Location: Central Midwest
Soil Type: Webster Clay Loam – heavy-textured, high in clay content, naturally slow draining with a tendency toward compaction.
Objective
This field trial was conducted to evaluate the performance of Bio-Gel® YieldArmor™ applied at green-up in alfalfa production. The study focused on its impact in dense clay loam soils, assessing effects on:
- Soil moisture dynamics
- Salt behavior and nutrient availability
- Forage digestibility
- Biomass yield
Key Agronomic Results
1. Improved Soil Water Dynamics
In traditionally tight and compacted clay soils, moisture retention is often limited, negatively affecting plant uptake and root development. In this trial Bio-Gel YieldArmor demonstrated:
- +6% increase in soil moisture, showing its effectiveness in alleviating water stress and improving soil structure to better retain water near the root zone.
2. Enhanced Nutrient Availability
Soil salt dynamics were also influenced by Bio-Gel YieldArmor application:
- Salt index increased by 6%, suggesting that more nutrients were available and accessible in the root zone.
- This points to Bio-Gel YieldArmor’s role in buffering salt concentrations and improving osmotic conditions, allowing for better nutrient release and uptake.
3. Forage Quality Improvements
Ultimately, the combination of better moisture retention and nutrient efficiency led to a substantial increase in yield:
- Dry matter yield increased by 26%, validating Bio-Gel YieldArmor’s agronomic value in converting soil improvements into actual harvest gains.
Key Takeaways
- Improved soil-water relationships (+6% moisture retention)
- More efficient nutrient use (+6% salt index)
- Enhanced forage digestibility (+20% DOMI)
- Higher yield output (+26% dry matter yield)
These results illustrate that Bio-Gel YieldArmor doesn’t just deliver nutrients – it actively supports soil-plant interaction, improving resilience, plant health and productivity.
For growers working in high-CEC, dense soils, Bio-Gel YieldArmor offers a strategic edge, especially amid increasing demands for sustainable, high-efficiency input solutions.