″We want to help American farmers understand how four key Meristem products can take cost out, raise more bushels at less cost per bushel, and add farm income from their regenerative ag practices,″ said Meristem Founder and CEO Mitch Eviston in announcing the free online calculator. ″Meristem is not going to be buying carbon credits, but our product platform fits perfectly with regenerative ag practices that can be monetized through EQIP, Section 45Z and carbon emission offsets. We can help you win.″
Called the ″CI Estimator,″ the calculator is geared to providing growers an easy-to-use overview of the practices that affect an operation’s CI score. CI is an estimate of carbon emissions, and lower scores are better. Generally, increasing yield, decreasing synthetic inputs, reducing tillage and using cover crops will improve your score.
″There’s never been a better time to be more efficient with crop inputs,″ said Eviston. ″The biologicals in EXCAVATOR AMS and those delivered through our patented BIO-CAPSULE® Technology can reduce your fertilizer spend, save you money on adjuvants and take out a tillage pass, and that adds savings and gains a lower CI score that can earn you money. We’re out to help American farmers take cost out and earn another $100 from every acre.″
With the CI Estimator, farmers can easily input their location and farming practices, as well as the type and amount of fertilizer they use, grain-drying fuel and other aspects that will impact CI. Colorful indicators offer information on what lowers a CI score. Use of the Estimator is free, though some growers are spending $5 to $10 per acre on similar offerings.
″To Meristem’s credit, they are offering growers a chance to play with the tool, understand the variables, and really think it over,″ says Andy Jenks, Illinois farmer and founder of Verdova, the data company that partnered with Meristem to develop the calculator. ″What growers need to do right now is document their practices: Every tillage pass, every planting pass, every operational pass across the field, they need to know that to understand what their CI score is.″
