Indigo Ag is not afraid of taking on tough challenges. And nematodes—especially soybean cyst nematodes—are some of the toughest ones out there.
“Nematodes are the leading detractor of yield and have the biggest economic impact as far as soybean pests and diseases go,” says Cory Nikkel, Indigo Ag’s Director of Sales Enablement who is based in Iowa. “They just continue to get more and more robust as they spread around the country. They cause $1.5 billion worth of yield loss a year, so it's taken a lot out of the old soybean numbers every year, that's for sure.”
I recently had a conversation with Corey (watch it above) about the reaction to Indigo’s new bionematicide, Z15, which we launched in August 2023. Z15 inhibits the reproductive cycle of plant parasitic nematodes that can severely damage roots while the plant appears healthy above ground. Farmers have been relying on genetic resistance in the soybean plants themselves for decades, but the cyst nematodes have adapted and become resistant to that genetic resistance.
“We're hitting this right at the perfect time as far as kind of stepping in to help with some rescue techniques and programs to be able to extend maybe a new form of resistance in terms of that genetics, but also the safety factor,” Corey says. Some of the chemical nematicides have come on the market and been taken off for safety reasons. “So, between safety, timing, and having a living worker down there helping to protect against cysts, it's a really cool product,” Corey says.
Our Z15 field trials show that plants are tolerating stress better, as well as putting down bigger roots. Early in the trials, we were getting 48% to 72% increase in seed pot formation. Now later in the season, we’re seeing farmers with up to nine bushel per acre increases. That can mean an additional $100 to $120 profit per acre, depending on soybean prices. “When you're pulling seven, eights, and nines, those get felt in the pocketbook,” says Corey.
Learn more about Z15 in the video conversation above. If you’re interested in offering Z15 to your customers or using it on your farm, click here to get in touch with Indigo Ag.
*Information in this presentation is based on currently available information and is subject to change. Outcomes may vary based on a number of factors. Indigo does not guarantee any minimum outcomes or results. Terms, conditions and limitations may apply.