Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1159622
20 POTATO GROWER | SEPTEMBER 2019 simply to improve a particular crop's yield in a particular year. Rather, the hope is to improve soil biology and physiology over the long run while at the same time improving a plant's ability to utilize nutrients and cope with abiotic stresses (i.e., high soil salinity, lack or excess of water, heat and cold). "In this business, you have to prove everything," says sales representative Tom Hopkins, whose pre-Actagro career was spent as an agronomic chemist. "It's about more than selling a product. Agronomics do matter. I've had growers put me through the wringer, but after a couple years doing trials with those guys, they love and trust our products. "I truly am a soil scientist," Hopkins continues, "and I'm going to give you recommendations based on that. We've gained credibility with growers because we're actually trying to help them, not just hawking our products." What Actagro's science and ethos comes down to, in the end, is developing healthy soils for more profitable growers. The new research facility—the ATIC—is a testament to that. It's a gleaming, beautiful laboratory with greenhouses attached to it, and to a man, every scientist and agronomist there repeats some form of the mantra that nothing they do matters if growers can't apply the science successfully in their fields. It's clear that the goal really is to develop products that work with, not against nature to give growers their best shot at success. "Our technology produces great fertilizers," says Hopkins. "But it's not your granddaddy's fertilizer; it's more than that. We are truly trying to develop the best growing medium we can in these growers' soils. The healthier your soils, the better crop production you'll have, and you'll be able to use less fertilizer, less water and fewer pesticides. "With this new facility, we're just touching the tip of the iceberg. There's a whole big portion underneath we're still going to learn." To learn more about Actagro's full line of products, including Liquid Humus, Actagro Organic Acids, Structure and Katalyst, visit www.actagro.com. Employees at the new Actagro Technology & Innovation Center (ATIC). Cool A refreshing look on refrigeration www.tolsmausa.com 2361-6TolsmaStorage12h.indd 1 7/19/19 8:54 AM