Richland Center, Wisc., TBD— Josh Biser is focused on what his soybean growers are focused on: Making the most of every acre and every dollar. “We’re always looking for ways to boost soybean yields because they’re not making any more ground,” says Biser as he heads across his research plot. “We need to get everything we can out of every acre.” WATCH VIDEO.
Biser, a crop advisor with Premier Cooperative in Richland Center, Wisconsin, recalls being skeptical, but curious, when he first learned about Big Bean™, a soybean biostimulant from Planet Earth Agronomy®, headquartered an hour away in Mt. Horeb. Now, after witnessing dramatic results in side-by-side field applications, he has become one of the product’s strongest advocates.
“Yeah, so, BIG BEAN took our worst bean field and made it as good as our best bean field had been the year before,” he smiles. “Then it made our best bean field phenomenal.”
Biser first evaluated BIG BEAN while working with Oregon Farm Center. After learning about the product during a visit to Planet Earth Agronomy, he and his supervisor decided to conduct their own on-farm evaluation.
“We bought enough product to treat 80 acres,” Biser said. “We applied it on our best soybean field and on what was traditionally our worst soybean field to see what would happen.” The results exceeded expectations. Biser says the farm’s top-performing soybean field usually produced 70 to 75 bushels per acre. But this year, harvest brought an eye-popping change. “We were seeing the yield monitor hit 95 bushels per acre and we were blown away,” laughs Biser as he recounts the story. “Then a little farther down the field, the monitor hit 115.”
Perhaps more impressive was the response in the farm’s least productive soybean ground. “A great year for that field would be 40 to 45 bushels,” Biser says. “But after applying Big Bean, we averaged around 70 bushels. I had left a 100-foot untreated check strip, and it made about 25 bushels less than the treated area.”
Managing “Intentional” Stress
Larry Fiene, founder and CEO of Planet Earth Agronomy, formulators of BIG BEAN, says the performance growers see from Big Bean comes from addressing key plant stress issues, especially the ones they have intentionally caused by chasing higher yields with increased plant populations.
“The main stress in most soybean fields is actually created by the farmer, and it’s by design,” Fiene explains. “We plant soybeans right up to the carrying capacity of the field because that’s where the greatest yield potential exists. The challenge is that plants then compete with one another for resources and that creates stress.” As soybean genetics continue to improve and yield expectations rise, managing that stress to help every seed meet its potential becomes key. BIG BEAN, formulated with a complex group of amino acids, micronutrients and a healthy dose of boron, offers the right medicine, he says.
“What BIG BEAN does is help relieve that in-row stress during critical growth stages when plants need additional support,” Fiene explains later as he hunkers down to dig a soybean plant out of Planet Earth’s research plots in nearby Black Earth. He holds up a plant from the control plot. It’s oddly two-dimensional, resembling an upside-down letter “Y”, with roots sent in only two directions. Another plant pulled from a row treated with BIG BEAN features multiple roots in all directions. Fiene says one advantage of the formulation is that the amino acids are presented in forms readily utilized by the plant.
“The plant doesn’t have to spend energy converting them,” he said. “They’re absorbed directly and help replenish important compounds the plant needs during periods of stress.” The result is healthier plants that can devote more energy toward roots, reproductive growth and seed development rather than recovery. Biser says he’s seen the results, and it’s turned him into a fan.
“I recommend BIG BEAN to everybody I talk to,” Biser said. “If I believe in a product, I have no problem recommending it. And I believe in BIG BEAN.”
About Premier Cooperative
Premier Cooperative (https://www.premiercooperative.com) is a member-owned agricultural cooperative serving farmers across Wisconsin. The cooperative provides agronomy services, crop inputs, grain marketing, energy products, feed, and other agricultural solutions designed to help producers improve productivity and profitability. Through local expertise and trusted relationships, Premier Ag Cooperative supports growers with innovative products and agronomic recommendations tailored to their operations.
About Planet Earth Agronomy
Planet Earth Agronomy (www.planetearthagronomy.com) develops innovative agronomic technologies focused on improving crop performance, enhancing input efficiency, mitigating environmental stress, and delivering measurable return on investment for growers. Through science-based product development and field-proven solutions, Planet Earth Agronomy helps farmers optimize production while supporting sustainable agricultural practices.