Orion Future Technologies, working with Hutchinsons and Richard Austin Agriculture, have conducted trials showing how biostimulants can have a positive effect on potato yields, and boost natural defences against late blight.
Kate Williams, R&D agronomist at Orion, said: “In an independent trial, the yield of a Melody crop increased by 18%. This was achieved by adding two biostimulants, Sirius and Pluton, at a concentration of 0.5 litres per hectare to the standard tank mix across eight applications.”
A separate trial, using Sirius, a silicon-based product, and the micronutrient Trident, sought to understand how biostimulants could strengthen potato plants.
“Trident is a copper and zinc formulation that stimulates plant health and helps to protect against common stresses. In the trial, a concentration of three litres/ha of Trident was combined with a 0.5 litre/ha concentration of Sirius every week for 12 weeks,” she says.
The trial results showed that just 18% of the crop was affected by blight, compared with 20% treated with a standard tank mix. The control plot succumbed entirely to blight.
“Silicon helps to strengthen a plant’s natural defences and also helps it to take up more nutrients. This is why using a silicon biostimulant in addition to copper and zinc has helped the treated sample to stand up to blight,” adds Kate.
“Bringing new products that focus on strengthening plants natural defences to complement existing strategies has provided encouraging results. To increase yield is always a goal, but to do so with the added benefit of helping crops manage environmental and disease stresses is an important breakthrough.”
