Maximizing Crop Nutrition & Profitability: Insights from ICL

From weather swings to market volatility and promising field trials, 2025 gave growers and agronomists plenty to reflect on. At ICL, our focus is on helping farmers optimize yield, quality, and profitability through a portfolio of innovative fertilizers and biostimulants.

Explore our key takeaways from 2025 and discover how integrated nutrient management and our star products can help your crops thrive.

1. Economics of Agronomics: How Does Precision Farming Save Money?

Why it matters: Farming in 2025 has been challenging—volatile markets, rising input costs, and unpredictable weather mean every decision matters. Growers need solutions that deliver real value, efficiency, and measurable results. Evaluating fertilizer by cost per acre—not per pound—reveals the true value.

• Agrolution pHLow® 11-45-11 Plus Zinc Starter often replaces traditional phosphorus starters at lower rates, reducing upfront costs while maintaining or increasing yield potential.
• Polysulphate® reduces overall potassium needs and improves nutrient synergy. It also supplies multiple nutrients in a single application, cutting overall fertilizer requirements and field passes—saving time, labor, and operational costs.
• Multi-nutrient solutions and foliar/fertigation products cut down field passes, saving time and fuel. Plus, they target exactly what the crop needs, when it needs it, avoiding waste and unnecessary expense.
• Improve ROI and reduce fuel costs with highly compatible Nova Foliar products that can be applied with herbicides during the early vegetative stage or with fungicides during the reproductive stage—think Nova ELEVATE, PULSE, FLOW, and FINISH.

Outcome: Higher yields, lower input costs, better ROI.

ICL Insight: Investing in solutions that deliver efficiency, quality, and measurable economic benefit, while navigating a challenging growing season.

2. Systems Approach: Why Take a Multi-Prong Approach for Smarter Nutrition?

Why it matters: Combining soil and foliar applications allows you to address both immediate and long-term nutrient needs.

• Soil applications provide steady nutrients for healthy root development and sustained growth.
• Foliar applications correct nutrient deficiencies quickly during critical growth stages and provide a “smooth landing,” promoting a gradual crop finish that allows for better harvest timing and planning.

Result: Avoid over-application, save on input costs, and maximize output per unit of nutrient.

ICL Tools:
✅ Polysulphate® – multi-nutrient soil solution
✅ Nova® foliar portfolio – targeted NPK and micronutrient delivery
✅ Agrolution pHLow® – precision starter with PeKacid® Technology to leverage pH as a tool for improved uptake and nutrient availability

ICL Insight: Think of it as giving your crops a balanced diet—steady meals from soil, quick supplements from foliar sprays. Precision in nutrient timing and product selection is “meal planning” for maximum growth and efficiency.

3. Why Leverage Soil pH for Higher Yield?

Why it matters: Optimizing pH is one of the most cost-effective ways to boost nutrient availability and improve uptake.  Lowering soil pH unlocks macros (e.g. P) micronutrients (e.g. Fe, Mn) often at lower cost with a sweet spot between 6.2 and 7.0.

• PeKacid® Technology (Agrolution pHLow®, Nova PeKacid®) dual-purpose acidifying power helps improve nutrient uptake in high pH soils and waters and keeps irrigation systems clean, while providing essential, available nutrients.
• Pairing with BIOZ® Diamond enhances phosphorus use efficiency, enhances micronutrient availability and supports early growth. Trials show this combination can replace traditional starters like 10-34-0 with equal or higher yields and economic savings.

ICL Insight: Biologicals + pH management = more productive plants and more profitable acres. Why? Acidic fertilizers like Nova PeKacid and Agrolution pHLow release hydrogen ions, which help exchange nutrients into a soluble form. BIOZ Diamond then acts as a temporary holding site, increasing nutrient mobility and making them more accessible for plant uptake.

4. Multi-Nutrient Synergies: Is Balanced Nutrition Key to Profitable Production?

Why it matters: Delivering the right nutrients at the right time maximizes crop performance and economic return. In addition to NPK, delivering secondary macros like Ca and Mg, and vital micros can make the difference between a good yield and a profitable yield.

• Polysulphate® can improve uptake, nitrate assimilation and overall nutrient use efficiency, in addition to reducing potassium rates. Ideal on its own or in a blend depending on soil and crop needs.
• Nova® foliar products (PULSE, FLOW, ELEVATE, FINISH) supply NPKs and micronutrients exactly when crops need them with high compatibility for streamlined applications.
• Combining Polysulphate®, PeKacid® technology, BIOZ®, and foliar solutions gives a holistic nutrient system that is not only proven in the field, but also on the bottom line.

Result: Higher yields, improved crop quality, and reduced fertilizer cost per acre.

🌟 Star Products of 2025

Why Growers and Retailers Trust ICL

• Partners in Agronomy: Personalized support, profitable solutions, and agronomic expertise
• Integrated Approach: Soil + foliar + biologicals for maximum nutrient efficiency
• Trial-Backed Results: Proven performance with measurable economic benefits
• Flexible Solutions: Products that work together to address specific crop, operational and economic needs
• NEW local production and storage capabilities: with growing warehousing across the US and local production capabilities in Adel, Georgia and Fresno, California, ICL is better able to serve customers coast-to-coast.

Maximize Yield and Profit Today

Maximize your yield and profitability with a complete, systems-based nutrient approach. We’re not just offering products—we deliver tailored solutions that work together to drive results. Connect with us today to fill your bins and tanks for the upcoming season or find a trusted retailer near you.

For trial results or order information connect with an ICL Expert today.