Better together. That’s a simple way to describe what happens when micronutrients and biostimulants join forces to alleviate plant stress.
In this report from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s MicroSmart Deep Dive meeting in Kingston, Ont., Agro-100 research and development director Pierre Migner and RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin explore the biostimulant-micronutrient connection and how two small players can have a big impact on crop production.
Micronutrients include boron, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, chlorine and molybdenum — they play a crucial role in controlling abiotic stresses, which include water, chemical, and climate-related stress. Various technologies used in biostimulants include amino acids, peptides, humic acid, fulvic acids, mycorrhiza, biologicals, and living bacteria,
Migne explains that enzymes in plants need cofactors — micronutrients — to destroy reactive oxygen species that cause plant stress and damage. “The defense mechanisms that the plants have to control abiotic stresses, they’re all tied in very tightly with enzymes and proteins,” he says. “The link is simple. If you don’t have any metals like zinc, copper, manganese, iron, the enzymes won’t work. The enzymes will not destroy or digest the reactive oxygen species that are created when the plant is stressed.”
In the interview, Migner shares how products that combine micronutrients and biostimulants, like Agro-100’s CropBooster, have performed in field trials. He also discusses best practices for biostimulants and emphasizes the importance of understanding how to use them effectively. He notes that some biostimulants, like humic acid, perform better when applied to soil rather than foliar material, while biologicals, such as bacteria and mycorrhiza, need proper storage and application conditions to maintain their efficacy.
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