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Four Pillars of Agricultural Success – The Taurus Mindset

Posted in: Company News

[WATCH] Craig Davidson explain Taurus’ four-pronged approach to “Advancing Every Acre”, in a recently created clip by Farms.com.

 

 

Since the company opened its doors in 2001, Taurus has been providing agronomically advanced solutions to high-performance growers. It has done so by sourcing the most innovative and proven products, supported through a scientific approach to growth.

“We’ve always been focused on bringing value to today’s progressive grower,” explains Taurus President and founding partner, Craig Davidson.

According to Davidson, there are four key areas of focus that can help growers improve production and have a measurable impact on the bottom line:

  1. Agronomy and Analytics
  2. Fertility
  3. Biological Inoculants
  4. Plant Enhancement Technology

These elements form the Four Pillars of Taurus’ business today, and guide their science-based recommendations to growers.

 

Agronomy and Analytics

“Agronomy and Analytics as a pillar is really a foundation for us. Everything we do, we always try to bring back to agronomy,” Davidson says.

He and the team at Taurus believe agronomy and analytics (including, but not limited to, soil testing and tissue testing programs) are crucial in informing any agronomic strategy, as it provides an accurate picture of the agronomic assets available in a given field. At the same time, it identifies deficiencies that can adversely impact growth.

Armed with field-level data and sound agronomic practices that are grounded in science, a new generation of sophisticated, business-minded growers is taking yield, performance and profitability to new heights.

With its focus on Agronomy and Analytics, Taurus is helping these growers analyze operations and practices through a wider lens, and understand the inter-related factors that are essential for healthy growth.

Taurus is continually seeking to establish relationships with industry leaders who are advancing our understanding through advanced analytics – and sharing their insights with its customers. A&L Canada Laboratories is one example of a company that is not content to simply provide traditional soil and tissue testing services, but is now pioneering procedures to accurately measure beneficial microbes in the soil through their Soil Health initiatives.

 

Fertility

Fertility is the cornerstone of successful plant growth. Plant health and development depends on a plant’s ability to access a host of macronutrients and micronutrients that are critical to essential biological functions.

Craig Davidson sees an important shift taking place in our approach to fertility. Today, he sees an increasing emphasis on sustainability. He identifies three areas of focus:

  • How to get maximum efficiency (and ROI) from soil nutrients (both naturally occurring and supplemental sources)
  • How to maximize plant uptake
  • How to better manage the soil

Taurus helps take the guesswork out of nutrient management to help growers replace nutrients in the most efficient, most effective manner possible. This goes hand-in-hand with an analytics program, and other strategies for determining nutrient requirements.

 

Biological Inoculants

We’ve long known that soil is not simply inert dirt; rather it is a dynamic ecosystem teeming with life. In recent years, science has made great progress in understanding the positive (and negative) relationships microscopic soil-borne organisms can have with plants.

Davidson notes that new doors are being opened as we gain a greater understanding of the living soil. Today we are seeing a new generation of technologies that focus on maximizing the impact of beneficial organisms like mycorrhizae and rhizobium.

“We know that certain microbes improve a plant’s ability to uptake water and nutrients, and are finding new ways to promote these symbiotic relationships. This is a pillar of agriculture we anticipate will lead us down some exciting new roads,” Davidson says.

Canadian companies are at the forefront of these efforts, including Premier Tech Agriculture, an international company founded and headquartered in Quebec Canada. Taurus has collaborated closely with Premier Tech over the years to educate growers on how they can get beneficial biologicals working for them

 

Plant Enhancement Technology

The desire to increase sustainability and improve efficiency is also driving the development of new Plant Enhancement Technologies. These technologies are an emerging field of agri-science where some of the most innovative thinking can be seen.

Davidson says these technologies work at a molecular level to promote functions that allow the plant to stand up to a range of adverse conditions. “Transcription Technology” is one approach that is being used to “turn off” certain functions within a plant, creating a positive impact on the plant and providing solutions to overcome environmental stressors.

Taurus is working with companies such as Active AgriScience to successfully bring these advancements from the laboratory to the field.

 

A Refreshing Approach 

While many companies are simply about selling products based on a vague promise they will work, Taurus believes it is important to explain the agronomics behind the products and practices they recommend.

“We’ve focused on trying to understand the whys behind the hows,” Davidson says of Taurus’ unique approach.

The science can get quite complex, but Taurus works hard to explain it to growers in a way that makes sense – and outlines the proven benefits. Education is a big part of what Taurus does. If they recommend a product or strategy to a grower, it is because they are confident it will work.

“To us, it’s about doing what is right for your fields – with an eye on a long-term management strategy that goes beyond the current crop,” Davidson adds.

While each pillar can stand on its own, Taurus believes that all four work in unison to support a comprehensive agronomic strategy and promote a sustainable future in agriculture.

 

 

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