Smith wanted more from his time and effort and was frustrated when a fertilizer consultant told him that he had no other options to increase yields and lower costs. He contacted the Orange Madison Cooperative in Louisa, and worked with Cal Compton on an innovative approach. BioStart® RhizoBoost, a proprietary blend of four Bacillus species, was applied to improve the soil at the plant roots.
“A little goes a long way. I had the prettiest crop I’d ever seen,” Smith said. His crop was so good; he decided to enter the contest.
The prize for winning the state contest was $200, but Smith is more pleased with learning about BioStart® RhizoBoost. “Now I’m using it on everything – corn, wheat, alfalfa and soybeans. I’m interested to see how it will improve a new field I’ve just started working,” Smith stated. “I suspect it will be helpful in dry conditions.”
BIO-CAT, a biotech company specializing in enzymes and microbials, manufactures the BioStart® RhizoBoost product at its BIO-CAT Microbials facility.
