From flood to fortune: how to improve yields without increasing spend
Growers can enjoy yield increases and efficacy improvements on stressed crops, with early interventions of natural bio-stimulant products, whilst reducing fungicide inputs, latest trials of the AminoA Biostimulants range of biotechnology products have shown.
Eurofins trial results from 2019 have shown winter OSR treated at 3-leaf to return a 0.383 T/ha yield increase, after applying AminoA FLO, a highly concentrated I-isomer amino acid complex developed for the large-scale arable farmer.
AminoA FLO contains synthetics and the latest crop penetrant technology, making it suitable for mixing with other agrochemicals. Importantly, this means the farmer does not have to increase input costs to improve efficacy. What is spent on AminoA applications is returned on reducing fungicide and agrochemical inputs.
The Eurofins trials also saw impressive results with two different applications of AminoA FLO on winter wheat crops. The first application on 30 Nov 2018 resulted in a 0.50 T/ha yield increase over the control, representing a 104.6% improvement.
The second application on 26 March 2019 saw 0.74 T/ha increase, or 106.8%. The two applications resulted in yields of 11.386 T/ha and 11.630 T/ha yields, above the control return of 10.886 T/ha.
“The continuing wet weather and delayed drilling on many thousands of hectares has resulted in many crops really struggling with waterlogging and slug damage,” explains AminoA managing director Richard Phillips.
“It is vital that these crops are encouraged to root strongly and develop adequate tiller numbers,” he continues. “We recommend applying AminoA FLO to crops from 3-4 leaves onwards to maintain tiller numbers, improve N uptake by increased rooting, and influence embryonic ear development.”
AminoA products are natural bio-stimulants, obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis. Containing essential amino-acids that plants synthesise throughout their growth cycle, they can contribute positively to yield and quality if the plant is not already producing optimal levels of amino-acids itself.
‘’Our products are deliberately designed to have broad spectrum activity, as they contain every essential amino-acid that plants synthesise throughout their growth cycle,” continues Mr Phillips.
“Repeated use of our products, in combination with other agrochemicals, will enhance their effectiveness and produce a yield response in the crop, without the need for the farmer to spend more,” he adds. “It is not about spending more; it is about spending wisely.”
There is no doubt that, as crops go in late, they will be struggling. Conventional farmers are recognising the benefits of the prudent use of bio-stimulants to boost yields and profits, whilst at the same time sustaining the fragile ecosystem in soils.
Visit AminoA Biostimulants at Cereals 2020, stand 1112, (10-11 June, Chrishall Grange, Duxford, Cambridge) visit www.aminoa.co.uk or call 01633 894300 for more details.