Utrisha^® N Nutrient Efficiency Biostimulant Effects on Soybean Yield

• Utrisha^® N nutrient efficiency biostimulant is natural bacterium that colonizes plant tissues and fixes nitrogen by converting N₂ from the air into a plant-available form (NH₄⁺).
• Methylobacterium symbioticum, the active component in Utrisha N is an endophytic bacterium, which means it can live and reproduce in plants without causing damage.
• Methylobacteria are a genus of bacteria that survive and multiply inside the plant by scavenging methanol, which is a byproduct of normal vegetative plant growth released to the atmosphere through the stomata.
• The bacteria use methanol as an energy source and fix atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into ammonium (NH₄⁺) using an enzymatic pathway that is not found in most plants.
• After application to the leaves, the bacteria sense methanol released from the stomata and move towards these openings as entry points into the plant.
• Once in the plant, they continue to multiply and scavenge methanol produced in active growth regions.

• Soybeans have a high demand for nitrogen due to their high seed protein content, which is typically met through a combination of uptake from the soil and fixation by rhizobial bacteria that colonize nodules on the roots.
• A study was conducted in 2023 to evaluate the potential of Utrisha N to increase soybean yield by providing an additional source of nitrogen to the plant.
• On-farm trials were conducted at 233 locations across the U.S. Corn Belt (Figure 1).
• Each field in the study included a treated area and non-treated area to determine yield response to application of Utrisha N.
• Utrisha N was applied at either the V4-V8 or R1-R3 stage.

• Utrisha N treatment significantly increased soybean yield, by an average of 1.1 bu/acre across all locations (Figure 2).

Application Time of Day

• The time of day at which Utrisha N is applied could impact its efficacy due to the manner in which M. symbioticum colonizes the plant – through the stomata on the leaves.
• Stomatal conductance typically reaches it’s maximum during the late-morning hours and decreases into the afternoon as rising temperatures increase the vapor pressure deficit and the stomata close to help the plant conserve water.
• Consequently, applications made prior to the late-morning peak of stomatal conductance should allow more bacteria to successfully enter and colonize the plant.
• The 2023 on-farm trials provided an opportunity to looks for trends in yield response based on application time of day because of the large number of trials and a relatively even split between morning and afternoon applications.
• Of the 83 trials that reported application timing, 36 were prior to 11:00 a.m. and 40 were between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• The average yield response to Utrisha^® N in trials where it was applied in the morning was 1.95 bu/acre, compared to only 0.5 bu/acre with afternoon applications (Figure 3), suggesting that application timing could indeed have an important effect on efficacy and yield response.