TRIALS carried out by Orion Future Technologies, working with Hutchinsons and Richard Austin Agriculture, have revealed how the application of silicon biostimulants can have a positive effect on potato yields and improve the plant’s natural defence to late blight.
Orion’s R&D Agronomist, Kate Williams 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 sought to understand the impact of using biostimulants as a way to strengthen potato plants to better withstand late blight. This trial used Sirius, a silicon-based biostimulant, with Trident, a micronutrient product.
“Trident is a copper and zinc formulation that stimulates plant health and helps to protect against common stresses. In the trial, a concentration of 3 litres per hectare of Trident was combined with a 0.5 litre per hectare concentration of Sirius every week for 12 weeks,” she said.
The outcome of the additional micronutrient and silicon boost meant only 18% of the crop was affected by blight compared to 20% with the standard tank mix. The control sample crop succumbed entirely, with 100% of the crop affected by blight, showing the devastating threat blight poses to potato crops.
“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,” said Kate.
