Among the watchouts from the Iran War is the supreme challenge of getting key inputs for growers through the Strait of Hormuz. This has caused price spikes and supply uncertainty during planting season- a crucial period of fertilizer use.

Josh Linville of StoneX has spent nearly a quarter century tracking the fertilizer market. He said the situation is terrible in terms of price, but there also have been some overly dramatic reporting. As with many big issues, the truth lies somewhere in between.

“Affordability and availability are two completely different terms,” said Josh Linville, Vice President of Fertilizer for StoneX, a prominent financial services network that began more than a century ago. “From an affordability standpoint yes, it’s terribly overpriced. But from an availability standpoint, based on what we think we need for imports to finish out this fertilizer year, based on what we know has come and we think has come through March, we only need about a million ton for April and May. But again, good can go to bad very quickly.”

Scientific advancement has been a hallmark characteristic of our company, but it needs to be rooted in practicality for the grower. Fortunately these two areas are seamlessly blending with Redox technology.

Dr's Gifford Gillette and Debatosh Das play crucial roles in research at Redox Bio-Nutrients. They collaborate and oversee scores of trials done in a variety of locations, including our research farm in Burley, Idaho, with contract research organizations and universities.

The success rate for these projects shows an extremely bright future, as RAM (redox active molecule) technology is a universal benefit to all growers, regardless of crop or region they are farmed.

Gillette and Das are both extremely positive about RDX-N®, which has undergone more than a decade of research and fieldwork, and provides up to 50 percent optimization of nitrogen without any performance loss.

The Iran War has impacted already volatile fertilizer markets. This has not gone unnoticed in Washington, D.C.

“We’re going to finish the war with Iran, and we will accommodate as best we can the American farmer with additional assistance for their increased input costs,” said Congressman Austin Scott, who is Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee. “I believe that additional assistance will come. Again, it will depend on what happens with regard to commodity prices at the end of the year.”

The eight term Georgia representative said farm security is national security, and a longer term goal is working to produce more critical agricultural inputs in the United States.

The conflict in Iran has added yet more uncertainty to fertilizer availability. This is concerning to many in agriculture, as significant input purchases still need to be made before peak planting season.

“ We still need to import about 25 percent of our spring need,” said Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute, which represents producers, wholesalers and retailers. “All it takes is one event like this to really mess things up. I’m very concerned.”

Rosenbusch said his four main watchouts from the situation in Iran involve the availability of natural gas, urea, nitrogen and sulfur.

On a more positive front, Rosenbusch said he’s encouraged about work to get a new farm bill in place, which he hopes will include a national definition of biostimulants. He said biostimulants offer great promise for growers and may be even more valuable in difficult times in agriculture like are currently being experienced.

Maintaining plant charge balance is crucial in all types of agriculture, including turfgrass. Longtime superintendent Dean Piller with Cordova Bay Golf Course includes Redox TurfRx technology in his turf care. A new product he has studied extensively is OsmoPro™, which provides incredible stress relief and is now a fixture on his course.

“At the time of the year that we should be shining, we should be five-star rating, that’s when we’re struggling the most with abiotic stress,” Piller said. “Having some tools now that I truly believe are going to help reduce that abiotic stress and give us a better chance to show our best colors in peak season. I’m really excited moving forward.”

Additional Redox TurfRx products at Cordova Bay include Rx Micro+, Platinum, Rx CA and Xtraction™.

Sometimes opportunity presents itself during challenging circumstances. The downturn in the agricultural economy may be one example.

Tom Haase with TN Ag works with growers on their crop nutrition, including Redox Bio-Nutrients technology. He also grows crops near Albion, Nebraska.

With crop prices struggling, input costs high and the likely future for basic fertilizer is only trending upward, Tom emphasizes improving soil health, doing more with less and reallocating dollars for the biggest benefit. Tell me your thoughts about how best to achieve this.

He recently visited Redox Bio-Nutrients headquarters in Burley, Idaho, for intensive meetings on how plant charge balance and RAM (Redox Active Molecule) technology are crucial for successful farming.

One product that has the attention of Tom and many is RDX-N®, which provides game-changing nitrogen optimization.

California is not only the largest agricultural state, but it’s also the most diverse, with several hundred crops grown. There may be a new major crop in the Golden State – agave.

Stuart Woolf heads a large family farm in Fresno County, and has seen excellent agronomic success growing 450 acres of agave. The crop uses a small fraction of the water when compared to many other crops, and it has intriguing market potential for spirits and as a sweetener.

This crop may turn into an excellent option especially for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, who routinely face limited water supplies.

Woolf has extensively studied agave production in Mexico and is a licensed nurseryman that has sold tens of thousands of plants to other California growers. U.C. Davis has several years of ongoing research on agave viability, and industry influencers are looking into the feasibility of this fledgling crop being distilled into a high-quality spirit.

Growers looking to boost crop yield and quality can benefit from new technology - not more fertilizer. Understanding the power of RAM Technology and premium Redox bio-nutrients can help farmers do more with less through improved metabolism and utilization of nutrients.

“We are quantifying quality of result, not quantity of result,” remarked Redox Bio-Nutrients CEO, Darin Moon. “In the end, that leads to higher yield and quality every time,” he said.

Redox products are specifically designed to help crops achieve plant charge balance, which the single most important thing for successful harvests. He added that Redox products not only help growers do more with less, bolstering farm productivity and helping ensure high quality, healthy food for consumers.

“Food should become medicine,” Moon said. “You cannot do that by worrying about just loading up the plant on unmetabolized nutrients.”