Mar 4, 2020FBSciences, Yara partnership leads to new biostimulant-calcium nitrate product
FBSciences Inc., a global leader in naturally derived plant health technologies and products, has announced a partnership agreement with Yara North America.
The agreement will focus on developing innovative plant health solutions to growers across North America by bringing together the FBSciences technologies and products with Yara’s calcium nitrate fertilizers.
FBSciences specializes in biosolutions, including biostimulant and biopesticide technologies, which form the foundation of comprehensive crop nutrition programs. FBSciences technologies have been tested for over a decade through more than 1500 trials and have proven they deliver four key things:
- Healthier plants and increased yields
- Increased quality and nutrient density
- Stress mitigation and recovery
- Increased utilization of other crop inputs
FBSciences and Yara spent 2019 field testing the combination of FBSciences technologies and products with Yara’s fertilizers and the synergies and results were positive for growers.
ZiCAN Soil is the first product to commercially launch in the United States as part of this new relationship. ZiCAN Soil was specially formulated to mix with YaraLiva liquid calcium nitrate fertilizers, including YaraLiva CAN-17 and YaraLiva CN-9. In independent testing on almonds, ZiCAN Soil and YaraLiva CAN-17 together picked up a 10.6% yield increase when compared to using YaraLiva CAN-17 alone. The results translate into an increase of 200 pounds per acre, which is $550 per acre (at $2.75 per pound).
Traditional liquid zinc and calcium nitrate fertilizers don’t mix well. When combined, they create gypsum, resulting in clogging and cleaning issues. This problem leads to the need for separate applications. This unique formulation allows nitrogen, calcium, zinc and manganese to mix together in the tank for ideal compatibility.
FBSciences technologies offer not only increased compatibility but also increased efficiency of other crop inputs. As a result, ZiCAN Soil not only promotes the uptake and translocation of the zinc and manganese in its own formulation but also enhances the uptake and translocation of several nutrients including calcium and nitrogen in YaraLiva CAN-17. This increased nutrient use efficiency will create meaningful increases in ROI for the farmer.
To leverage these synergies, FBSciences and Yara have agreed to design and commercialize additional calcium nitrate compatible products. These products will launch in 2020 across the United States. These products create tangible benefits to the grower and a significant return on investment throughout the value chain.
“The impact of making crop inputs more compatible, allowing for less applications and inputs, while also increasing performance and efficiency cannot be overstated,” said Courtenay Wolfe, chairman and CEO of FBSciences. “We share a common vision with Yara of being a leading change agent in achieving sustainability in agriculture through using less inputs while increasing agricultural productivity and profitability for growers.”
“We are a global leader in crop nutrition. We work closely with growers across the world to help improve agricultural productivity and farm performance,” said Debbie Watts, vice president of premium products for Yara. “We have seen how FBSciences’ technology and products perform in the field, especially when combined with ours, and are confident that these new products represent the next generation of crop nutrition and a meaningful and sustainable step forward in agricultural productivity and farmer profitability.”
Visit FBSciences.com to find a distributor of ZiCAN Soil.
