Potato Review

22 POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2023 BIOSTIMULANTS B IOSTIMULANTS can act as an insurance policy for growers this spring, especially as another wave of frosts threatens to knock crops back, but growers are being warned not to be complacent. So far, winter has been wet and with the exception of some sharp frosts, relatively mild, resulting in many autumn sown crops being further forward than usual. However, Timac Agro Technical Manager, David Newton, is warning that this will not protect them from being damaged during cold spells which are likely to hit. He said frosts could be detrimental for crops that are further forward in the growing season. “Frost susceptibility usually increases with lush growth, especially when there have been above average autumn/winter temperatures. “ is can cause yield and quality loss.” If crops can develop a robust root system, this encourages the uptake and mobilisation of nutrients, increasing their resilience and ability to bounce back from climatic stressors. “You want to limit the number of times your crop is knocked back in a season,” David said. “Every challenge your crop faces, the more it chips away at the potential yield – so whether it’s a substandard seed bed resulting in poor emergence, pest or disease pressures, or weather conditions – it all starts to add up.” e key is to grow a crop that can tolerate stressors and recovers quickly, he said. “When stress does occur, the glycine betaine accumulation from a biostimulant stabilises the balance of water and mineral salts in the plant leaves, enabling them to keep functioning and photosynthesising,” said David. In addition, Fertiactyl can be applied in February until the end of March, alongside T0 or T1 applications, so there is no need for the sprayer to go out more times than necessary, David said. We share advice on how to use biostimulants to combat frost stress and look at the latest trial results of a new product containing humic acids. Protect and prepare Root development from an application of Blackjak (Left to right: Untreated, Blackjak 2L/ha, Blackjak 4L/ha). Image: Chris Menzies David Newton, Technical Manager, Timac Agro. Chris Menzies, Biosolutions Specialist, Sipcam UK.