This input can absorb upwards of 3,000 times its weight in water
An input is available to help farmers keep moisture and nutrients stored for crops to use at appropriate times.
It’s called InteliGel from Green Evolution Technologies (GET)
The input resembles the children’s toy Obreez, which are water beads capable of absorbing multiple times their original weight in water.
“In the soil, InteliGel will hold 2,000 to 3,000 times its weight in water,” Dr. Chad Godsey, GET’s chief agronomist, told Farms.com. “And anything that is in the soil solution can be retained by the InteliGel.”
The InteliGel acts as a sponge as water and other nutrients are plentiful in the soil. As the soil dries, its contents are released back into the ground.
“It’s a give and take throughout the growing season,” Godsey said.
But it could also be a delivery platform for fertilizers, and potentially other crop protection inputs.
In terms of application, banded or broadcast typically works best.
And application rates can vary depending on method of choice.
“Application rates range from 10 to 30 pounds per acre,” Godsey said. “Banded applications are in the lower range, so 10 to 15 pounds, whereas broadcast are in that (range of) 20 to 30 pounds an acre.”
There’s no data to show spring or fall applications are better than the other, he added.
Farmers have tested InteliGel over the last few years.
Corn and soybean farmers are experiencing multiple benefits.
“Over the history of testing in the last three years with corn, we’ve seen a 5 percent or greater increase in yield. This is from Wisconsin to Illinois to South Dakota. Soybeans have been 7 percent or greater as far as increase in yield,” Godsey said.
In addition, a study with South Dakota State University and GET showed a reduction of nitrogen fertilizers by up to 50 percent in corn.
And ROI data shows a range of $25 to $50 per acre.
And more farmers are interested in the product.
About 60 farmers in the U.S. and Canada are on a wait list.
GET currently has a pilot production facility in Fresno, Calif., and is planning for expansion to support farmers.
Large commercialization is going to be a full scale facility capable of producing about 30,000 tons of InteliGel annually.
And there’s more on the way.
“The scalability is promising us to have the capacity of around 20 facilities,” Argina Mardiyan, co-CEO and co-founder of GET, told Farms.com. “Why? Because we just see every day how severe the water crisis and shrinking of the soil becomes.”