“Big Bean™ has … helped us stack those nodes and get the pod count we need…”
FLANAGAN, Ill. (AgPR) July 3, 2026 — Four inches tall and stretching toward the morning sun, the soybean plants seem to be asking for help. “The chemistry has singed these a bit,” says Robert Phillips, rising to his feet again after studying the leaves. “It’s one of several things that can stress new beans.” WATCH VIDEO.
Phillips is an agronomist with Integrated Seed Solutions (ISS), a seed and yield enhancement provider located near Flanagan, Ill. He and an ISS colleague, Robert Clark, have been researching ways to protect yield potential from the stresses that limit plant performance. In BIG BEAN, a soybean biostimulant from Planet Earth Agronomy, they feel they’ve found a key part of the solution.
“There was always a big need to find a way to keep beans from stalling out,” Phillips says. “We had growers planting earlier and pushing management practices, but we would still see beans slow down for two or three weeks after stressful conditions. I started looking for a product that could keep those plants pulling, building nodules and staying healthy.”
“At Integrated, we focus on two things,” explains Clark, who guides the ISS research effort. “We focus on seed, and we focus on our Amplify business, which is identifying products that will enhance yield and help build programs to take our growers’ yields to the next level.” ISS’s robust testing program, he says, puts potential products through rigorous research before they ever go to their growers with them.
“About three years ago we had our first look at BIG BEAN,” he remembers. “It was on a couple 40-acre soybean fields, and we saw a six to eight-bushel lift on top of a fungicide program at R3 and R4 timing. That year with weather conditions, stress mitigation, things like that, we saw some phenomenal results from it.” Since those initial trials, ISS has incorporated BIG BEAN into broader soybean management programs across multiple states. “We’ve seen excellent results across a broad geography,” Clark said. “The most noticeable changes have been additional pod clusters, more node stacking and stronger overall pod development later in the season.”
For Robert Phillips, BIG BEAN is giant step toward goals of increasing pod count and yield he’s been pursuing a long time. “Each node on a soybean plant has the potential to put on 12 pods,” he says. “I’ve never seen it personally. I had nine pods last year, and that’s unheard of. That’s my lifetime goal (12).”
Larry Fiene, founder and CEO of Planet Earth Agronomy, formulators of BIG BEAN, believes modern soybean production increasingly depends on managing stress rather than simply supplying nutrients, and that’s why this product is delivering a sound return on investment for the growers applying it.
“BIG BEAN contains a very complex group of amino acids that help plants deal with stress, particularly herbicide stress,” Fiene explains. “It also includes a unique micronutrient package and lots of boron.” One of the product’s key benefits, according to Fiene, is helping plants recover quickly when stresses occur because the amino acids are in a form the plants can access. “Fast absorption, almost like an I-V.”
Years ago, Fiene says, most of our focus was on nutrient levels, but now it’s clear plant health is much more complex. “Hormones, carbohydrates, amino acids and other compounds all must be in balance. BIG BEAN is designed to help maintain balance during the periods when plants are under pressure.”
At Integrated Seed Solutions, Phillips and Clark are seeing the benefits for the growers they serve and see more and more growers noticing.
“Ultimately, growers want products that deliver measurable results,” says Clark. “What has impressed us about BIG BEAN is the consistency we’ve seen. Whether we’re looking at node development, pod counts or final yield, the product continues to demonstrate it value in the field.”
About Integrated Seed Solutions
Integrated Seed Solutions (https://integratedseedsolutions.com)is a leading provider of seed genetics and yield-enhancement technologies serving growers throughout the Midwest. Through its Amplify program, ISS combines agronomic expertise, advanced seed solutions and innovative crop-input technologies to help farmers maximize productivity and profitability. The company is committed to evaluating and delivering proven solutions that help growers achieve higher levels of performance in the field.
About Planet Earth Agronomy
Planet Earth Agronomy (https://planetearthagronomy.com) develops and markets advanced agronomic technologies designed to improve crop health, stress tolerance and yield potential. The company’s portfolio includes innovative biological, nutritional and biostimulant products that help growers optimize plant performance throughout the growing season. Through science-based product development and extensive field validation, Planet Earth Agronomy provides practical solutions that support modern agricultural production.
Media Contact:
K. Elliott Nowels
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