Rethink nitrogen efficiency, starting with the plant cell
Systemic Nitrogen Fixation
In the Right Place at the Right Time.
Rethink nitrogen efficiency, starting with the plant cell
"Encera is now standard practice on our farm - we know it’s working because we’re not seeing late season signs of nitrogen deficiency anymore - no yellowing of the leaves or translocation of the nitrogen from the leaves.”
- Tyson Meeks, Idaho
Encera takes nitrogen use efficiency to new levels and redefines max yield potential of N.
Most discussions about nitrogen fertility typically include units of nitrogen required and total available N. That’s because most sources of nitrogen start in the soil and are applied at or before seeding, which require the plant to absorb the nitrogen through the roots moving it to where it needs nitrogen to grow. The more efficiently the plant does this, the better the yield results.
Soil applied nitrogen, the best option for generations, is hardly the most efficient. Growing conditions cause N availability in the soil and the plant to fluctuate often leading to N deficiencies when and where the plant needs it most.
What if there’s an entirely new way to look at N efficiency - one that doesn’t start in the soil but in the plant cells, where the plant needs it most for growth? Encera, a N-fixing bacteria with a new mode of action, changes the nitrogen efficiency discussion altogether.
Encera is a nitrogen fixing bacteria that offers a unique mode of nitrogen fixation from within the plant cells that provides a constant supply of nitrogen where and when it is needed most for yield.
Plants need nitrogen early for vegetative growth, but to maximize yield potential, abundant nitrogen is essential throughout the crop until it reaches physiological maturity. This presents two main challenges for soil applied N:
- First, the nitrogen at the beginning of the season is not available at the same levels at grain fill: between seeding and grain fill soil N can be lost to leaching, gassing off (volatilization) and some is used for vegetative growth,
- Second, nitrogen in the soil is only as good as the plant's ability to get it where it is needed in the plant and when it is needed most. Plants absorb synthetic N into their roots and then requires moisture and energy to translocate the N to the foliage.
If the plant is under stress - too hot/too cold, too wet/too dry, weeds, disease, insects, etc - the natural efficiency of the plant goes down as it works to withstand the stress. These stressors can affect the plant’s ability to translocate N where and when it is needed regardless of how much N is available in the soil.
That’s where Encera comes in - it is the perfect tool to add to any nitrogen program. Encera moves inside the plant cells and grows throughout the foliage of the crop, fixing N from the air throughout the life of the plant. No translocation from the roots necessary regardless of the stress the plant is under.
Encera enables the plant cell to fix its own nitrogen. Air is 78% nitrogen and Encera bacteria naturally metabolizes N directly from the air, making it the perfect complement to your N fertility program. Use Enceera to either increase yield on average between 5-13% or replace an average of 27% of the plant’s nitrogen needs. This allows you to reduce your N fertility program and hit your yield goals OR maintain your N fertility program and shoot for even higher yields. You decide!
Left: Nebraska – Reduced N trial: (left) untreated plant showing leaf chlorosis, (right) Encera treated plant with less chlorosis