Latest generation of bio stimulants
Bacstim® 100 The latest generation of soil-applied bio stimulants
What is it and how does it improve yield and quality?
Global interest in the use of bio stimulants to enhance crop production beyond what conventional fertilizers can achieve continues to grow. This cutting-edge industry is expanding at a rate of over 15% per year as growers see the benefits of applying high-quality products at the right time for their crops. Chemical and physical aspects of crop nutrition have dominated research over the years, and although the biological component is less understood it is still equally as important
Plants require microbes in soil to facilitate nutrient availability and to deliver nutrients to the plant. Such nutrient availability may come in the form of producing enzymes to convert nutrients into plant-available forms. For example, the production of urease enzyme is required to facilitate the availability of urea, just as the production of phosphatases facilitates the availability of phosphorus. Without such enzymes the application of nutrients to the soil is less efficient (and more costly), with minimum return on investment. The microbes in Bacstim® 100 are specifically selected to facilitate the production of these enzymes (and others) to maximise nutrient uptake.
Plant microbes also play a role in the mineralisation and solubilisation of absorbed nutrients (locked up nutrients) along with the carbon and nitrogen cycle critical for balanced crop nutrition. When phosphorus becomes locked up it forms a covalent bond (a strong bond) with a cation (e.g. Calcium in high pH soils or aluminium or iron in low pH soils). When the phosphorus is absorbed, it is unavailable and therefore needs to be released for plant uptake. This is a role microbes play as they produce organic acids that break the bond to release the phosphate ion for plant uptake.
Microbes are extremely diverse and all play different roles in their ecosystem. Like all walks of life some are good, and some are bad. For example, we all know that fungal diseases are a huge constraint! Omnia microbes have capacity to form a symbiosis with plant roots and improve crop nutrition. The relationship with plant roots is a win / win as the plant will deliver sugars (carbohydrates) to the microbes who in turn give back specific nutrients. Approximately 30% of sugars produced by your crops are excreted into the root zone to feed microbes giving a clear understanding as to how important they are, given the investment your crop is putting into feeding them. It is for this reason that many microbes and a healthy soil will help reduce fungal disease. They have a good relationship with plants so when they detect another microbe wanting to harm the plant, the beneficial microbes will help destroy the pathogenic fungal diseases.
After many years of research, our recently launched Bacstim® 100 product, a high concentration, five strain bacillus inoculant is showing its worth. Bacstim® 100 contains spore forming bacteria (meaning they are fully compatible with fungicides, pesticides and herbicides), that are able to handle harsh conditions, but grow with the root system of the plant to improve nutrient uptake, produce rooting hormones and push back against soil borne fungal infections.
We have seen a statistically significant (90% confidence level) increase in both yield and protein in wheat with independent trials of Bacstim® 100 applied in furrow at planting at 1lt per hectare. Furthermore, in recent trials in Yorke Peninsula we have seen an increase in crop nutrition levels with Bacstim® 100 applied on barley seed at 4lt per tonne.
Bacstim® 100 applied at 4Lt per tonne of barley seed (left) compared with no Bacstim® 100 (right) :
Visual comparison of increased root growth with Bacstim® 100 applied in furrow with barley at 500mL per hectare :
