Managing abiotic stress in summer crops 

It’s officially summer and temperatures are continuing to rise. Unfortunately, rainfall is also becoming less and less predictable, meaning that growers throughout the UK and Europe are facing mounting challenges in maintaining crop performance in this part of the season. While weather patterns remain beyond our control, thoroughly understanding and managing abiotic stress is vital if we wish to protect crop health and safeguard yield potential and ROI. 

Abiotic stress refers to the negative impact of extreme environmental factors. This can mean heat, drought, flooding, salinity or other naturally occurring factors. During the summer months, the most common stressors are likely to be very high temperatures and a lack of rainfall, or periods without rainfall followed by extreme rain. This will lead to fluctuating soil moisture levels. While these conditions may not always be immediately visible or have a clear immediate impact, they can ultimately significantly affect plant physiology and reduce productivity, impacting yield and ROI. 

One of the first systems affected by abiotic stress is photosynthesis. Under periods of heat or drought, plants often close their stomata to reduce water loss. While this helps conserve moisture, it also restricts carbon dioxide uptake, limiting the plant’s ability to produce the energy required for growth and grain fill. As stress persists, crops may divert resources away from growth and reproduction in order to simply survive. This will eventually result in reduced biomass and lower yields. 

Modern crop production places additional demands on plants throughout the season. Herbicide applications and other crop management can further increase physiological pressure at times when crops are already struggling to cope with challenging environmental conditions. Supporting crop resilience has therefore become one of the most important components of integrated crop management. 

Research has shown that improving photosynthetic efficiency can help crops maintain productivity under abiotic stress. By supporting the plant’s natural metabolic processes, growers can improve recovery following environmental challenges and sustain performance during periods of prolonged stress.  

One approach to supporting crops during periods of abiotic stress is to protect the photosynthetic equipment, ideally in advance of this stress. Under drought and heat, crops produce increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), often referred to as free radicals. These compounds can damage cellular structures, degrade chlorophyll and accelerate senescence, reducing the plant’s ability to maintain growth and yield. 

Status® contains MTU®, a patented technology that helps protect Photosystem I, a critical component of the photosynthetic process. By supporting photosynthetic efficiency and maintaining chlorophyll retention during stressful periods, MTU® enables plants to continue producing energy when environmental conditions become challenging. This continued energy production helps crops maintain physiological activity and provides a stronger platform for recovery once favourable conditions return. 

Research has also shown that MTU® increases cyclic electron flow around Photosystem I, a natural protective mechanism that allows excess light energy to be safely redirected rather than causing damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. This process generates additional ATP, providing the plant with more energy to support growth and stress recovery. In drought-stressed plants, MTU® has been shown to almost double cyclic electron flow, helping crops continue to function even when environmental conditions are less than ideal. 

As weather volatility becomes more common across many growing regions, the conversation is shifting from maximising yield potential under ideal conditions to protecting yield under less-than-ideal circumstances. Implementing biostimulant technologies like Status® as part of a crop management programme is proven to do this, helping to support recovery so that growers maintain consistency and protect return on investment throughout the season.