The performance of this year’s maize crops can be boosted with the application of a new post-emergence biostimulant which improves root, shoot and leaf development to make young plants more vigorous and less susceptible to stress. Application in conjunction with a compatible herbicide at the same post-emergence timing further enhances crop performance without the need for an additional sprayer pass.

Trialled by ProCam agronomists last year and now available on a nationwide basis, Pro+ Fulvivex is a biostimulant comprising concentrated humic and fulvic acids as well micro and macro-nutrients which stimulate cell division to promote root, shoot and leaf growth. It also improves nutrient uptake and chlorophyll production, resulting in healthier, more vigorous plants which go on to produce higher yields.

“Pro+ Fulvivex stimulates specific hormonal pathways to enhance biological activity within crops including cereals, oilseed rape, sugar beet and maize,” explains Ryan Came-Johnson, maize technical lead for product manufacturer, Corteva.

“It also improves photosynthesis efficiency by activating enzymatic processes and increasing chlorophyll production, thereby enabling plants to utilise nutrients more effectively and making them more tolerant of stress.

“The end result in maize is a healthier, more vigorous crop which goes on to produce a greater fresh weight and higher dry matter yield. In fact, trials have shown that the inclusion of Pro+ Fulvivex can increase dry matter yield by 0.8 to 1.6 tonnes per hectare, with larger cobs resulting in an increase in overall starch production.”

ProCam agronomist Guy Peters trialled Pro+ Fulvivex in the South West in 2025 and was impressed by its ability to push crops ahead of weed competition and weather-related stressors.

“Despite advances in maize genetics, we’re still essentially trying to grow a tropical crop in a temperate environment which, in recent years, has become increasingly volatile,” Guy explains. “Last year’s drought highlighted just how easy it is for mother nature to put forage stocks in short supply, so it makes sense to take every step to ensure maize crops establish quickly and are able to grow away from weed or environmental pressures with as few hindrances as possible.”

For maize, this means getting the crop to the tasselling stage as quickly as possible to maximise the number of sunny days left in the season for the crop to set and fill cobs.

“Last year we saw that crops treated with Pro+ Fulvivex were able to get ahead and stay ahead of weed competition more effectively,” Guy continues. “It mixed well with a wide range of post-emergence herbicides without hindering their performance, and without causing any undue crop effect, which meant it could be applied while the crop was still quite small, but before weeds had grown large enough for them to be difficult to control, and without the need for a separate sprayer pass.

“It is an extra product to put through the sprayer, but it’s a well-priced, cost-effective way of ensuring crops can get ahead of weeds before they steal soil moisture or out-compete the crop for nutrients and sunlight. If we get another dry summer this year, it will once again prove invaluable in helping crops to produce larger roots so that they can cope with drought conditions, and make the most of sunny weather to produce energy dense, starch-filled cobs.”

Pro+ Fulvivex is approved for application on maize at BBCH GS12-16 (two to six leaves) and at a low rate of just 150 g/ha in 150-300 litres of water per hectare.

“It partners well with Corteva’s maize specific rimsulfuron plus thifensulfuron-methyl herbicide, Dragster, which is approved for use in the GS13-18 (three to eight leaves) window,” Ryan adds. “The two products can therefore be applied at the same time, negating the need for an additional sprayer pass. With fuel prices as high as they currently are, this makes a lot of sense, with the inclusion of Dragster providing rapid contact action to control a wide range of annual and perennial grass and broad-leaved weeds including fat hen, black bindweed, redshank, barnyard grass, hairy fingergrass, couch grass and more.”