How to get healthier corn plants and greater yields

Dec 9, 2022 | How it works

Corn is a cornerstone crop in America. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, farmers planted 91.7 million acres of corn in 2019, making it the largest crop in the country, followed (not closely) by soybeans.

When you think of tools that farmers use to produce and harvest corn, what do you imagine? A seeder, perhaps, or a combine harvester. What about a tool that can increase a farmer’s yield and return on investment year after year, improve soil health, and is so small you can’t see it with the naked eye? That’s the power of TerraMax’s line of microbial inoculants for corn.

The role of microbes in the soil

Microbes are tiny living organisms that exist naturally in the soil. Corn plants depend on microbes for nutrition. Microbes break down organic material in the soil into nutritional components that crops absorb through their roots. These microbes play a critical role in the nitrogen cycle, fixing atmospheric nitrogen that enters the soil and making it available for the plant to uptake.

More available nitrogen in the soil increases plant growth and crop yields.

benefits of TerraMax corn microbial inoculants

Diagram shows the benefits of adding TerraMax corn microbial inoculants
Graphic provided by TerraMax

Nature’s processes, perfected by science

While this natural system that drives plant growth is nothing new, TerraMax has perfected nature’s process with science. With TerraMax’s microbial inoculants, farmers can provide a boost to their soil that will increase nitrogen fixation, improve crops’ root structure, enhance soil sustainability and increase crop yields.

It’s not just any microbe that can do the job, and that’s why TerraMax’s precise science makes their products unique in the industry. Many microbes will provide benefits to plants in the soil. However, not many have proven to be reliable when you package, sell and store them as products. TerraMax uses Azospirillum for their corn inoculant products because it is scientifically proven to improve root structure and the grower’s ROI.

treated and untreated roots

On the left, roots treated with micro Azospirillum. On the right, untreated roots.
Photo provided by TerraMax

In fact, growers that use TerraMax’s Azospirillum products have reported healthier plants and increased yield for more than 10 years.

Accessible and functional products

There are certainly other microbial products on the market. However, farmers who have tried other products can tell you that they may not always work, and that their limited shelf life is a serious downside.

The researchers at TerraMax set out to address these concerns. It’s not enough to determine the best microbe; the delivery system has to be reliable, affordable and shelf-stable. TerraMax’s unique solution can keep Azospirillum stable and viable for up to 24 months. And with a product for multiple application methods, TerraMax’s corn inoculants fit with how growers are already operating their farms.

TerraMax has the highest standards for their science and research. Each product is tested by a third party, not by TerraMax’s own employees, for three years. The proof is in the pudding, or corn, in this case. When farmers choose TerraMax’s line of corn inoculants, what they get is:

  • Options of affordable powder or liquid forms of inoculants
  • Ease of use for their current farming practices
  • Increased bushels per acre and ROI
  • Healthier, more profitable corn crops

To find out which corn products are right for you, check out TerraMax’s website, or contact them to speak with one of their helpful experts.