It's Not Too Early
When harvest wraps up, it’s easy to think the work is finished. But what happens next — how you handle your crop residue — sets the tone for next year’s yield potential, soil health, and nutrient efficiency. That work starts now, not in the spring.
What happens in your soil this fall will either set you up for success or leave nutrients and yield potential on the table. Residue isn’t waste — it’s a nutrient bank. Without active biology working for you, those nutrients stay locked away and unavailable to next year’s crop.
Residue Is Nutrient Capital Waiting to Be Unlocked
A typical 200-bushel corn crop leaves behind over four tons of residue per acre. That residue holds more than $160 worth of nutrients (N, P, K, S). But it won’t break down efficiently on its own. Without microbial activity, residue decomposition slows, disease pressure rises, and nutrients stay tied up until long after the next crop needs them.
Residue breakdown is biology’s job — you just have to give it what it needs.
Four-Part System for Maximum Results
We use a proven biological system that works even in tough, post-harvest conditions. Each component has a specific role in jumpstarting microbial activity and accelerating nutrient cycling:
- BioMax-E (3–5 gal/acre): A high-quality compost extract packed with diverse microbial life to repopulate and activate the soil food web.
- BAC (16 oz/acre): A concentrated blend of Bacillus strains that thrive even in low-oxygen conditions, accelerating residue digestion.
- Pacific Gro (16 oz/acre): Oceanic hydrolysate rich in amino acids and trace elements that feed microbes and improve decomposition efficiency.
- Molasses (16 oz/acre): A fast-acting carbon source to wake up biology and provide immediate microbial energy.
Together, this mix primes the soil to digest residue efficiently, recycle nutrients, and build a healthier, more plant-ready seedbed by spring.
Why Fall? Because Biology Doesn’t Wait
You don’t get a second chance to influence what happens in the soil over winter. Applying a residue management program right after harvest jumpstarts microbial activity while soil temperatures are still warm. That gives microbes time to multiply and start breaking down residue before winter slows them down — and before valuable nutrients are lost or locked up.
Timing Is Critical
Early fall application gives you a head start on nutrient cycling. The result? Easier planting, better emergence, and more available fertility from day one next spring. What you do now doesn’t just clean up residue — it builds the foundation for next season’s success.
ROI That Pays for Itself
At current fertilizer prices, unlocking even a portion of the nutrients in your residue easily covers the cost of the program. For roughly $25 per acre, you can recover over $100 in fertility value — not counting the additional benefits of improved soil tilth, moisture management, and reduced early pest and disease pressure.
Think of the nutrients already in your field as money in the bank. This program is the key to unlocking those funds and putting them back to work for next year’s crop.
Fall Is the Beginning, Not the End
Fall isn’t the end of the season — it’s the start of the next one. The decisions you make now will pay dividends at planting, emergence, and beyond. Active residue breakdown improves seedbed conditions, soil structure, water infiltration, and nutrient availability — all while reducing disease pressure and compaction issues.
Don’t wait until spring to think about your soil biology. By then, the opportunity to influence winter microbial activity is gone. Take action now while soils are still warm, and give your biology the head start it needs to work for you all season long.
Contact AgriBio Systems or visit agribiosystems.com to learn how our fall residue program builds soil health and ROI.