Meristem Crop Performance® has officially announced the launch of EXCAVATOR® AMS, which is a new, more convenient formulation of EXCAVATOR powered by the company’s patented MICROBILIZE™technology. Decked up with ammonium sulfate (AMS), the stated formulation comes bearing an ability to break down residue and cover crops faster, achievespeedier nutrient release, reduce labor, and improve the efficacy of herbicide applications, thus becoming the first product ever to have all these capabilities available in one package. Another detail worth mentioning about EXCAVATOR® AMS is rooted in the fact that it is developed by Joe Gednalske, Meristem’s Product Development Lead, as well as his team, who has a claim on the development of MICROBILIZE™ technology. Apart from that, the team is also credited with 41 US and international patents for adjuvants, spray application technology and other crop inputs.
“We just put our MICROBILIZE Technology on steroids when we put the AMS with it,” said Gednalske. “And this formulation has a duplicate of our best AQUADRAFT formula, so you are truly getting it all: the best surfactant, water conditioner and the nitrogen to speed decomposition.”
Fair enough, upon combining the given technology with AMS, Meristem was able to hit upon three key improvements. This included a more aggressive biological consortium to break down crop residue faster than any other similar product. Next up, it conceived AMS and a non-ionic surfactant to make burning of weeds and coverage of crops more effective and more convenient. The third and final improvement that we would observe was EXCAVATOR® and AQUADRAFT® PREMIUM in one tote or jug, which on its part, significantly reduced all mixing hassles and opened up more space on the spray trailer.
“It’s time to fight back and take cost out of your synthetic fertilizer spend by unlocking the plant nutrition you already own,” said Mitch Eviston,Founder and CEO of Meristem. “Additionally, we are giving the farmer a best-in-class water condition and surfactant system for free and a nitrogen kicker making EXCAVATOR AMS the best residue breakdown product one the market.”
The whole development provides a rather interesting follow-up to last five years during which residue management with biologicals has become one of the fastest growing practices farmers have adopted. This adoption is already paying dividends in the context of plant nutrition, reduced tillage, improved stands, and a lot more.
“Many farmers we work with are seeing $60 to $80 of value an acre by spending less than $15 per acre,” said Eviston. “EXCAVATOR AMS is another step-change, allowing all those benefits, plus saving another $2 per acre on adjuvant and nitrogen with this all-in-one product. It’s what we’re all about—more bushels for less.”
