Field Crop Problems & Culbac® Plant Solutions

Since the early 1970s, Culbac crop products have been helping ornamental growers, homeowners, landscapers, and farmers grow healthier, more productive, and more robust crops throughout the United States and the world. As pioneers in sustainable agriculture, our natural products are derived from a unique combination of fermented bacteria and seaweed extracts making them safe and effective.

Growing crops is fraught with challenges ranging from weather issues, pests, and more, especially under abiotic stresses. Fortunately, all-natural Culbac Plant products, which include essential plant biostimulants like protein hydrolysates and humic substances, are scientifically tested and shown to deliver results safely and effectively. Increasing productivity of plants, while imbuing drought resistance and improving overall plant health parameters has been shown in hundreds of studies in all species of plants addressed.

Post-emergent Rows of Corn

Research studies and field trials have proven Culbac products for crops deliver results including:

The Culbac product line for crops includes:

Culbac® Plant Solution

Culbac all-natural, non-toxic plant treatment is an easy-to-use plant growth stimulator and scientifically proven to safely and effectively deliver higher quality, better-yielding crops, vegetables, fruits or turf. This versatile product is labeled for use as a foliar spray, seed treatment, soil amendment or root dip.

Culbac® Green™ (EPA-label)

Culbac Green is our EPA-labeled Plant Solution Product. If you need an EPA-labeled product for your farm records, Culbac Green is a concentrated bio-stimulant foliar spray with the ability to stimulate root growth. It provides the same benefits as Culbac Plant Solutions.

Culbac Commercial Seed Treatment Small and Large Product

Culbac® Commercial Seed Treatment

Culbac Commercial Seed Treatment acts as a stimulus for the growth of beneficial soil microbes when coated onto seeds. In addition to its bioactive compounds, it is fortified with a blend of essential micronutrients and macronutrients to ensure seedlings get the best start possible.

Culbac Dry Seed Treatment Plus Product Case

Culbac® Dry Seed Treatment Plus

Culbac® Dry Seed Treatment Plus is a dry, Culbac® Probiotic Plus™ seed coating formulated with a patented soy powder base for easy application and mixing. It’s designed to get plant seeds off to a better, faster start. It contains no carcinogenic talc or graphite to wear home on your clothes. Instead it contains patented, natural soy powder.

How Our Products Work In Crops

Culbac Plant products contain growth regulators like cytokininCytokinins are a class of plant growth substances that promote cell division, or cytokinesis, in plant roots and shoots. They are involved primarily in cell growth and differentiation, but also affect apical dominance, axillary bud growth, and leaf senescence. , microminerals, macrominerals, amino acids, and they also stimulate beneficial microbes in the rhizosphere and support the production of other beneficial soil microbes. The fermentation metabolites in Culbac Plant products boost the populations of good native microorganisms in the soil. These beneficial microorganisms are essential for converting soil nutrients into forms that the plant will absorb, take up and use. This results in increased root mass, hardier plants and increased yields.
Sprayer Head over Short Grass

Benefits of Culbac products

Culbac plant biostimulants contain a number of trace elements, amino acids, and phyto-hormones (including cytokinins). This blend of bioactive compounds is believed to have a synergistic effect, rendering their mode of action as complex as the products themselves. Application to the soil assists in adding these bioactive compounds to the soil for availability to the plant, as well as stimulating the microbiome of the soil, including stimulating Rhizobium, important soil bacteria that fix nitrogen. Having an adequate microbiome in the soil allows nutrients to be processed and brought up by the root systems of plants. Without these important microorganisms, plants cannot thrive. One of the most consistent responses of plants to Culbac plant products to the soil is increased biomass of microbes and in particular in the rhizobium, increased microbial activity in the soil, and development of robust root systems in plants to bring necessary nutrients to the plant. This makes Culbac products a valuable tool in the planting , growth, and harvesting of crops. This enhanced microbial activity also supports more rapid and efficacious break down of fodder left in the field after harvest, to return important nutrients to the soil and prepare the field for future plantings.

Although Culbac plant biostimulants do contain small levels of elements essential to plant health, they are not intended to replace full fertilizer rations. Rather, Culbac plant products are designed to supplement a full fertilizer program by enabling the plant to utilize the maximum amount of nutrients available in the soil. Since Culbac is an all-natural product derived from fermenting beneficial bacteria in a nutrient medium containing kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum), it is safe to use according to label directions.

Products: Culbac Plant Solution and Culbac Green

Culbac plant products have been tested extensively for use as a seed treatment. The formulations developed have demonstrated great success with seed for crops. Culbac seed treatments are offered in dry and liquid forms. Culbac Dry Seed Treatment Plus is available for use directly at the seed box during planting and acts as a lubricant. However, Culbac Dry Seed Treatment Plus is not compatible with graphite or talc, but is meant to be a natural, healthy, and nutritive alternative to carcinogenic graphite or talc. Soy powder can be added as an additional lubricant if needed. The liquid form, Culbac Commercial Seed Treatment, is designed for larger scale seed-processor. Measures of root and shoot growth, seedling vigor, drought resistance, and temperature tolerance have demonstrated the great efficacy of Culbac seed treatments for crops.

The effects of Culbac seed treatments are most noticeable when seeds are planted in less than ideal conditions. For example, very warm soils or very cold soils, or in drought conditions. Besides increases in germination success, earlier emergence and more vigorous seedlings may also be observed when using Culbac seed treatments for crop farming.

When used as a seed treatment, Culbac has consistently been shown to improve root development in cotton seedlings. In trials in universities, laboratories, and in field studies in multiple locations on several varieties of cotton, percent of root mass soared above untreated crops when seeds had been treated with a Culbac seed treatment product. Trials also observed improved germination and survival rates, as well as increased seedling vigor and shoot tissue when compared to untreated seedlings.

Studies with corn, soybeans, alfalfa, tobacco, peanuts, wheat of all varieties, oats, sorghum, rye, and many other crop varieties, Culbac seed treatments have demonstrated vigorous and consistent results.

Products: Culbac Plant SolutionCulbac Green, Culbac Liquid Commercial Seed Treatment, and Culbac Dry Commercial Seed Treatment Plus

Although not a traditional application for most crops, many studies have been conducted in both greenhouse and field settings to identify benefits of Culbac plant products when used as a root dip for crops. Many studies have been conducted in a variety of crops. In several varieties of rice, when roots were dipped, root elongation and overall root mass were longer and more substantial. When Culbac plant products were used as a root dip for Bermuda grass plugs, Culbac-treated plugs averaged 40% root mass above controls. Additionally, on average Culbac-treated plugs showed 13% more shoot growth than controls. In root dip trials compared to a competitor product, the root and shoot growth for the Culbac-treated plugs was substantially greater than those treated with the competitor product. It is reasonable to conclude that if the root systems of crops are more fully developed, the durability and healthy growth of shoots should be increased due to the greater uptake of water and nutrients.

In hops, dipping the rhizome in a diluted solution of Culbac at planting can provide enormous effects in ensuring establishment and early growth of the plant. Additionally, Culbac applied as a root dip or as a foliar spray has been shown to increase yield and to increase color intensity and overall production.

Products: Culbac Plant Solution and Culbac Green

Historically, Culbac has proven to be very effective for increasing plant growth when applied as a foliar treatment. As a foliar spray, Culbac can be delivered to the plants through sprayers or metered into irrigation systems. Since Culbac products are compatible with common pesticides and crop treatments, they may be mixed with these chemicals and applied at the same time.

In addition to the cytokinin found in Culbac plant products, a nutrient-rich fermentate and stabilized bacteria are included in these Culbac Probiotic Plus™ (tooltip) solutions. Trials have been run with Culbac products delivered as a foliar application in many and varied crops. Some examples of studies that have demonstrated with merely two foliar treatments over the growth cycle, yields in field corn were increased by more than 11%, yields in spring wheat were increased by more than 8%, and yields in peanuts were increased by 8%. Studies in sugar beets demonstrated that Culbac-treated plants produced not only more beets, but also posted higher yields of sugars over untreated beats.

Field trials conducted in several cotton-growing states have found that foliar applications of Culbac can increase cotton yields. To attain optimal crop performance through foliar applications of Culbac, it is important to follow recommended rates and timing. Application rates and timing are important to achieve the maximum benefit from plant growth regulators such as Culbac. Dose-response studies with Culbac foliar sprays have been accomplished to determine optimal application rates and timing of applications to achieve the greatest returns. Please see the product information for your crop. If you do not see your crop identified, please call our toll-free number for more information.

Products: Culbac Plant Solution and Culbac Green