Evofactor Improves Economics, Sustainability for Specialty Ag

Field results on head lettuce point to outdoor crop production improvements with first-of-its-kind nutrient adjuvant

May 4, 2022—ARGYLE, Texas— Verano365  released field trial results on head lettuce production using the company’s proprietary nutrient adjuvant, Evofactor. The independent trial was conducted by Holden Research and Consulting in California on field head lettuce, incorporating Evofactor with varying fertilizer rates to measure the product’s impact on yield and marketability. The third-party contract research shows that growers using Evofactor can reduce fertilizer application by 25% and increase yield by 29%.

The six-replicate trial was based on the grower’s standard practice of utilizing CAN17 (Calcium Ammonium Nitrate) fertilizer as the nutrient source for the head lettuce crop. Four different treatments were tested using 3.5 oz of Evofactor per pound of nitrogen (N) per acre, varying the N application rate from 30 pounds, 60 pounds, 90 pounds, to 120 pounds.

“Typically, a grower would apply at least 120 pounds of supplemental nitrogen per acre,” said David Coorts, VP of Technical Development for Verano365. “Because we’ve seen time-and-again that Evofactor can improve nutrient efficiency, we wanted to see how low we could go on the applied nutrients and find the intersection where we also see an improvement in yield. Evofactor with the 90-pounds of N per acre was where we hit the sweet spot.”

In this trial, the most economically beneficial and realistic scenario for the grower was utilizing 90 pounds/A CAN17 + Evofactor, resulting in $2,407/acre net increase back to the farm. With 126 more cartons produced at this rate versus fertilizer alone, for every $1 spent to incorporate Evofactor, the grower would realize $21 in return.

Coorts shared, “The results were impressive. When the fertilizer treatment was reduced to 90 pounds of nitrogen per acre, a 25% reduction, the crop that only received CAN17 produced 603 cartons of lettuce. But when Evofactor was added to the 90 pounds of nitrogen, the treatment produced 729 cartons.”

They also saw improvement in ready-to-cut timing on the lettuce crop. At first harvest, the group receiving various rates of CAN17 fertilizer by itself showed readiness that varied from 15% to 44% based on fertilizer rate. The group receiving Evofactor plus the CAN17 fertilizer rates showed harvestability that ranged from 33% to 54%.

“Working with a world-class contract researcher on this trial validated that Evofactor can perform in outdoor specialty ag the way we’ve seen it perform for indoor growers,” said Coorts. “Every day we see new headlines about the rising costs of fertilizer. In addition, we know a lot of growers are looking for ways to reduce nutritionals from a sustainability perspective. This trial proves that Evofactor can help them do both while providing economic benefit.”

Evofactor is registered for use in all 50 states and is powered by Verano365’s proprietary formulation technology, OpusMAX, which forms supramolecular structures from nutrients allowing for improved stability and nutrient uptake. The full case study is available on the company’s website. Verano365 products are available from horticulture distribution partners.

About Verano365

Verano365 aims to help the world thrive with healthier harvests. The Texas-based company provides specialty horticultural innovations utilizing a proprietary formulation technology, OpusMAX. Verano365’s solutions for greenhouse, nursery, and hydroponic management enable growers to get the most out of their inputs, from more efficient use of fertilizers to enhanced yields and shelf-life. Verano365 is part of the BPS Agriculture family of companies. Learn more about how our products help growers maximize profit per square foot at www.verano365.com.

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Contact: Dawn McKenzie, Verano365 | 817.809.8532 x 1029 | dawn.mckenzie@verano365.com

About Verano365  

Verano365 aims to help the world thrive with healthier harvests. The Texas-based company provides specialty horticultural innovations utilizing a proprietary formulation technology, OpusMAX. Verano365’s solutions for greenhouse, nursery, and hydroponic management enable growers to get the most out of their inputs, from more efficient use of fertilizers to enhanced yields and shelf-life. Verano365 is part of the BPS Agriculture family of companies. Learn more about how our products help growers maximize profit per square foot at www.verano365.com.