AgroInsights- Regenerative Ag

Jun 01, 2023

Reducing Environmental Effects of Fertilizer Applications Since 1946

Wayne Becker, District Sales Manager for Oklahoma & Texas


Feeding the world has always created a significant environmental footprint. A growing global population and greater demand for food has caused agriculture to grow to the point that it is associated with 1/3 of all global land use and ~ 15% of all global greenhouse emissions.  Increasing realization of these facts has stakeholders seeking ways to produce food with lower – or even positive – environmental and/or social impacts1.


NACHURS Fertilizer has been manufacturing and providing farming inputs that further that objective. They set the bar by creating the low-salt fertilizer industry in 1946! That year may very well have been the origin of regenerative farming for row-crop farmers in the United States. 


At that time, NACHURS created a source of fertilizer with unique chemical properties allowing farmers to reduce the amount of fertilizer necessary to create crop response. Creating fertilizer with less burn and greater uptake allowed farmers the ability to change fertilizer placement. This increased nutrient use efficiency and farmer profitability. 


NACHURS’ innovation in 1946 made it the original 4R nutrient stewardship company. Just over a decade ago, still prior to the national increase in interest for regenerative agriculture, NACHURS introduced Bio-K®. Bio-K® is a fertilizer source that improves soil health, stimulates ecosystem/plant health and resiliency, and simultaneously provides the most plant-available potassium on the market. 

Bio-K is made by reacting a carbon source with a potassium source – thus making the final product:

1. A plant nutrient. 

2. A soil health stimulant. 

3. A plant health stimulant.


1. Newton P, Civita N, Frankel-Goldwater L, Bartel K and Johns C (2020) What Is Regenerative Agriculture? A Review of Scholar and Practitioner Definitions Based on Processes and Outcomes. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 4:577723. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.577723


2. Bücking H, Abubaker J, Govindarajulu M, Tala M, Pfeffer PE, Nagahashi G, Lammers P, Shachar-Hill Y. Root exudates stimulate the uptake and metabolism of organic carbon in germinating spores of Glomus intraradices. New Phytol. 2008;180(3):684-695. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02590.x. Epub 2008 Aug 5. PMID: 18694446.


3. Vinegar: A cheap and simple way to help plants fight drought (2017, June 26) retrieved 26 February 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2017-06-vinegar-cheap-simple-drought.html




Pictures Below-

Unique nutrient qualities of Bio-K vs. other potassium sources.

The carbon in Bio-K performs the same function as natural root exudates. It improves soil health by stimulating microorganisms and buffering nutrients, as shown in this simplified diagram of a natural soil system at work.

The carbon in Bio-K is known as acetate. This carbon is preferentially consumed by beneficial soil bacteria vs. glucose2.


Adapted from: Bucking et al. (2008), Root exudates stimulate the uptake and metabolism of organic carbon in germinating spores of Glomus intraradices.


The same carbon as that in Bio-K increased drought tolerance compared to other organic acids.

Credit: RIKEN3



10 Apr, 2024
Wayne Becker, District Sales Manager & Agronomy Specialist Blending two NACHURS products (Triple Option® and Balance®) at a 1:1 ratio has proven to jump start soybeans and increase profitability. Many farmers would like to use in-furrow starter fertilizer with their beans but are uncertain of the benefits. When beans are first planted early growth is very important. • It is a race against time between soybeans and weeds, fighting for water, sunlight and nutrients. • The quicker a canopy is established, the less weeds are able to steal resources, which could affect yield potential. Traditional In-furrow fertilization of beans is usually not as easy to visually observe as when it is applied to corn or wheat. However, that does not mean that they are not extremely important. This treatment will provide early season fertility that will help the young crop remain strong and vibrant, enabling them to better deal with stresses like insects, drought or water logging. NACHURS liquid fertilizer has been providing the best in-furrow fertilizer treatments for 75+ years. With NACHURS in-furrow, producers have always been able to safely provide the traditional benefits without decreasing germination because of the fertilizer’s low-salt content and superior availability. New focus on plant and soil health has raised the bar even higher. The NACHURS Bio-K® line of fertilizers is the most available source of K on the market, yet it also promotes both soil and plant health. Because the Bio-K fertilizer is a carbon molecule combined with potassium, applying it in-furrow provides beneficial soil microbes with a food source. This enables microbes to increase nutrient availability – for all types of crops. Legumes use Rhizobia to “fix” their own nitrogen. NACHURS has developed a product specially designed to stimulate early development of these important soil microbes. It is called Balance®. We combine the rhizobia stimulating qualities of Balance with Triple Option which maximizes quantity of other nutrients. The result is improved potential for early season growth and greater profitability of soybeans
25 Mar, 2024
Producing High-Quality Forages and Corn Silage for Dairy Farms...
12 Feb, 2024
MARION, OHIO – February 8, 2024 – The 2024 Commodity Classic in Houston will be here before we know it. This is one of the best opportunities to spend a few days with some of the most innovative people in agriculture. Commodity Classic is America’s largest farmer-led, farmer -focused agricultural and educational experience. This year is no exception to the continued excellence that you have come to expect. NACHURS is sure to create a lot of buzz with the unveiling of their new tradeshow booth (#2903), the launch of a new specialty additive technology presented by V.P. of Product Development, Tommy Roach during the “Mini What’s New” Session on Thursday morning at 10:00 am, and our in-booth panel discussions on Thursday and Friday at 2:30 pm. Each day will be a riveting conversation with the Xtreme Ag founders who are some of the top producers in the country. We will follow up with a daily happy hour, so please join us! The NACHURS name has long been synonymous with high quality precision placed fertility products. Our products form the foundation of environmentally sound and sustainable fertilizer programs for all crops across North America and beyond. For further information, please contact NACHURS at 800-622-4877 or stop by our booth #2903 at the show. ### About Nachurs Alpine Solutions® Nachurs Alpine Solutions (NAS) became a division of Wilbur-Ellis in 2019. NAS is a 75-year-old specialty chemical business that pioneered the low salt liquid starter fertilizer industry by introducing the first true solution liquid NPK fertilizer. Today, NPK liquid fertilizers sold by NAS are marketed under the NACHURS brand in the United States and under the ALPINE brand in Canada. For more information visit www.nachurs-alpine.com About the Wilbur-Ellis Companies Founded in 1921, the Wilbur-Ellis companies are leading international marketers, distributors and manufacturers of agricultural products, animal nutrients and specialty chemicals and ingredients. By developing strong relationships, making strategic market investments and capitalizing on new opportunities. For more information, please visit www.wilburellis.com
02 Feb, 2024
Is all liquid fertilizer really the same?
30 Jan, 2024
Protecting Rolling Hills for the Next Generation
20 Dec, 2023
Soil moisture will be a critical factor going into spring 2024.
14 Dec, 2023
NACHURS Bio-K® and Nitrogen Use Efficiency
12 Dec, 2023
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
More Posts
Share by: