At their mid-year meeting in Adelaide, the Stoller team got together to discuss the business plan for 2014 and to review important research findings from the technical team.
The group also went into the field to visit some trial sites and to inspect processing operations of a key client.
Philosophy
Stoller’s philosophy is to use nutrient management, specialty products, and tailored programs to minimise crop loss over the entire season in order to maximise yield and product quality.
The aim is to counter the effects of the environment and to prevent the impact of too much or too little of each environmental factor.
The aim is to stay inside an optimal growth zone. This is not always possible, and where controlling the factors is impossible, that is where the Stoller treatments can be utilised.
Detecting plant stresses
Stoller has been investigating methods to detect stresses that can affect plant performance and limit the overall orchard productivity.
The concept of ‘plant driven fertigation’ involves measuring parameters such as soil moisture, salinity and temperature, and then determining responses with irrigation, nutrients and plant stimulants to maximise crop performance when these factors shift outside the optimum range.
For example, some of the key approaches for trees include using nutrient treatments around flowering time to lessen the impact of low or high temperatures.
One product, Stoller’s Flower Power contains zinc and boron along with other formulating agents and co-factors.
Zinc is known to up regulate the auxin hormone that is critical for proper pollination; and boron is known to extend the half-life of IAA which is one of the most important sources of auxin.
Cloud-based software
The Stoller International Research Group is working with Cloud-based analytical software linked with measurement probes installed in orchards.
The Stoller group recently purchased multiple probe systems to be installed in trial sites throughout the world in order to monitor and respond to conditions on the farm, and to instantly prescribe fertigation inputs to optimise growth.
Stoller Australia is dedicated to optimising orchard performance through management of nutrition programs, responding to environmental stresses and keeping the plant balanced for optimal yield and quality.
Contact Stoller for more information on Unleashing the Power of Plants
phone 1800 Fertiliser
For more information, see Tree Fruit July 2014
