Farmers advised to take action ahead of dry season
The UK has seen a dry season so far in 2025, with rainfall levels well below average across much of the country. For many arable growers, especially those sowing spring crops, this means there is an ongoing risk of drought-related abiotic stress and yield loss.
Drought can lead to insufficient rooting, reduced nutrient use efficiency and reduced photosynthesis, all of which can cause irreparable damage before they become visually identifiable.
“This is where proactive use of biostimulants can make a real difference,” says Jack Hill, Account Manager. “Products like Status® – which contains MTU and Pidolic Acid – and Talisman® – made up of Pidolic Acid and R100 – are proven to improve root and shoot growth, maintain chlorophyll levels and ensure a sufficient yield even when crops undergo periods of drought.”
Across UK, EU and North African trials, IntraCrop’s biostimulants have proven to support growers struggling with extreme weather conditions. Emily Way, Technical Officer, reiterates some of the key results the team has seen despite abiotic stress, saying, “As a science-led organisation, it is imperative to the whole team that we have substantial, replicated data to support the label claims of our products. Status® is CE Certified for support against abiotic stress, and it is no surprise. It improved sugar beet yield by 9.6% in unirrigated UK trials, with higher sugar content and reduced impurities.
“In maize trials, treated crops produced deeper root systems and showed significantly improved photosynthesis under stress, leading to yield uplifts of up to +1.46 t/ha in dry conditions.
“Wheat crops treated with Pidolic acid had root masses 59% higher than untreated controls under drought stress.
“In spring barley trials in Northumberland and Czechia, Status increased yield by 7%, driven by both higher ear count and increased grain weight. They have shown time and again how valuable they are in protecting and enhancing crop yields.”
With dry conditions expected to persist through late spring, IntraCrop experts recommend applying foliar biostimulants before stress symptoms occur, particularly around early stem extension (GS30-31) and before flowering.
“Waiting for crops to show stress means missing the window,” warns Jack. “Proactive applications are essential to maintain profitability in seasons like this. If you haven’t already applied Status at T0 then you can still apply it at T1 to protect yield.”
15th April 2025
