5 Ways Biologicals Support Crop Development
Does it ever feel like you’ve hit a yield plateau with your crop management strategy? If so, it may be worth considering biologicals to help push those yield boundaries, writes Dennis Christie at Winfield United. Biologicals offer many plant growth and development benefits that can lead to higher yields at the end of the season.
Biologicals is a broad term that includes a diverse range of products, including biostimulants, biofertilizers, biopesticides, plant growth regulators and inoculants. They are often derived from naturally occurring sources, such as microorganisms, plant extracts, enzymes and organic matter. Biologicals can be applied in many ways, including in-furrow and foliar, as a seed treatment, or soil-applied. Here are five ways biologicals can support crop development.
1. Enhance Nutrient Availability
One of the key benefits of biologicals is their ability to enhance nutrient availability in the soil. Depending on the product, there are different modes of action to achieve this. For example, Zume is a biostimulant that uses two enzymes to break down soil organic matter and root exudates to increase nutrient availability and uptake.
Other biological products contain microorganisms that fix atmospheric nitrogen, making it more available to plants. Vault IP Plus seed treatment is a biological that includes a highly effective rhizobia strain that increases overall nodulation and maximizes nitrogen fixation potential. It also contains a dual biofungicide that protects roots to optimize nutrient uptake.
Some biologicals may use mycorrhizal fungi to establish symbiotic associations with plant roots, increasing the surface area for nutrient absorption. This relationship can significantly boost plant health and resilience, enhancing growth and yield potential.
2. Stimulate Plant Growth
Biologicals can also promote plant growth through various mechanisms. Hormones help regulate plant growth and development processes such as cell division, root formation and flower induction. PGRs can offer significant agronomic benefits, including larger root masses with more root hairs, vigorous emergence, increased leaf area, and higher yield. Combined with a starter fertilizer, they are a great way to boost early-season plant health.
Read more at Winfield United.
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