Biostimulants affect plant physiology to maximise the benefit of nutrients, mitigate environmental stress and improve crop yields and quality.
The correct use of biostimulant seed treatments or foliar sprays as part of a broader management programme will improve crop vigour and quality.
Below, you can find a range of information on our biostimulant technologies. Biostimulants are proven to support growers in a range of key areas including:
- Improving nutrient use efficiency
- Improving nitrogen use efficiency
- Protecting against abiotic stress
- Managing backward crops
- Better water use efficiency
It is important to understand the mode of action of each technology which will determine the appropriate conditions and rates of application to achieve optimal results. IntraCrop products currently contain one or more of five key biostimulant technologies: the patented MTU®, R100, phosphite, pidolic acid and Dimethyl Sulphone.
IntraCrop recommends that appropriate biostimulants are used in sequence to enhance crop development throughout the season from rooting and establishment to final yield.
Our Yieldbuilder programmes recommend the optimal dose rates and timings for each in a series of biostimulant applications to allow growers to achieve higher crop yields. Each Yieldbuilder programme has been developed to enable the crop to maximise its potential and is scientifically proven through independent trials.
Biostimulants improve crop productivity by providing incremental gains throughout the crop cycle.
Root development: Phosphite, used as a biostimulant, is readily absorbed and translocated to the roots, where it encourages root development. In trials at Nottingham University, root biomass increased by at least 30% across a range of crops.
Nutrient uptake: The larger root architecture created by phosphite biostimulant leads to better uptake of nutrients from the soil. R100 biostimulant contains Gamma-PGA which binds to foliar applied cations to improve uptake and utilisation in the plant.
Nitrogen assimilation: Phosphite biostimulant increases the activity of nitrate reductase, which is a key enzyme in nitrogen assimilation. Pidolic acid is a signalling compound in the nitrogen cycle, which accelerates nitrogen assimilation and amino acid production.
Shoot growth: MTU® stimulates the phytochrome boosts the absorption or red and far-red light, this results in a higher concentration of chlorophyll in Photosystem II, and uniquely for biostimulants, Photosystem I. The increased photosynthetic capacity improves shoot growth and green leaf retention.
Stress resilience: Biostimulants build plant resilience, improving its ability to tolerate stress and recover quickly. In stressed circumstances, MTU® is phenomenal, reducing damage caused by the oxygen free radicals and protecting the photosynthetic apparatus and maintaining green leaf area for longer. Treated plants recover faster. Pidolic acid reduces toxic ammonia build up and also permits the retention of more green leaf area, again aiding recovery once limiting factors are addressed.
| Technologies | Function | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Products | Crops | MTU® | Phosphite | Pidolic acid | R100 | Dimethyl Sulphone | Increase chlorophyll | Green leaf retention | Nitrogen assimilation | Foliar Nutrient uptake | Root development | Shoot growth | Stress recovery | Reduction in abiotic stress |
| Cearum | Cereals, maize |  |  |  |  | |||||||||
| Incite | Cereals, OSR, maize | | | | | | | | | |
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| Magistrate R100 | Cereals, OSR, beans, potatoes | | | | | | ||||||||
| Nutrino Pro | Cereals, maize, OSR, potatoes, sunflower | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Prosper Plus | Cereals, maize, OSR, grass, potatoes | | | | |
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| Prosper ST | Cereals, maize, grass, OSR | | | | |
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| RootMan Z | Cereals, maize, OSR, potatoes, beans, soft fruit, veg | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Status® | Cereals, maize, OSR, sunflower | | | | | | | | | |
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| Talisman® | Cereals, maize, OSR, potatoes, sugar beet | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Sulphur Maxx | Cereals, maize, OSR, potatoes, sugar beet, sunflower | | | | |
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To read more about our biostimulant technologies, click here.
How are plant biostimulants developed?
Intracrop is science-led. Our biostimulants/adjuvants are developed alongside universities, research institutes and independent scientists. Independent trials, financed significantly by our parent company Frontier, produce clear, reliable results. We work alongside agronomists to ensure we understand the key issues being experienced on the farm, by crop and region. Our biostimulant and adjuvant technologies and products are designed and rigorously tested to address these issues and support farmers in maximising productivity in crop production.
What are biostimulants used for?
Plant biostimulants are responsible for improving a wide range of vital crop inputs, including but not limited to, increasing productivity, mitigating against environmental changes and encouraging more sustainable farming practices. They also contribute towards improving our ability to address global concerns such as soil quality and biodiversity.
Intracrop currently offers four biostimulant technologies: MTU®, R100, phosphite and pidolic acid. These technologies are used in varying combinations in our biostimulant products. We recommend that biostimulants are used in sequence to enhance crop development throughout the season from rooting and establishment to final yield.
What crops do I use biostimulants on?
A wide range of crops can benefit significantly from biostimulant use. Intracrop offers biostimulants that are appropriate for: cereals, maize, oilseed rape, fruit, olives, potatoes, vegetables, , sugar beet and sunflower. Our biostimulants have undergone rigorous testing proving their efficacy on the suggested crop as well as establishing the most impactful application times and combinations through our YieldBuilder programme.
How do biostimulants improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE)?
Biostimulants work in a range of ways to improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE). Not only can they physically increase root size, giving the plant a larger surface area to absorb nutrients, but they stimulate nitrogen assimulation and improve uptake of foliar applied nitrogen based products. Using biostimulants alongside fertiliser use will significantly improve the efficacy of that fertiliser. Our biostimulant technologies can support you in increasing NUE of a wide variety of crops, reducing your impact on the environment whilst maintaining profitability, yield & quality.
How do biostimulants reduce abiotic stress?
Plant biostimulants increase root and shoot growth, leaving them both better established and more able to access the nutrients and water that they need to survive abiotic stress. They also boost the plant’s metabolic efficiency and chlorophyll concentration during periods of stress, increasing nutrient use efficiency, enhancing crop vigour and yield.
