Microbial Products for Turf and Agriculture From Becker Underwood.

Becker Underwood develops and produces specialty bio-agronomic products for many industries, including turfgrass management, agriculture, seed treatment, aquaculture, vegetation management, and forestry, several of which are humic acid- or microbial-based.  Becker Underwood’s BioGain, RhizInoc Plus, and Subtilex will be highlighted, describing intended functions and modes of action, as well as pertinent results from field studies that demonstrate increased yield or enhanced growth and development.

Humic acid is a primary component of the BioGain line of biostimulants.  In addition to well-known, beneficial effects of humic acid on nutrient availability and uptake, university research has demonstrated that BioGain increases activity of antioxidant enzymes like super oxide dismutase that enhance stress tolerance of treated turfgrasses. 

RhizInoc Plus is an endomycorrhizae inoculant that can be applied at turfgrass seeding or sodding to hasten establishment.  Symbiotic mycorrhizal associations increase the supply of phosphorus and other nutrients of low mobility in the soil available to colonized plants.  Benefits from mycorrhizae are most evident early in establishment prior to development of an extensive, fibrous root system that is efficient at taking up phosphorus from the soil. 

Subtilex is a biological fungicide based on the MBI 600 isolate of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis.  Subtilex has been shown to have broad-spectrum antifungal activity, including control of soil-borne pathogens like Rhizoctonia spp. and Fusarium spp.  When applied to soil, Subtilex rapidly colonizes the plant root surface, thereby out-competing root pathogens.  In addition, novel antifungal metabolites formed by Subtilex also suppress development of soil-borne pathogens.  As a result of these synergistic modes of action, vigorous root and shoot systems are established by Subtilex-treated plants, leading to more uniform stands and greater yields.