- Fortalis is a new soybean yield-enhancing spray.
- The mode of action of Fortalis is enhancement of calcium mobilization within soybean plant tissue.
- Fortalis is available for purchase to evaluate through MiField trials.
Introduction
Fortalis is a proprietary soybean yield-enhancing product from the company, Plant Impact. The first generation of Fortalis has been available to Brazilian soybean growers for four years and now the second generation product is being marketed in the U.S. Fortalis is intended to be used in tank mix with a premium foliar fungicide in the strobilurin, triazole, and/or SDHI group to protect against disease and enhance calcium mobilization within the soybean plant. Enhanced calcium mobilization within the soybean plant results in retention of higher numbers of flowers, farther away from the main stem. Better flower retention results in more pods and higher yields.
Summary Information
Company literature indicates that Fortalis contains the second generation of patented CaT™ technology. This is a synthetic molecule that enhances the mobilization of calcium within soybean plant tissue. In turn, this improves fixation of flowers and pods, resulting in improved yields. One hundred forty seven U.S. trials, conducted from 2014 through 2016, indicate that additional yield in soybeans of 4.8 bushels per acre can be expected with use of Fortalis. These trials were conducted in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
MiField Trials Encouraged
The MiField Program offers a unique opportunity to evaluate this new, proprietary, yield-enhancing, foliar spray in an on-farm environment, then see how results stack up against company data.
The simplest in-field comparison design for evaluating Fortalis is to have a minimum of three treatments: 1. Untreated Check; 2. Grower's choice of fungicide plus Fortalis; 3. Grower's chosen fungicide by itself. These treatments can be compared in a strip trial design. Even better is to replicate this three treatment strip trial at least three times across the field. Better still is to randomize placement of the treatments within the minimum of three replications across the field. Upon harvest, yield data is reported through the MiField Program for compilation with other Fortalis on-farm comparisons.
Use Rate
Fortalis is to be applied at 14 oz. per acre in a tank mix with the desired premium foliar fungicide at growth stage from R1 to R3.
Contact your FS Crop Specialist for your agronomic information.
Image 1: Fortalis improves calcium mobility through both the apoplastic and symplastic paths