Industry Trend: Box Applied Biologicals

How the unique advantages of box applied biologicals can benefit your crops.

There’s a new kid on the biological product market, and it’s box applied biologicals. While it’s natural to be skeptical of new things, the data on box applied biologicals is showing how these products offer unique benefits that aren’t found in other biological formulations.

This article reviews key questions that farmers should keep in mind when they consider incorporating the use of box applied biologicals, including:

• How do box applied biologicals work?
• How are box applied biologicals beneficial to crops?
• What results should farmers expect when using box applied biologicals?
• What should farmers be cautious of with box applied biologicals?

How Do Box Applied Biologicals Work?

A picture of Locus AG box applied biologicals. The product is sporulated, or laid dormant, to be made active again at the time of planting and germination. The product is mixed with talc and graphite and can be placed directly in a farmer’s hopper box to coat the seeds.

Dry agricultural biologicals have been on the market for a while, coming in several types such as wettable coated granules, water soluble granules, and wettable powders. These older formulations of dry microbials are commonly applied at the time of irrigation.

Because they consist of living organisms, most biologicals have specific storage, handling, and application requirements that are crucial to their effectiveness. Yet box applied biologicals are uniquely different.

Box applied biological products are specially formulated to be “dried” rather than used in irrigation or with a starter, eliminating the need for refrigeration that is typical with other biologicals.

In box applied biologicals, microbial strains are “sporulated” and laid dormant, only to be activated again at the time of planting and germination.

The microbes in box applied biologicals will not come out of sporulated form until moisture is introduced. The longer shelf life of box applied biologicals is one of their biggest advantages over liquid formulas.

Another major advantage of box applied biologicals is ease of use: there’s no need for additional costly equipment to apply them. The product is simply mixed with a carrier (e.g., talc and graphite) and put into the dry hopper along with the seeds.

Box applied biologicals minimize waste and enhance the nutrient uptake from both previously applied and future fertilizer use—making the most of your other agricultural inputs.

How Are Box Applied Biologicals Beneficial to Crops?

A picture of uncoated seeds (left) and seeds coated with Locus AG box applied biologicals (right).

Box applied biologicals provide unique benefits to crops that are not feasible with other biological formulations.

A talc and graphite carrier serves as a dry lubricant to keep seeds from sticking together. As box applied biologicals are on the seed at the time of planting and germination, they have greater potential for long-lasting effects and benefits.

Certain biologicals contain endophytic microbes, which are microbes that reside within the plant tissues and form a symbiotic relationship with the plant. Because they inhabit the plant and are not living in the soil, they won’t get washed away from the seed and roots by saturated soils or other environmental conditions. These strains continue to develop as the plant grows, providing benefits all throughout the plant lifecycle.

What Results Should Farmers Expect from Box Applied Biologicals?

Biologicals are now a vital input for many farms looking to boost soil fertility, bolster crop productivity, and maximize their overall ROI.

The profits generated by increased yields can often cover the cost of the biological products themselves.

Box applied biologicals offer key benefits to farmers that include:

• Enhanced root growth
• Increased nutrient uptake
• Improved soil quality and structure
• Higher yields and crop productivity
• Greater ROI

What Should Farmers be Cautious of in Using Box Applied Biological Products?

Like with any new input, it’s important to compare certain variables between different box applied biological products.

When selecting which box applied biologicals to use, consider the following:

1. Longevity: Check the shelf life of the product.

Once applied, how long can the product stay on the seed? Some box applied biologicals require the seed to be planted within a range of a few hours up to 24 hours. Box applied biological products that have been sporulated have a longer shelf life, allowing 3-7 days until seed planting without reducing the product’s effectiveness.

2. Application Rate & Colony Forming Units (CFUs): Ensure that the product is formulated for maximum efficiency.

The product application rate should be formulated so that you don’t have excess product at the bottom of your hopper box. Products with high CFUs have a higher concentration that can keep use rate low while minimizing waste.

3. Strain Selection: Select biologicals that use precision targeting in their strain selection.

You’ve likely heard it before—not all microbes are created equal. Many of the biologicals on the market use a shotgun approach, adding multiple competing strains into their products that ultimately reduce their effectiveness.

4. Data that Supports: Confirm that there is CRO data to back the product you choose.

Trustworthy products will be third-party tested and verified to enhance productivity and play well with other inputs.

Locus AG Box Applied Biologicals Use Superior Strains

Locus AG offers a line of crop-specific biologicals that are box applied for row crops. These superior strains are chosen for their ability to quickly form a symbiotic relationship with plants as a vital input to increase crop productivity and grower ROI.

What results are farmers seeing with Locus AG’s box applied biologicals?

Find out by downloading our CRO data catalog and see the results for yourself.