed tube. It basically touches the sugar beet seed itself,” Wagner says. The Calcine® does a tremendous job in neutralizing very high salt levels in the soil. “The result we see - the Calcine® opens up the soil, releasing natural nutrients and that means we get quicker emergence of seed when planted.”

With better control on weeds and salty soils, Wagner then focuses on nutrition. “We use (4 oz) NanoK® to enhance our sugar in our sugar beets. Two applications of that during the fungicide season. We’ve always been right close to the valley average for sugar content. But it seems like the last couple of years we started using NanoK® we’re running just maybe a half percent better in sugar content, and in fact 2023 saw a near record-breaking crop for us.” 

“With Aqua-Yield® products, you can get to your 8 leaf stage quicker, which makes producers happier in case the area is hit with an August frost, hail damage or wind. The plant has a head start,” Wagner says. And of course, with nanotechnology, “less is more”. “I’m a technology guy,” says Wagner. “And using Calcine® while mixing several of the Aqua-Yield® product line is almost like, ‘technology meets agriculture’.” 

The biggest decision for Wagner last year: cutting back overall usage. He states, “Usually we put 3.5 gallons per acre of 10-34-0 down with the seed and it gave us a little bit of seed burn, and for us cutting back to 2 gallons per acre of 10-34-0 and putting nano products with that was a big step for us.” By reducing the amount of 10-34-0 Wagner was also able to reduce the salt load while pushing for better delivery of nitrogen and phosphorus to the plant through nanotechnology.

There has to be a bottom line, and for Gary Wagner, it was both a larger sugar beet crop with more sugar this last year. “We were up almost a full percent more in sugar content this year” he says. “Try it, Try it. Prove it to yourself. It might not be a miracle product, but it does help. I’m a believer.”

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