At farm shows throughout 2021, the product with the funny name has been quite a conversation starter.

“How did Buncha Bugs get its name?” “Does it really contain a bunch of bugs?” “Does this stuff really work?”

True to its name, Buncha Bugs DF really does contain a bunch of bugs. It is a large consortium of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and bio-stimulants designed to enhance soil and plant health.

Yes, it does work. Field trials show that Buncha Bugs DF can increase yields by as much as 12 bushels per acre.

With corn at approximately $5.16 per bushel and beans at approximately $12.18 per bushel, as of Oct. 15, that’s money in a grower’s pocket, so now is a good time to prepay and prepare for the 2022 growing season.

How it works

Using Concept AgriTek’s proprietary Bio-Tek technology, Buncha Bugs DF increases available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as micronutrients in the soil. Bio-Tek delivers a large consortium of live biology, in a suspended state, that becomes active within minutes of initial soil contact.

“That’s one of the cool parts of our biology,” said Daniel Hensley, Vice President of Agronomy for Concept AgriTek. “It is truly a living, breathing biology. It’s not just something that has been freeze-dried and takes days or months to wake up.”

Buncha Bugs DF also increases soil tilth, percolation and water retention and increases biomass above and below ground level.

For best results, it is placed in furrow, with a planter application rate of 1 ounce per acre. It can also be applied through fertigation at a rate of 2 ounces per acre.

“Our bacteria has been hand-selected and we are very particular about what’s put in there,” Hensley added. “We pay very close attention to plant health and soil health. We mineralized phosphate fertilizers that may be tied up in the soil, we help release some potassium that gets tied up and we’re seeing much more nitrate nitrogen available. Lots of good things happen when you have the correct consortium of bacteria in the soil.

Unlocking the power of bugs

Buncha Bugs DF can’t be broadcast on the soil or sprayed foliar because ultraviolet light will kill the bacteria that makes it such a powerhouse. However, another Concept AgriTek offering, BioRite, eliminates those concerns.

BioRite offers the Buncha Bugs DF microbial blend along with the Root-Tek technology, a food source for microbes, and our new soil penetrant technology Pene-Tek, which carries the microbes into the soil profile so they are not affected by UV light.

BioRite can be broadcast with burndown or early herbicide application, at a rate of 32 fluid ounces per acre.

One added benefit of BioRite is a decrease in soil crusting.

Rice growers can benefit from bugs, too

Similar to BioRite, Concept AgriTek also has developed a product for rice growers. BioRice has a consortium of microbes that are not only able to withstand, but actually flourish, in flooded, non-oxygenated conditions. This allows the nutrients that become bound under a flood to release, leading to healthier soil after the flood, which will help the following year’s crop.

BioRice contains the Pene-Tek and Bio-Tek technologies, as well as Root-Tek technology, which enhances early root growth by boosting the plant’s hormones responsible for new below-ground development.

Three on-farm replications averaged a 9.5 bushel per acre advantage using BioRice.

Like BioRite, BioRice can be broadcast with burndown or early herbicide application, at a rate of 32 fluid ounces per acre.

The power of bugs in a seed treatment

Seed treatment is a popular way of applying biological goodies to seed prior to planting, and Concept AgriTek has a solution that combines maximum biology and inoculant in one product. Buncha Bugs DF ST is a biological seed treatment that contains a natural consortium of beneficial soil microbes that specialize in releasing bound phosphorus, potassium and other micronutrients.

Buncha Bugs DF ST introduces a healthy colony of beneficial soil bacteria right on the seed. Like with the in-furrow or broadcast products, the microbes in the seed treatment begin working as soon as they come in contact with the soil. This means more available nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and essential micronutrients in the seedbed with added benefits from the microbes like increased soil tilth, better percolation and water retention.

Buncha Bugs DF ST mixes readily with fungicides, insecticides and even molybdenum. It has the consistency of water, so no special equipment or messy bladders are necessary. Just mix and treat. The seed treatment is applied at a rate of .52-ounce per hundredweight of seed.

“You can apply a month or two prior to planting and it stays very stable on the seed,” Hensley said. “We’ve run it through a lot of testing and found that not only does our bacteria stay viable, it continues to grow. That’s important because it means you can treat your seed weeks in advance, not just days in advance.”

Something for every farmer

Whether you choose a seed treatment, an in-furrow application, broadcast or fertigation, ConceptAgriTek has a biological product will help you achieve higher yields and a higher return on investment.

“Every farmer has a different set of circumstances,” Hensley said. “What we have tried to do is offer the ability to use a bacteria or a biological for any circumstance.”

To learn more about Bunch Bugs DF, Buncha Bugs DF ST, BioRite and BioRice, visit www.conceptagritek.com.