Protocol · Seed Treatment

Seed Treatment & Root-Zone Biology

Build the Biological System From the Seed Out.

Establish beneficial biology where the crop begins: around the seed and developing root system.

Explore My Crop Program Talk With Legacy Acre

An even stand of young corn under a blue sky

A young small-grain plant pulled from the field showing a dense root system

Why Start at the Seed?

Put the Biology Where the Plant Begins

Instead of waiting for biology to establish across the entire field, Legacy Acre places targeted biology around the developing plant from the beginning.

Potential benefits

More uniform emergence
Greater root mass
Expanded root exploration
Nutrient access
Water access
Better soil-root interaction

Two Sides of the Biological System

Complementary, Not Interchangeable

Bacterial-driven biology

TCM

A microbial consortium of beneficial, primarily anaerobic microorganisms, including lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and photosynthetic bacteria, that supports biological activity, nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition and soil health.

Fungal-driven biology

MetaGrow™ F

A fungal-dominant inoculant (mycorrhizal fungi) designed to establish beneficial biology around the seed and developing root system. It complements bacterial biology rather than replacing it.

More Complete Root-Zone Biology

Broad bacterial biology plus fungal biology: a more complete soil microbial community.

Why Fungi Matter

Think of Fungi as an Extension of the Root System

Expand the effective root network
Explore more soil
Improve nutrient and water access
Improve soil aggregation
Support nutrient availability
Support mycorrhizal relationships

RootsFungal networkNutrients reachedWater reached

Nutrient Mining

Unlock What's Already in the Soil

Phosphorus Solubilization
Fungal and bacterial activity helps convert previously unavailable soil phosphorus into forms the plant can take up.
Nutrient Chelation
Biology helps hold micronutrients in forms that stay available to the root instead of binding up in the soil.
Biological Nitrogen Fixation
Nitrogen-fixing microbes capture nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil system.

The objective isn't simply to add more nutrients. It's to improve the plant's ability to access and use nutrients already present in the soil. That's what makes larger input reductions possible in the Legacy Acre crop programs.

Seed Treatment vs. In-Furrow

Two Ways to Place the Biology

Seed Treatment

Why: Place biology directly onto the seed.
Goal: Early fungal establishment and root development.
Best for: Operations where seed treatment can be integrated into planting preparation.

In-Furrow

Why: Place biological activity directly into the developing root zone.
Goal: Expand the biological zone and support early nutrient cycling and root interaction.
Best for: Farms with compatible in-furrow application systems.

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