In nature, the principle of least effort states that an organism will reliably take the course of action requiring the smallest energy expenditure. This occurs in cropping systems as well. 

One common case of least effort is nodulation in soybeans. When too much nitrogen is available to a soybean crop, it will decrease the nodulation of the soybean roots and create an inefficient plant highly dependent upon synthetic fertilizers. 

We live in an era of precision agriculture – a time of spoon-fed nitrogen and sophisticated herbicide programs. We pride ourselves on giving a crop everything it needs to succeed, and the quality of these programs shows in the continually climbing national yield averages. 

But in providing a crop with everything it could possibly need precisely when it needs it, is there potential that we are, in effect, “spoiling” it like a grandchild? While we all would like our grandkids to have everything they want, we also want them to work hard and reach their full potential. 

 

Demanding more from the crop

Plants have innate, built-in defense responses and immune systems. They have their own natural processes for dealing with abiotic stressors, transporting nutrients and optimizing growth. Adding supplemental amino acids allows us to enhance and harness these biological processes for our own benefit, primarily in yield and plant health. 

This is not to say that growers should move away from precision practices and advanced fertilizer programs; quite the opposite. By adding amino acids to their program, growers can help the crop to help itself. This can create an independent crop in the field, supplemented with the kitchen sink. 

To round out the analogy, it would be like having an incredibly hardworking grandchild, but spoiling them with gifts anyway. 

 

Liqui-Plex® Bonder

Liqui-Plex Bonder is a consistent, concentrated formulation of 18 essential, plant-available amino acids. It is designed to enhance the crop, mitigate stressors and improve nutrient use efficiency. 

Liqui-Plex Bonder is a yield increaser and yield protector. 

To increase yield, Liqui-Plex Bonder: 

  • Improves photosynthetic activity by increasing CO2 uptake and chlorophyll production.
  • Optimizes pollination and the plant reproduction process.
  • Increases nutrient use efficiency through better uptake of nutrients and movement once they are in the plant. 
  • Optimizes plant performance during important physiological stages.

To protect yield, Liqui-Plex Bonder: 

  • Enhances the vitality of the crop so it is better suited to handle abiotic stressors. A healthy plant can respond more effectively to stress when it occurs. 
  • Maintains proper water relations in the plant during stress. 
  • Helps the plant move the nutrients to where it needs them through optimized nutrient uptake and mobility.

In addition to being a 100% plant-available formulation, Liqui-Plex Bonder contains higher concentrations of amino acids than competitive products. 

To learn more about how Liqui-Plex Bonder can work for your operation, check out the resources below:

  • HELM Rep Finder – Use this tool to locate your nearest HELM representative. 
  • Online Learning Module – Our Amino Acids and Crop Development online learning module is an excellent source of information. It covers foundational concepts of plant physiology, amino acids' role in plant development and in-depth application info. The module takes about 30 minutes and offers 0.5 CEU credits for Certified Crop Advisers.
  • Liqui-Plex Bonder Webpage – This web page is comprehensive, with all the latest resources and information for Liqui-Plex Bonder.