Lignition is a plant-derived yield enhancer that costs only $5.50 per acre and shows a track record of lifting corn yields 15 to 32 bu. per acre in professional random-rep field trials in Ontario, Canada. See the nearby chart, adapted from the Lignition website. This represents seed application, but Lignition can also be foliar-sprayed. We encourage you to visit the Lignition site for full details. The developer, Dave Sutherland of Ontario, Canada, has invested more than a decade in refining this unique technology.
June 4, 2021 By Jerry Carlson Four random-replicated strip trials with Lignition on corn here at our Renewable Farming test farm in Northeast Iowa showed yield gains over controls of 5.15 bu., 9.19 bu., 11.96 bu., and 18.83 bushels. Average: an 11.28 bu. gain. These results were derived from a total of 77 strips of either 200 feet or 300 feet. The middle 3 rows of each 6-row treated strip were harvested. Weights were checked with a calibrated Pioneer weigh wagon and corrected for moisture.
With December corn futures trending up toward $6, foliar-spraying Lignition on corn now is a rational management move. Lignition foliar application is most effective in the 3- to 10-leaf stage. Benefits taper off after that.
Here’s the rest of the story on why we rate Lignition as a “nearly perfect” biological yield booster:
1. Application rate is only 50 to 80 grams (2.8 oz. dry weight) per acre dissolved in 15 to 20 gallons of spray solution. The black granules are totally soluble. We can ship it to you inexpensively and quickly as a dry product, or we can pre-mix a liquid concentrate you can pour into your spray tank or induction system.
2. Non-toxic. At a luncheon for a delegation of Ukranian farm managers here in Cedar Falls a few years ago, I stirred a spoonful of Lignition into my water glass at the table, making an instant “tea.” Then I drank a big swallow of the “tea”. (I’m 85 and still here, but I’d recommend saving the Lignition for your corn. Tastes like vanilla.)
3. You can seed-apply or foliar spray. So — if you got frosted or have some replanting, wetting your seed corn or beans with this biostimulant is very economical. At this point in the season, the main opportunity is foliar application.
4. Tank-mixes with herbicides and nutrients. Dave Sutherland tells me that he hasn’t run into a spray-solution compatibility problem anywhere over the years. He recommends diluting trace minerals tank-mixed with Lignition, which is normal when you’re foliar spraying.
Lignition is a coined term from Lignin (raw source of biostimulant compounds) and Ignition, which is the stimulant impact of phenols and carboxyl compounds when they’re unleashed from the raw lignin.
Lignition developer Dave Sutherland’s earlier corporate career as a key marketer with Agrium gave him global insight into yield-enhancing technologies. Using his international contacts, Dave first imported this lignin-derived product from Russia. Russia’s lignin source for the refined product was primarily wheat straw. Now, with the help of a research grant, Dave has developed a new process for using a pure and consistent form of lignin, a byproduct of high-quality white paper making. This lignin is further refined into biostimulants. “This where my patents are,” he tells me.
Here’s how Dave describes Lignition’s functionality:
“Raw lignin contains many naturally constructed functional groups. We manipulate and isolate these groups with heat, pressure, oxygen and other proprietary methods. The key groups to enhance plant growth are the carboxylic (-COOH) and the phenyl hydroxyl (-OH) group.
“The -OH group — the phenols (phenyl- hydroxyl) — are very active in plant physiology. Phenols act as a catalyst when added to seeds. Phenols have a role as an auxin co-factor. They support auxin activity, and creation of auxins. More auxins mean more roots. Healthier roots are the foundation for higher yields.
“We have analyzed our products for the constituent functional groups to document the fulvic acid vs. humic components made during manufacturing.
“The products we work with are natural plant-based compounds. When used with growing plants, they enhance the plant’s existing growth pathways. That’s why a series of applications through the seasonal crop cycle is so effective.”
Bottom line: Lignition’s role is to enhance chlorophyll’s efficiency in converting sunlight into sugars and other nutrients for faster and healthier crop growth. Corn and soybeans normally capture and convert only 2% of the sun’s energy into sugars, cellulose and other carbon-based biomass. Just a small improvement in conversion efficiency from Lignition’s biostimulants makes a profitable yield difference. With further research, Dave Sutherland hopes to enhance corn’s photosynthetic efficiency closer to sugarcane, which captures and converts about 7% of the sun’s energy.
Dave enthuses: “We have all these free inputs for building yields: Sunshine. Rainfall. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and released by respiration of soil organisms. My aim is to use Lignition to maximize conversion of those assets into high-quality yields.”
We have enough Lignition on hand for about 2,000 acres, immediate delivery to you. Tell us how many acres you want to yield-enhance… only $5.50 per acre. Contact us by phone, text or email!
