Frequently Asked JumpStart Questions
How Does JumpStart Work?
JumpStart colonizes (grows along) the roots of an inoculated plant. As it grows, it releases organic acids into the soil that breaks the bond that phosphate forms with other elements like calcium or magnesium. JumpStart benefits the plant by making phosphate available but the plant also benefits the JumpStart by producing sugars that feed the fungus. The plant and fungus form what we call a symbiotic relationship meaning both organisms benefit from the relationship.
What Benefits do Farmers Derive From Using JumpStart?
- Improved crop performance:
- Root development
- Stress tolerance
- Seed quality
- Earlier, more uniform maturity
- Better fertilizer use efficiency
- Higher yield
- Lower phosphate fertilizer requirements:
- Savings on handling, transportation, storage and time requirements
- Lower environmental impacts
Under What Conditions Should I See a Benefit From Using JumpStart?
- In soils low to medium in available phosphate (soil tests recommend greater than 15–25 pounds of P2O5 per acre).
- Under cool soils conditions.
- When phosphate fertilizer is placed greater than 1.5 inches away from the seed.
- In fine textured (clay, clay loam) soils that have lots of cations like calcium and magnesium that will quickly bind phosphate and thus not be available for crop growth.
Benefits of JumpStart May be Limited on:
- Soils that have been heavily fertilized or manured (likely to be high to very high in available phosphate).
- Soils that don’t tie up phosphate, i.e. very sandy soils (greater than 85% sand) and soils that contain more than 14% organic matter.
How do I Adjust my Phosphate Fertilizer Rate When Using JumpStart?
- If your soil is low to medium in available phosphate (soil tests recommend more than 15–25 pounds of P2O5 per acre) use JumpStart with the lower recommended P fertilizer rate from soil test results.
- If your soil is high to very high in available phosphate (soil tests recommend 10–15 pounds of P2O5 per acre), replace the starter P fertilizer application with JumpStart.
Why Not Just Use More Phosphate Fertilizer?
JumpStart gives you the same benefits as good phosphate fertility since it makes phosphate more available but it works in a different way.
- JumpStart works under cool soil conditions (as low as 40°F) making phosphate available when it’s needed the most. Phosphate fertilizer is relatively unavailable under cool soil conditions.
- JumpStart makes phosphate more available to the roots, right in the root zone, meaning roots don’t have to grow to the band of fertilizer to get phosphate.
- JumpStart results in early maturity and more even maturity by supplying every plant in the field with a more even supply of phosphate.
- JumpStart gives an average of 6% yield increase compared to just using more phosphate fertilizer.
