Every growing season starts with promise. Plans are made, hybrids and varieties are selected, and every input decision is weighed against the hope of a strong finish. But no matter how the year unfolds, one moment ultimately tells the story. When the combine rolls, the yield monitor lights up and the map fills in.
For growers using PROTIVATE™ nutritional seed enhancer, that moment is backed by years of replicated data and countless on-farm results showing fuller stands, stronger plants and more bushels in the bin.
This isn’t just about getting crops out of the ground faster. It’s about translating a faster, better start into a measurable harvest advantage, season after season.
A better start lays the groundwork for a stronger finish
Every grower knows the first few weeks after planting set the tone for the season. Planting into cold, damp soils can slow emergence, weaken seedlings and make them more susceptible to disease. Even in ideal soil conditions, poor seed flow or singulation can leave costly skips and doubles in the row.
PROTIVATE addresses both challenges in a single step. By replacing standard talc or graphite in the planter box, it provides the lubricity needed for smooth seed flow and precise seed placement while coating each seed with a concentrated package of nutrients.
This targeted seed-applied nutrition fuels root and shoot growth from day one, helping seedlings push through cool starts and emerge evenly. That early uniformity sets the stage for consistent ear size, better canopy closure and ultimately higher yield potential.
South Carolina grower Bud Price has seen firsthand how PROTIVATE changes the early-season game. “Since I’ve changed over to PROTIVATE, I have not had any problem with the seed coating. It allows the flow of my seed… and we have not had to replant corn in the last four years. None at all.”
More plants, fuller stands, stronger potential
The PROTIVATE advantage shows up quickly in stand counts and in-season observations. In many trials, treated acres have recorded thousands more plants per acre compared to untreated seed. That difference is easy to see expressed as uniform height, consistent spacing and healthy, vigorous plants that maintain their lead all season.
Nebraska grower Seth Mangels has run PROTIVATE trials on his farm and noticed the difference from day one. “We saw more plants emerging from the PROTIVATE-treated corn plot on Day 1 and continuing on Days 2 and 3 compared to the untreated,” he said. “At the end of the season, there was a huge difference between the Day 1 and Day 3 ears. Ultimately, we saw increased yields.”
That consistency is no accident. KAS Director of Agronomy Tim Laatsch explains the connection: “More plants per acre, more ears, more grain. That’s the harvest story PROTIVATE delivers.”
The proof is in the yield monitor
Five years of replicated trials across 19 locations tell a consistent story
- Corn average 4 bu/ac yield advantage with PROTIVATE1
- Soybeans average 2.2 bu/ac yield advantage when planting 10 to 14 days ahead of the standard planting date for the geographical area2
For growers like Mangels, the yield monitor confirms what the eye sees during the season. “We had a positive financial return the first year we used it,” he said. “It’s an economical, easy-to-use enhancement to what we are already doing.”
Why PROTIVATE works from planting to harvest
The key to PROTIVATE’s yield advantage lies in both timing and placement. The nutrients are applied directly on the seed, where they’re immediately available during the most critical early growth stages.
With nitrogen, phosphorus, manganese and zinc, the nutrient package carries plants through V5, when a corn plant sets its maximum potential ear size. Eliminating stress in that window helps preserve the plant’s full capacity for rows around and length, which directly impacts final yield.
Coupled with PROTIVATE’s planter lubricity benefits, this means more precise seed placement, fewer skips and more uniform competition across the row.
Flexible fit for any farm or crop
Another reason growers quickly make PROTIVATE a standard part of their program is its seamless integration into existing operations. There’s no need for new equipment or extra application steps — it simply takes the place of the talc or graphite already being used.
It’s also available in multiple formulations for a wide range of crops, including corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat and even cover crops. Large-scale operations with automated seed tender systems can meter it in, while smaller farms can hand-treat seed in the planter box and see the same results.
Minnesota grower and KAS product service advisor Chris Buckentin appreciates the efficiency: “No. 1, I get the 80/20 talc-graphite product to help the planter run smoothly. No. 2, I get nutrients on every seed. It’s like a bonus.”
The return that keeps growers coming back
For every input, ROI is the deciding factor. With PROTIVATE, the numbers consistently work in the grower’s favor:
- 4 bu/ac average corn advantage equals over $15/ac return at $2.50/ac investment*
- 2.2 bu/ac soybean advantage in early planting scenarios provides a strong early-season payoff*
- Additional savings from reduced replanting and better use of every seed purchased*
As Iowa grower Ben Van Roekel put it, “When you see a consistent return like we do with PROTIVATE, it’s an easy decision to make it a standard part of our program.”
The harvest takeaway
At harvest, the numbers don’t lie. Fields planted with PROTIVATE consistently show denser plant counts, fuller stands and stronger yield performance. What starts as a simple swap in the planter box ends with a yield map that reflects more plants, more ears and more bushels.
From planting to harvest, PROTIVATE delivers dual-purpose value.
- Seed-applied nutrition that fuels early-season vigor and uniform stands
- Planter lubricity that ensures smooth seed flow and precise placement
- A proven yield advantage backed by replicated data and grower results
For growers looking to protect their yield potential and capture more of it at the end of the season, PROTIVATE offers a simple, cost-effective and proven path forward.
The harvest success story is clear… but it starts in the planter box.
¹The underlying data was provided by AgRevival, Agrithority, Michigan Ag Commodities, Alpha Ag Research, SGS North America, Stoneville R&D, and Tidewater Agronomics under a Research Trial Financial Support Agreements with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither the universities, institutions, nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service. Improvements in yield and nutrient use efficiency may not be observed in all cases.
²The underlying data was provided by AgRevival, Agrithority, Michigan Ag Commodities, Alpha Ag Research, SGS North America, Stoneville R&D, and Tidewater Agronomics under a Research Trial Financial Support Agreements with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither the universities, institutions, nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service. Improvements in yield and nutrient use efficiency may not be observed in all cases.
*Calculations are based on MSRP price. Prices will vary by location. Cost of seed per acre is an example based on market price and average seeding rate of 35K seeds per acre. Seeding rate and kernels per bag will vary by operation.
