The effect of Monty's Plant Food on Roots

The Difference is Sometimes Below Ground

The below corn field was treated the same with conventional fertilizer prior to planting. The corn seed on one side of the field was treated with Monty’s 4-15-12 Seed Starter. One would expect the Monty’s treated corn seed to germinate first, but with optimum conditions; seeds should germinate the same regardless. The application of Monty’s 4-15-12 Seed Starter may actually influence plant development at a later stage of plant growth.

This corn was planted late March/early April. These pictures were taken on Monday, May 24th. Upon driving up on the field, there was a slight difference in the appearance of the corn. Not enough that it “jumped out at you” but still a slight difference. What was noticeable was that some of the corn seemed to be “curling” and the other appeared to be more full with wider leaves.

	Corn treated with conventional fertilizer only
	Corn treated with conventional fertilizer and Monty’s 4-15-12 at planting

To better understand what a plant will be able to do “above ground” in stressful growing conditions and to even maximize its’ yield potential in optimum conditions, you should look “below ground”.

A more advanced root system:

Improve drought resistance
Improve disease and pest resistance
Improve sustainability and ability to absorb both moisture and nutrients
Offsets weed pressure
Re-introduces even more organic matter back into the soil at season’s end.
Increases the Rhizosphere and its’ Mycorrhizal Fungi
Assist in soil aeration

Among offering many other benefits to the soil and the plant.

The picture above indicates a sampling of the roots systems we found in this field. The vast majority of roots that were grown from seeds treated with Monty’s 4-15-12 at planting typically had a more developed root system, which suggests the plant should be more self sufficient and able to better produce.

This corn is being grown for silage and we will do our best to keep up with this farmer and this corn and record the tonnage of the two sections of the field to see how much difference, if any, adding Monty’s seed starter at planting (as an added expenditure) added to the yield.

Note: When applying Monty’s 4-15-12 Seed Starter and/or Monty’s 8-16-8 Growth Formula on a corn crop, we typically suggest accounting for the cost of applying Monty’s by reducing the amount of conventional fertilizer that is applied prior to planting. On any corn crop, we do not suggest the application of any Monty’s formulation as an added expenditure.