Sep 27, 2021

Research offers look at value of Plant Response biologicals

Plant Response Inc. announces new data demonstrating corn growers can realize economic returns prior to harvest and specialty growers can protect plants from abiotic stress.

The scrutiny of product performance in-season is increasing with biologicals and we are committed to sharing how farmers can observe the difference Plant Response makes. The field test results on BioPath and a new peer-reviewed paper on the active ingredient in PRB9 show how value can be demonstrated on farm before harvest and how it can be quantified,” said Jeff Wheeler, chief commercial officer at Plant Response.

Utilization pays off across nutrient panel

It is well known that crops only uptake 50% of the nutrients applied. Farmers need tools that can increase uptake across the nutrient panel to drive higher yields and better return on their investment. This is amplified in a year like this where farmers face rising fertilizer costs.

The field-testing program executed with BioPath, a microbial inoculant containing bioactives of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), measured nutrient uptake and significant differences were observed, according to John Kruse, Plant Response’s senior vice president of agronomy.

Conducting tests across the Midwest using commercial-scale field trials with farmer partners provides applicability beyond smaller scale tests. Data was collected at multiple stages of corn growth and development.

“We saw increases in early season vigor and plant growth at V5 of 8 percent with the BioPath application, which was statistically significant. The mid-season biomass and tissue measurement is really exciting as side-by-sides treated with BioPath had substantially better uptake of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium – on average 2-3%  – as well as secondary and micronutrients,” Kruse said in a news release.

Wheeler adds, “Farmers have told us they are looking for a product that increases uptake across the nutrient panel, providing them greater flexibility. It is exciting to deliver a product that does just that and demonstrates  results before the combine ever hits the field. The product has more than paid for itself mid-season and we all know that a healthier crop is going to really drive yield advantages as we close out the crop year.”

Boosting plant’s natural defense against abiotic stress

Researchers in Spain (Catala et al) have been diving deep into abiotic stress and published new discoveries in Science Advances  this summer. These discoveries about protecting plants from abiotic stress directly relate to PRB9, a biostimulant in the Plant Response portfolio.

The paper has three key takeaways, Plant Response vice president of research and development Anne Runkel said:

• Plants naturally accumulate PRB9’s active ingredient.
• Levels of this compound increase when the plant encounters abiotic stressors like cold, salinity, and drought.
• This compound is a protective osmolyte that can be applied as a treatment to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

Kruse explains that PRB9 is labeled for a number of specialty uses in the coastal regions of the US where produce and other valuable crops can be vulnerable to the abiotic stress that comes with shifting weather patterns. The side-by-side differences have been clear in testing and customer use with high value crops.

Plant Response is accelerating biological solutions to advance and restore the agricultural ecosystem. The company’s headquarters is in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and it has offices in Madrid (Spain); Plant City, Florida; and Redmond, Washington.