Why John Stanley trusts Kick-Off to enhance yields and reduce fertiliser usage
December 21st 2023Fielder Seed Treatments Case Study
John Stanley, MD of Milcote Seeds, trusts Kick-Off to boost yields and has discovered further benefits to reduce his fertiliser use. 100% of John Stanley’s seed is treated with Kick-Off
Trusting the right seed treatment
John Stanley is the MD at Milcote Seeds, an independent seed processor based in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire. John also owns his own farm, with 170 ha of combinable crops, with a focus on growing C1 Crusoe for resale as C2 seed. John is therefore in the perfect position to see for himself what products truly work and so it is a testament to the effectiveness of Kick-Off that he uses the Fielder seed treatment with his customers, as well as on his own farm.
Benefits John Stanley gets from using Kick-Off
- He used 50kg/ha less Nitrogen on Kick-Off treated crops – reduce costs and improve sustainability
- Yield boosting – 0.42t/ha which was a +4.4% improvement
- A product he 100% trusts on his customer’s crops, as well as his own
- Excellent results on problem fields
Using 50kg/ha less fertiliser and still improving yields
As both a seller and user of Kick-Off John had seen the benefits of Kick-Off first-hand – improving yields, early establishment, and deeper rooting. It wasn’t until 2022 though when he discovered another significant benefit that reduced his fertiliser usage, delivering a more sustainable crop and crucially an improved yield.
Plots of Group One milling wheats RGT Illustrious and Crusoe were sown within 24 hours of each other, yet only the Crusoe received Kick-Off. The Illustrious crop had the benefit of following peas, compared to the Crusoe which was following the less advantageous stubble turnips. The Kick-Off treated Crusoe very quickly demonstrated >50% more root mass than the untreated Illustrious. And by January “our agronomist noted that there was increased tillering on the Kick-Off treated Crusoe when compared to the Illustrious.” Therefore, it was decided to give the untreated Illustrious an additional 50kg/ha on Nitrogen, to aid growth and tillering. Nevertheless, despite the Illustrious following a more favourable previous crop and receiving an additional 50kg/ha of Nitrogen, it was “the Kick-Off treated Crusoe that outyielded Illustrious by 0.4 t/ha.” As a yield improvement, Kick-Off boosted his yields by 4.4%, a very healthy return of £8.50 for every £1 he spent on Kick-Off (based on Dec ’23 wheat price). This example illustrates how Kick-Off was able to promote a healthier, faster developing crop. This in turn reduced his fertiliser input costs and environmental impact, whilst also significantly improving his yields.
John recommends Kick-Off to all his customers
Milcote Seeds is a thriving business, with dressers treating over 16,000 tonnes of cereals every year, as well as beans, peas and turnips. As busy as the business is, John “recommends all my customers to use Kick-Off; I know it works.”
He is convinced that Kick-Off delivers results for his clients, even in “poor yielding, heavy clay patches”. This is because Kick-Off delivers nutrients immediately and efficiently to the growing plant. The seed treatment market is very crowded, so for Kick-Off to be thought of so highly by Milcote Seeds is testament to the effectiveness of the Fielder product.
In the picture to the b you can see the product being used in his seed processing plant.
John’s absolute trust in Kick-Off
The biggest endorsement for Kick-Off is that John dresses all of his own C1 wheat seed with it, showing absolute trust in the product to deliver yield benefits and improve plant health. He is such a strong advocate for the Fielder product that “100% of the wheat seed for my farm is dressed with Kick-Off.” Added to this is the fact that John is “absolutely not convinced in some of the other seed treatment products being sold out there,” emphasising the trust he puts into Kick-Off.
Kick-Off helps John produce healthier plants
John is impressed that Kick-Off helps his seeds develop deeper and larger roots, which in his eyes helps encourage more tillering and ultimately a higher-yielding crop. The unique formulation in Kick-Off helps to create a healthier plant, giving it the best chance to reduce other costs and maximise yields. In John’s example, this has helped him use significantly less fertiliser on Kick-Off treated wheat.
Kick-Off is formulated with a perfect balance of phosphites, manganese, amino acids, as well a further 5 key nutrients including zinc and potassium. Phosphites are excellent for promoting root growth, whilst encouraging root interaction with beneficial soil microbes and fungi, improving nutrient and water uptake.
The high rate of biostimulant amino acids in Kick-Off helps the crop endure stresses such as water-logged or cold soils, which John comes across frequently. The plant-based amino acids are also excellent at boosting crop development and overall plant health. Using Kick-Off as a seed treatment provides a nutrient buffer, allowing the seedlings to withstand adverse conditions more effectively, whilst ensuring that young seedlings have access to the nutrients they need for early development. Given the autumn of 2023, this could be worth paying attention to for sowing conditions in spring 2024.
Furthermore, the inclusion of manganese aids establishment and reduces the need for a foliar spray in troublesome ground conditions
Kick-Off provides ease of mind
As well as the yield benefits on John Stanley’s farm and in independent trials, Kick-Off provides a very inexpensive insurance policy and reassures growers that use it. On average, a winter wheat crop only requires the yield to increase by 0.06% to return a profit after using Kick-Off. And using a seed treatment gives you confidence that no matter the conditions your seed will have the best possible start once in the ground. The below photo shows a Kick-Off treated spring barley plant compared to an untreated plant, with the root lengths being clearly enhanced when using Kick-Off.
UNLEASH YOUR SEED’S FULL SPEED WITH KICK-OFF
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- Kick-Off is the seed that has enhanced yields +6% in independent trials
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- Every £1 spent by a farmer returned them £11 back
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- Only needs yield to improve by 0.06t/ha to pay back
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- Improves rooting and establishment
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- Biostimulant amino acids for a healthier plant
If you are interested in Kick-Off please reach out to Robert directly at
robert@fieldernutrition.com and
+447912868389, or get in touch with your seed rep.