26 March 2021
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New Quantis gives relief to heat-stressed potatoes
SYNGENTA has launched its first biostimulant in potatoes, Quantis, that has shown to effectively help crops cope with the impacts of heat stress.
Following the extensive research, analysis has revealed significantly increased yield for crops that had been under prolonged or extreme heat stress. Syngenta says the results indicate that Quantis can play an important role in potato agronomy programmes from tuber initiation, through the crop bulking phase.
Syngenta Head of Technical, Dave King, said its value is even more apparent with the increasing incidence and severity of heat events in the UK. He said Quantis delivers a readily-available blend of organic carbon, amino acids, potassium and calcium that supplement the plant’s own molecular cell function.
“Acting directly as an anti-oxidant it can help to counter reactive oxygen species (ROS - free radicals) that can cause significant damage, particularly within the foliage if leaves get too hot,” Dave said. “It is believed to activate and enhance the potato plant’s natural capability to adapt to heat stress, to prevent damage.”
He said the strength of Quantis lies in its relatively high proportion of short chain carbon molecules, which are particularly effective at helping the plant to prevent the creation of ROS during periods of stress. Furthermore, it helps with the scavenging of accumulated ROS, to minimise their adverse effects.
“By filling the organic carbon gap when a plant comes under stress it can act to minimise its effects,” he said.
Quantis also contains a level of amino acids that can help to protect plant structures from nitrogen and protein degradation when under stress. Furthermore, Quantis also provides osmoprotectant regulators to help plants manage cell osmosis, which could help contribute to the heat stress mitigation.
Whilst other biostimulants, typically with higher amino acid content, may have an earlier role for plant development, the greater understanding of how Quantis works has highlighted its position for stress prevention through the season, said Dave.
The highest returns in tuber yields were generated from three applications of Quantis at 2.0 l/ha, applied from tuber initiation through the bulking phase. Application trials had shown it was fully compatible for tank mixing with all the blight fungicides tested.
Reporting results of the extensive Quantis trials last season, Dave outlined that of the 32 sites experiencing conditions of greater than 25⁰C for more than four hours through the application window, yields were an average 2.2 t/ha greater. The 14 sites that experienced a heat event in excess of 30⁰C over that period recorded an average 1.9 t/ha yield increase.
In previous years of Quantis trials, the greatest effects on yield and tuber size were recorded in 2018, which coincided with an extremely hot and stressful growing season, he said. “It was notable from in season assessments that effects were apparent in the second phase of tuber bulking, when the crop came under extreme stress.”
More details about the trials and Potato Science Live are available here.
- All the info on Quantis
- Potato Science Live report on Quantis trials
- The bigger picture on the role for biostimulants
- The Quantis label
Don't miss the May issue of Potato Review for more details - you can subscribe here.
