Stimulate growth with Syngenta Biologicals
March 25, 2024
Why biostimulants?
When it comes to disease management during the growing season, we know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
But have you ever thought about stress in the same way? Fluctuations in temperature, water availability and physical damage are all abiotic stresses that the plant might deal with while trying to grow and produce, and sometimes occur with short notice.
We know we cannot always rely on the accuracy of the 24-hour forecast, let alone the 14-day forecast. Even with that uncertainty, there are management tools to help your crop through those periods of stress.
Megafol® is a 3-0-8 liquid foliar biostimulant formulated with plant extracts, including vitamins, amino acids, proteins and betaines that are critical to productivity and plant stress-response. Megafol can help plants manage temperature stress by increasing natural plant responses five to eight times more than plants that do not receive an application!1 It also can increase nutrient transport by four times and increase photosynthesis by 10 times.2 Megafol is available for use on all major crops as an easy-to-use formulation.
How do you use Megafol to mitigate stress in your crop?
Apply 0.5-1 L/ac every two weeks as part of your regular spray program.
Megafol is compatible with most common crop protection products.
What have we seen in potatoes?
Preliminary trials across Canada have shown benefit to using Megafol in potatoes.
In a small plot, replicated trial in Manitoba, two applications of Megafol in absence of stress showed an increase in overall yield as well as improved size profile.
Pictured above: Small plot replicated trial conducted in Manitoba in 2022. Two applications of Megafol. Yield determined by harvesting 2 x 10 m rows in each of 4 replicates. n = 1
In the Maritimes, field scale trials of Megafol have also shown positive results. In 2022, a hot and dry season in Prince Edward Island provided stressful conditions in which to test Megafol and its ability to assist plants in responding to stress.
In those conditions, we saw Megafol increase yield. In this demo, the grower replicated strips of Megafol, one application and two applications. There was a positive Return on investment (ROI) of $662/ac when Megafol was applied twice.
In 2023, there was minimal stress to the field of potatoes, however when Megafol was applied there was a positive difference in size profile, which lead to a positive ROI compared to the untreated.
Pictured above: Yield determined by 3 x 10’ digs in each treated area and grading tubers by size. In grower trials fields were split with Megafol applied once and or twice and untreated areas. 3 x 10’ digs were used to estimate cwt/ac using a conversion factor of 14.5.ROI figure assumes 2023 price for potatoes at $17/cwt for tubers >2” or >4 oz plus $3.00/cwt for tubers <2” or < 4oz minus the SRP of Megafol whether applied once or twice and assuming that Megafol was applied in a tank mix application (i.e. no added application cost). Return on investment is based on the foregoing assumptions.
Amatis™ is a 3-0-8 soil-applied root biosphere enhancement product. What does that mean? It provides the root zone with resources that make that area more favourable for root growth. Root growth is essential for nutrient and water uptake. Some of the ingredients in Amatis include select humic acids, amino acids, vitamins, and polysaccharides. The addition of humic acids into the soil prior to planting potatoes has shown to increase yield and quality of harvested potatoes3. While we are still in the learning phase with Amatis™ in potatoes in Canada, we do know that it is best applied at planting.
Preliminary commercial field testing in other vegetables shows favourable results with increased root growth:
Pictured above: grower applied commercial trial in bell peppers, Vanessa Ontario, 2023. Amatis was applied to the root zone once to assist with transplant shock. These are the results of five randomly selected plants from each treatment in the same area of the field.
When root scans were taken of the above plants, roots from where Amatis was applied showed increased root length as well as increased surface area, and total volume (capacity), all of which are known to be beneficial in water in nutrient uptake.
Source: Grower applied trial. Plants randomly selected from an un-replicated field trial in Vanessa, ON 2023. n = 1. Ten plants were selected from each area; treated and untreated.
Curious? Learn more about Megafol or Amatis, contact your local rep or retail partner.
Performance evaluations are based on internal trials, field observations and/or public information. Data from multiple locations and years should be consulted whenever possible. Individual results may vary depending on local growing, soil, and weather conditions.
1 Source: Research trials conducted at Joint Lab Valagro @ PlantLab – Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy.
2 Source: Research trials conducted at Joint Lab Valagro @ PlantLab – Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy.
3Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8150747/
Always read and follow label directions. The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. Megafol® and Amatis™ are trademarks of VALAGRO S.p.A., a Syngenta Group Company.
