Winning by a Hair, Revisited
Back in November of 2024, I created an article titled, “Winning by a Hair”. This November, I wanted to expand on the lessons from the past two years.
Recalling the story of the tortoise and the hare reminds us that slow and steady may win the race or just leave us out in the cold. The words slow and steady can again be attached to awaiting our spring planting as well, and even though harvest is fresh in our memories, so is the opportunity to recall what worked well with our crop plan, and what we may need to adjust for 2027.
With farming being a series of lessons from the first crop we plant through to the 48th crop we will plant next year, it is becoming more urgent to improve from what we learned. As we look back on what may have caused stress in 2026, for both crops and us, it is important to understand why and how we responded to these stresses. More effectively we need to consider what we learned from these opportunities.
For those who struggled through a wet spring, how did your later-planted crops respond? When crops had ample moisture enhancing a perfect seeding time, only to collapse from a month of drought, was there a recovery opportunity? In areas that have witnessed yields never achieved before, did we get a chance to discover what triggers or events amplified these successes? Every result reveals a learning opportunity for us to take advantage of if we choose!
“Winning By a Hair, Revisited” can fit multiple connotations, but I wanted to expand on how your crops succeed by a hair, or many hairs. Combing through what we continue to learn directed me to step back to early spring, as we were seeding the 2026 crops and germination began. The emergence of the radical root initiated the brains of each plant, reaching into the soil for moisture and nutrition. The journey that started is what we have the power to influence throughout the year. Nutrients placed close to each seed must be safe for the seed, available to the plant, and balanced. Helping each seed reach its genetic potential requires both these conditions and a clear understanding of nutrient availability and uptake.
As this root continues to express itself, it allows sprouts and cotyledons the ability to emerge above ground to enable photosynthesis, thereby maintaining and feeding the plant and root. The plant, although independent, relies on our management to achieve greater success. As roots grow and absorb naturally available nutrients and applied fertilizer, they reflect the quality of our crop management.
This is where we can add a little more information into the equation. Understanding the value of orthophosphate as the only form a plant can utilize, and having the ability to protect it from tying up in the soil is another crop-planning strategy. Humic, fulvic and organic acid products continue to be introduced and incorporated into cropping plans. The high chelation value that protects phosphorous is only one of the effects, with a greater expression being that of increased root tips and hairs. Having great root proliferation and growth allows the crop to engage in microbial feeding as well. Measurements of increased root tip numbers and root lengths indicate that humic acids and ALPINE Bio-K can help crops access more nutrients from the soil.
Dr. John Strauss, a director of Agronomy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has documented that a fertilizer blend of N, P, K vs only N, P causes a synergistic effect of over 9%. This begins a process of nutrient use efficiency out of the gate. This engrained into the understanding that potassium is a plants nutrient facilitator, allowing plants the ability to transport fertility, as well as improving water management. This is where potassium’s role brings the theme of “Winning by a Hair, Revisited” into focus.
The increased turgor pressure and stomatal activity begins to allow plants to manage the weather effects discussed in paragraph two. It is also documented that the nutrient and sugar transport enabled by potassium feeds not only the plant, but the soil microorganisms as well. Knowing this, we continue to learn that as microbes move in and out of the roots, their exit increases root hair length and efficiency, which are instrumental in water uptake and management. It is through the balanced fertility program that our ALPINE Bio-K amplifies a plant’s ability to create greater success and improve efficiency within the plant. There is more to explore. As you plan your 2027 starter fertilizer program, consider the value of potassium, especially ALPINE Bio-K.
Throughout the winter, please reach out with your questions on potassium, humic acids, and nutrient balances with micronutrients. Your ALPINE DSMs and dealers will be happy to assist! I wish everyone a safe and joyous Fall.
