TRICHODERMA BIOLOGICALS – HIGHER YIELDS BEYOND GENETICS
By Joe Schmidlen, Regional Sales Manager, Agrauxine – North America
I have been blessed to have worked in agriculture sales management since 1996. I have worked in row crop seed sales management as well as in the forage seed industry. Working with numerous accounts across the U.S. and Canada, over the years there has been an explosion of interest and an ever-increasing demand for biological seed treatments. The reason: biologicals help the plant mitigate weather stress, improve overall plant health, are safe for the environment, and ultimately, they increase yields offering a strong “Return on Investment” for growers.
Positive plant responses to trichoderma fungi have been realized for years in the laboratory and in the field. Today, commercialization of these biologicals has resulted in extensive field research showing substantial returns for growers. Although positive responses to trichoderma have been observed for over 30 years, in recent years, advances in genetic technologies have allowed researchers to identify and better understand specific modes of action down to the cellular level.
Positive benefits of trichoderma include increased yields, enhanced genetic expression, stress mitigation, and even improved harvest quality. It has been estimated that over 50% of yield losses are the result of plant stress due to unfavorable weather conditions. Certainly, we cannot control the weather but when utilizing specific strains of trichoderma fungi, we influence how the plant responds to adverse weather conditions. This is a great tool to have in the agricultural toolbox for growers! Utilizing selected strains of the biological trichoderma, plants withstand adverse weather conditions better and maximize production in more favorable weather conditions as well.
Our selected trichoderma strains result from more than three decades of study at Cornell University and other international biological research programs, as well as an exhaustive screening/selection/discovery process and scores of independent field trials conducted around the globe.
Our biological products offer unique benefits and provide numerous advantages for growers, seed companies, seed consultants, and seed dealers. Perhaps one of the most exciting benefits of our biological seed treatments in addition to their ability to increase yields and mitigate abiotic stress is their positive impact on the environment. Today, “Best Management Practices” and a strong emphasis on the environment coupled with the necessity for higher yields and maximum returns in a competitive farm economy make “biologicals” not only a sensible option for today’s growers but an obvious option.
This season, King’s AgriSeeds introduces “Biotrigger” planter box seed treatments.
o Biotrigger for Perennial Forages and Turf
o Biotrigger for Alfalfa/Clover
o Biotrigger for Corn
o Biotrigger for Wheat, Cereals and Annual Grasses
These products contain crop specific strains of beneficial trichoderma microbials that colonize the root system and enhance gene expression, maximizing the plant’s genetic potential. These products are formulated in a graphite/talc carrier for practical use as a planter box application. They also contain a nutrient pack for improved seedling establishment.
King’s Biotrigger:
• Creates larger root systems and enhances plant growth
• Induces resistance to plant stresses such as disease, drought, and more
• Increases fertilizer and water use efficiency
• Increases yields and improves forage quality
• Provides a strong ROI
Recently, ABM has partnered with Agrauxine by Lesaffre to provide even more products in the arenas of bionutrients, bio-control, and biostimulants.
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