What is stress damage doing to your yield?

Australian farmers are constantly facing challenges with crop constraints, which is a balancing act in any industry. These constraints can include:

> Soil conditions > Lack of moisture > Too much moisture > Excessive heat > Varied temperatures > Weed management

THE PROBLEM AT PLANT LEVEL

Varied conditions can trigger changes in the balance of plant hormones, which can irreversibly reduce yield and quality, so it’s vital to minimise their effects to attain the highest yield possible. The correct nutrition program can support crops to keep growing throughout these stress events. Stoller’s plant nutrition solutions can help to reduce the impacts of stress in your crop, whether your crop is tree and vine, horticulture, or broadacre. When plants are stressed, they generate an excess hormone called ethylene, which regulates hormone functions for growth throughout the plant. Ethylene is essential for cells to function but when cells are under stress, the oversupply of ethylene can cause premature cell death and plant damage.

SEED TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

Stoller’s Integrated Nutrient Solutions will help protect a variety of crops against the harmful effects of ethylene in frost recovery, heat stress and herbicide stress by restoring nutrient status and normal plant growth. Stoller’s seed treatment solutions can help: > Crops to emerge quicker > Improve early plant growth > Enhance root development

> Increase nutrient uptake > Improve stress tolerance Foliar applications of Stoller’s Integrated Solutions will help increase plant nutrition for horticulture and broadacre crops during the growing season. For crops that have received higher levels of stress, Stoller’s Stress Program, which incorporates Bio-Forge, Foli-Zyme, and WL Zinc Chelate, aims to maintain the genetic potential of plants, improve growth, and increase yield. The plant has direct access to the nutrient applied through the leaf surface, which rectifies traditional nutrient tie up in specific soils. This is especially helpful for solanaceous vegetables, such as potatoes and tomatoes, as they come into the emergence and growth stage.

VINE OR BROADACRE

The increase in Bio-Forge usage throughout the viticulture and tree crop industry has been something of a revelation to these industries. Most notably has been its effect on frost recovery in vines, allowing for new shoot growth and reduced yield damage. We have seen many Australian farmers utilise this program over the past 25 years with substantial plant recovery from harsh conditions. Stoller’s Nutrient Solutions have demonstrated nutritional vigour increases and additional tiller density in cereal crops. With farmers using the grain and graze model in high rainfall zones, this early tillering has allowed them to carry higher stock numbers before locking the paddock up for hay or grain. Our liquid nutrition will promote healthy root growth, fast and healthy top growth, and uniformity in crops. Bio-Forge seed treatments have been used to aid in seedling establishment. When crops are under pressure from compacted soils, insect attack, and weed competition, the ability to help young crops to establish is critical for any farming enterprise.

STOLLER’S STRESS PROGRAM

With Australian weather conditions we are having to deal with higher stress load in the growing season. Many farmers are utilizing our Stress Program to help respond to damage, but this comes with its shortfalls. If farmers are not prepared for upcoming stress events, then their potential crop loss can be substantial. Stoller Australia is addressing the time challenges that all farmers face by recommending the incorporation of Bio-Forge, Foli-Zyme, and WL Zinc Chelate as part of their crop maintenance program. By being proactive rather than reactive in the application of our Stress Program, this is an added insurance for farmers’ crops. Stoller Australia’s Technical Manager, Domenic Cavallaro, has conducted an extensive number of trials on Bio-Forge and Stoller’s Stress Program. “Bio-Forge, especially when used with our Stress Program, has demonstrated again and again the improvement that it can have on yield across a variety of crops, Domenic Cavallaro, Technical which is really Manager, Stoller Australia exciting. This is helping farmers across the country to get the most out of their crop’s genetic potential.” – Domenic Cavallaro, Technical Manager, Stoller Australia. To learn about the full range of Stoller products visit your local Elders branch.