Plant Protection Products
Bio-Stimulators 'Fertigrain' - Reliable Protection for Harvest
Among powerful factors of agricultural production intensification are the use of modern varieties and hybrids, progressive technologies, advanced plant nutrition and protection systems. However, global climate change and the ensuing increase in weather-climate anomalies have led in recent years to significantly increased risks for farmers. Autumn droughts have become frequent, sharp temperature fluctuations during winter — from positive to sharply negative — are constantly observed, with little or no snow cover. The following droughts with extremely rapid increases in high temperatures.
According to scientists, in the coming years, high stress pressure from changing natural-climatic conditions on the productivity of key food crops in Ukraine and main agricultural regions of Russia, including the Middle Volga, may intensify.
Under the influence of stresses — drought, low and high temperatures, excessive moisture — plant growth and development slow down. For cereal crops, stress during the tillering stage is especially dangerous. As is known, during tillering, future yields are established, as it is precisely then that the secondary root system, new productive stems, ears, and inflorescences form. A well-developed root system can adequately supply the above-ground part of the plant with water and nutrients. Thus, the root system of winter wheat penetrates to a depth of 1.5 m and effectively utilizes water and nutrients from the root zone. This is very important, because hot and dry weather in mid-spring, followed by possible rainfall deficits in early summer, systematically observed in recent years, contribute to reducing the reserves of productive moisture not only in the plow layer but also in the meter-depth horizon. Plants with a well-developed root system till more effectively, exhibit increased resistance to various root rot diseases, which have become a real plague for cereal crops, ensuring maximum productivity. Conversely, when the secondary root system is poorly developed or not formed at all, plant development is weakened, which, in addition to a sharp reduction in productivity, causes lodging of crops, premature leaf drying, increased risk of diseases of roots, leaves, and ears.
It is known that the use of agronomic practices capable of altering the conditions of plant life is an effective means of countering the negative impact of stresses. Let us focus on one, simple, low-cost, accessible for all agricultural producers, but very effective method — the application of organic bio-stimulators in plant feeding systems.
Organic bio-stimulators are concentrated water-soluble organic preparations for seed, root, and foliar feedings of agricultural crops, containing biologically active substances — amino acids, humic-fulvic acids, vitamins, hormone precursors, peptides, proteins, enzymes, polysaccharides and other active compounds, including microelements. Bio-stimulators activate vital processes in plants, enhance protective functions. Bio-stimulators promote root system development, nutrient element absorption, and increase stress resistance. The use of organic bio-stimulators increases the efficiency of using main fertilizers (NPK), mineral and micro-fertilizers during foliar and root feedings.
It is necessary to clearly distinguish between mineral-microelement fertilizers of the type "NPK + microelements"/"micro-fertilizers" and organic bio-stimulators. The former act on plants indirectly, supplying them with main nutrients and microelements, thereby replenishing their deficit during the vegetation period, while the active components of bio-stimulators exert a direct effect on plants. These differences determine their mutual complementarity in complex corrective feeding systems. Today, the use of bio-stimulators in combination with water-soluble mineral and micro-fertilizers is one of the most flexible methods for regulating the nutrient regime of agricultural plants.
Until recently, our country lacked specialized bio-stimulators for use on individual crops, which hindered the widespread application of these preparations.
In 2007, the company "Oster" registered a new line of organic bio-stimulators. Among them are specialized liquid preparations based on plant amino acids — "Fertigrain Start" and "Fertigrain Foliar" — designed for use on cereal and other field crops. It should be noted that plant-derived amino acids, which are the main active components of these bio-stimulators, actively affect plant metabolism, creating reserves for protein and enzyme system construction, are directly available during their biosynthesis, and possess an energetic effect on growth factors. At the same time, the physiological level of plant protection against various stress factors increases.
The bio-stimulator "Fertigrain Start" is intended for pre-sowing treatment of seeds of field crops (cereal grasses, oats, rice, corn, sunflower, rapeseed, soybean, pea), as well as for pre-planting treatment of potato tubers. The preparation is applied directly to seeds by seed treatment, including in combination with fungicides and insecticides. The optimal dosage is 1.0 l/t of seeds at a working solution dosage of 10 l/t.
In addition to amino acids, the composition of the bio-stimulator includes extracts from marine algae containing phytohormones — auxins (accelerate seed germination and interrupt the dormancy period of seeds and tubers), cytokinins (necessary for cell division, growth, and differentiation), as well as polysaccharides — an additional source of readily available energy. Pre-sowing seed treatment with the "Fertigrain Start" preparation ensures high field germination rate, reducing the number of non-germinating seeds. Seeds germinate several days earlier and produce uniform seedlings. The secondary root system develops more intensely, its active zone significantly increases, and its water absorption capacity improves. Winter crops better withstand winter fluctuations and resume vegetation earlier. The tillering coefficient and number of productive stems increase significantly, as well as the number of grains per ear and average grain mass.
Field trials of the bio-stimulator "Fertigrain Start", conducted in 2007 by the All-Russian Research Institute of Agrochemistry named after D.N. Pryanishnikov in the Central Chernozem zone on spring wheat variety MIS, showed that seed treatment at a rate of 1 l/t increases seed energy and germination. Using the bio-stimulator increased plant tillering, grain mass per ear, and 1000-grain mass, resulting in an overall yield increase of 5.1 centners per hectare, or 17%. The return on investment for using the "Fertigrain Start" preparation is achieved at a yield increase of 0.2 centners per hectare.
The bio-stimulator "Fertigrain Foliar" is specially developed for foliar feedings of cereal, technical, and fodder crops. In addition to amino acids, the preparation contains necessary microelements — zinc, manganese, iron, copper, molybdenum, cobalt, boron. The dosage of the preparation for cereal crops with 2 applications — 0.5-1.5 l/ha. The working solution dosage — 100-300 l/ha. Spraying is carried out when the leaf surface of the plants is sufficiently developed. Compatible with most pesticides and agrochemicals. Recommended to apply together with herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, NPK and micro-fertilizers.
Due to the ability of free amino acids in the preparation to chelate microelements also included in the preparation, all components of "Fertigrain Foliar" are quickly and fully absorbed by plants. "Fertigrain Foliar" activates nitrogen metabolism, improves tillering, actively promotes root system development. Plants are fully supplied with necessary nutrients, simultaneously preventing the occurrence of microdeficiencies caused by insufficient microelements, such as chlorosis, various leaf spots, leaf necrosis, improving quality and quantitative yield indicators, increasing plant resistance to adverse external conditions, alleviating herbicide stress. The bio-stimulator increases plant resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases, including cereal crops — to leaf, ear, and root rot diseases. Using "Fertigrain Foliar" on cereal crops increases root system mass, thickens stems, lengthens ears, increases 1000-grain mass. Yield increases using "Fertigrain Foliar" on winter wheat reach 16-19%. The return on investment for using the "Fertigrain Foliar" preparation is achieved at a yield increase of 1.5-2.0 centners per hectare.
The "Fertigrain" system is a powerful factor for increasing productivity in cereal crop cultivation, fully enables the use of genetic potential of varieties, and effectively protects yields from adverse external factors. Under conditions of increasing weather-climate risks, the proposed preparations are reliable insurance for farmers against potential losses and losses. When used in combination, "Fertigrain Start" for seed treatment and "Fertigrain Foliar" for non-root feedings during tillering and flag leaf stage, the overall yield increase for cereals can reach 20-24%. At the same time, the system is low-cost and recoups additional yield of 2-2.5 centners per hectare.
The preparations are produced by the Spanish company "AgriTekno" and are the result of long-term research by scientists and manufacturers in the field of improving root and foliar nutrition of agricultural plants. Modern production technologies and high-quality plant raw materials guarantee the high quality of the preparations. The company "Oster" is the exclusive supplier of "Fertigrain" bio-stimulators in Ukraine, and its specialists are always ready to provide necessary consultations for developing effective feeding systems for agricultural crops.