Plants must take off quickly at the start of the season or they will remain behind the whole season.
Doctor Albert Liptay is a scientist with the worldwide Stoller Group. Besides having dedicated his career to understanding plant physiology and science, he has a passionate interest in energy in plants.
He says that there are certain times in the growth cycle where plant energy is at a high. Three crop stages in particular are:
- Within 48 hours of planting or budburst
- In the early growth periods when fungicides are applied to the crop causing stress and an energy shift
- During the reproductive stage when fruit or seed is forming.
At these times, the orchard is most receptive to timely treatments where the inputs can have an impact on the many simultaneous biological reactions that are occurring in the trees.
It is important to recognise these key timings and ensure that plant health is optimal.
Factors that might compromise the early growth must be limited or controlled. For example, cold soil temperatures, adverse weather conditions, or nutrient insufficiency can all have an impact.
Stoller has a 3-step approach.
- Remove limiting nutritional factors
- Offset environmental stress while keeping the roots healthy
- Take steps to ensure fruit development and crop finish.
Because the early stage is so important, nutrients can be addressed: post-harvest (at the end of the previous season) with a hibernation nutrient program; during dormancy with a dormant treatment of BudFeed; and early in the crop’s life with fast–acting nutrients through the irrigation system and as foliar sprays.
Soil treatments
For the irrigation products such as RootFeed (stabilised N with Ca and Mg), Nutri-pHLow a multi nutrient high in P, and all required micronutrients in chelate form.
Foliar treatments
For the leaves, a combination of Foli-Zyme (specialised multi nutrient) with nutrients (such as ZM2+Fe chelated, and high in Zn, Mn, Mg and Fe) can make all the difference with an early foliar treatment.
Note: for trees sensitive to zinc, these elements can be applied to the soil to avoid possible leaf drop.
Maximum performance
Stoller has developed programs for many tree crops, incorporating products to make the most of the tree’s growth stage for maximum orchard performance.
See this article and contact details in Tree Fruit July 2017
