As we all know, although the industry is moving towards residue-free cultivation, chemicals continue being essential for agriculture. Among the most controversial chemicals are the plant growth regulators; synthetic molecules, completely different to anything naturally produced by the plant yet altering plant development in a way that makes the application almost essential in giving economic sense to the cultivation of certain crops in particular agro-ecological zones.
Inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis have traditionally been used to control plant growth in a variety of crops, such as fruit trees, cereals or others. By inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis, plant cells reduce their elongation phase during vegetative growth, which has two major consequences: on one hand the plant is more compact, with shorter internodes, stronger and with significantly lower vegetative development; on the other hand, the plant has a surplus of energy that can and will be utilised in generative development, improving yields and quality. However, there is a major drawback from the use of plant growth regulators in agriculture.
Due to the fact that plant growth regulators are synthetic products, plant metabolic processes do not recognise them and react to their application in undesirable ways. Therefore, it is not hard to see perennial trees having their productive lives reduced due to the regular use of plant growth regulators, or phytotoxicities appearing on the leaves shortly after their application on potato or cereal crops. Taken to the extreme, they can be sprayed at higher rates when utilised as a herbicide. In sum, the use of plant growth regulators carries some risks for the crop.
To counteract this risk plant growth regulators are, at times, combined with “safeners”; a group of products that comprise mainly bio stimulants such as amino acids or seaweed extracts. The issue here is that a convincing explanation as to how or why these products help is lacking and evidence showing efficacy is either hardly independent, relevant or non-existent.
Stoller Europe brings to the market two solutions: one for potato crops and another one for winter barley, based on BioForge that keeps the best of both worlds and is backed up by independent trials from NIAB in Cambridge and Wageningen in The Netherlands.
Also known as MH, this chemical inhibits cell division in the short and medium term, and thus it is sprayed in potato plants to inhibit tuber sprouting during storage. The results are often plant leaves yellowing and yields affected by this application.
Combining BioForge with MH, phytotoxicity is reduced because the oxidative damage triggered by MH is greatly reduced by the unique Stoller Technology present in BioForge. This solution has shown yield improvement of 7 to 9 tonnes per hectare in the varieties Fontane and Melody while not affecting sprouting in storage.
Prohexadione and Trinexapac-ethyl are two chemicals widely used for lodging control in barley. By controlling lodging in barley growers can guarantee a bigger yield but, this can lead to phytotoxicity signs such as yellowing on the leaves after the application.
A very cost-effective solution to this problem is to combine BioForge with the gibberellin inhibitor being used, with the aim of enhancing the antioxidant effect of the mixture and prevent the oxidative damage that leads to leaf yellowing. Less leaf yellowing means more chlorophyll and more photosynthesis, and thus more yield. In case of winter barley the Return on Investment is £2.90 per £1.00 invested in BioForge.
We want to help you, contact us:
Bernard Courtney
Technical & Sales Responsible
bcourtney@stoller.es
+44 (0) 744 222 7687
stollereurope.com/en