Biologicals Can Help Many NW Growers Address Agronomic Needs

With the days getting longer and warmer, more and more crops across the PNW are coming to life.  As the pace starts to pick up, growers are thinking about some of their top agronomic needs for the season ahead.

Matthew Pye, North America Plant Health Technical Manger at FMC, recently addressed many of those concerns, whether in row crops, tree fruit, or anything in between.  He said one of his main areas of focus is difficult to control issues, such as soil diseases and nematodes.  And when he works with local growers, he tries to help them minimize their use of traditional synthetics and look at incorporating biologicals.

“I like to think of them as biostimulants, biofertilizers, and biopesticides," Pye said.  "And so your biostimulants and your biofertilizers are going to help with abiotic stress or nutrient uptake, and your biopesticides are going to help with pest problems.  And they're registered differently, too. And the way that I approach biologicals is they often work best if you combine them with a synthetic, so you play to the strengths of both the synthetic and the biological.”

Pye said in his experience with Washington growers, yields improve when biologicals are used.

“When we think about developing a biological, we're looking for a three-to-one ROI for our grower," he said.  "So if they're going to give up a dollar, we want to get them three back with some consistency. So we design our products to deliver in that manner and test them.” 

Pye added one of FMC’s long-term goals when it comes to biologicals is to ensure sustainability on the farm for generations of growers.

Click Here to learn more about the biologicals offered at FMC.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com