As growers look for ways to boost crop potential while making every input dollar work harder, retailers can help them take a more targeted approach to crop nutrition. While macronutrients like nitrogen often get the most attention, micronutrients can play a big role in supporting the plant functions needed for growth and development.
When recommending micronutrients, it starts with helping growers understand where deficiencies may exist in their fields and when addressing them can have the greatest impact. This supports more informed nutrition decisions and focuses investments on the acres with the greatest opportunity for ROI.
Pinpoint Micronutrient Needs
While every field is different, zinc, manganese and boron are the micronutrients most commonly found to be deficient in corn, according to WinField United tissue sampling data.1
This knowledge can give retailers a starting point for grower conversations but doesn’t mean that every acre needs these or additional micronutrients. Tissue sampling can help identify where nutrient gaps exist and prioritize acres that may benefit most from additional nutrition.
Even when a grower doesn’t have tissue samples from their own farm, using local tissue sample data can help inform the conversation by showing which micronutrient deficiencies have been identified in the area. From there, retailers can work with their growers to build nutrition strategies based on actual crop and field needs rather than applying the same program across every acre.
When multiple deficiencies are apparent, a foliar product that supplies multiple micronutrients, such as MAX-IN® Ultra ZMB® Plus micronutrient, may fit best into a grower’s nutrition plan. MAX-IN Ultra ZMB Plus micronutrient addresses zinc, manganese and boron deficiencies in one product, helping support key plant functions - including moving nutrients into growing points, maximizing photosynthetic capacity and transporting sugars where and when they’re needed most - in corn.
Match Applications to Crop Demand
Identifying a nutrient gap is only part of the recommendation. Retailers also can help growers determine when an application may have the greatest opportunity to support crop performance.
For MAX-IN Ultra ZMB Plus micronutrient in corn, for example, the optimal application window is during early vegetative stages (V5-V10). This is when WinField United tissue testing data indicates corn most likely will show a yield response to zinc applications. The included manganese and boron let it flex to address those nutrient gaps and other application timings, such as V18-R2.
That response can translate into measurable yield potential, too. MAX-IN Ultra ZMB Plus micronutrient has been shown to improve corn yield potential by up to 6.9 bu./A.2
Bring this Season’s Insights into Next Season’s Plan
Post-harvest planning is an opportunity for retailers to bring field-level observations and data together with growers. Review tissue sample results, soil tests and field history to identify where micronutrient deficiencies may have limited performance and which acres should be prioritized in 2027. Use those insights to build a crop nutrition plan tailored to each grower’s acres and specific nutrient needs.
Learn more about MAX-IN Ultra ZMB Plus micronutrient and other crop nutrition solutions at WinFieldUnited.com.
1Average based on 221,050 tissue samples from the WinField United Tissue Sample Treasury across V4-R2 growth stages from 2012-2022.
2Based on eight trials across Answer Plot locations, 2024.
© 2026 WinField United. Important: Before use, always read and follow label instructions. Crop performance is dependent on several factors many of which are beyond the control of WinField United, including without limitation, soil type, pest pressures, agronomic practices and weather conditions. Growers are encouraged to consider data from multiple locations, over multiple years and to be mindful of how such agronomic conditions could impact results. Answer Plot, MAX-IN, Ultra ZMB and WinField are trademarks of WinField United. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
