Plant Health Insights

Agronomists know that it's important to look at all aspects of crop growth—both above the ground and below—when checking on a trial. This trial evaluating Basis XC in forage brassica is a good example of why this is necessary. 

When Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomists visited the trial site near Millicent, South Australia in April, they noted that the crop, which was sown in spring on heavy peat soil with naturally high fertility levels, looked only slightly better above ground where the grower's base granular fertiliser had been treated with Basis XC. Below ground, however, the differences were obvious.

A side by side comparison of the plants showed that the root systems of the brassica grown with Basis XC-treated fertiliser were larger and more developed than those grown with untreated fertiliser. 

"This is what we generally see when checking roots systems of crops planted with Basis XC-treated fertiliser—bigger, more developed root systems," says Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomist Craig Hole. "Greater root development should lead to increased nutrient and moisture uptake, resulting in higher forage yields."

Learn more about Basis XC by reading our featured studies or downloading the Basis XC booklet.