Use of natural solutions minimizes impacts of water stress on crops

The scarcity or inefficiency of water absorption by plants compromises the entire development of the crop, directly impacting productivity. At the moment, the country's soybean crops are being planted or in the process of germination and emergence, a stage considered highly sensitive to water stress, which requires even greater attention in this aspect, since water participates in all physiological and biochemical processes of the plant.

Climatic adversities during the crop cycle are nothing new for producers, but a constant concern. The adoption of preventive strategies usually presents excellent results in the face of these challenges. A study carried out by Alltech Crop Science, in partnership with Fertigeo, in Rio Verde (GO), showed that the application of biotechnological solutions, in the nutritional and physiological management of soybean crops, allowed an increase of 21,2% in root length . Furthermore, it resulted in a 20,6% increase in aerial part dry mass and maintenance of cotyledons, structures that contribute to the plant's nutrient reserve.

Guilherme Bavia, technical manager specializing in grains at Alltech Crop Science, explains that the numbers are a reflection of a more resilient plant when going through stressful conditions. “The increase in the root system increases the efficiency of soil exploration by these roots, which promotes greater absorption of water and nutrients. The maintenance of cotyledons, which help the plant in the initial phase of development, is essential as premature loss of these structures can directly affect final production. And the increase in dry mass demonstrates that the plant was more efficient in carrying out photosynthesis and translocating photoassimilates”, he highlights.

About the solutions

According to Bavia, the technologies applied in the study aim to act on various aspects. One of them is the biological activation of the soil, balancing the tripod: physical, chemical and biological, using products based on fermented extracts and nutrients. “The objective is to increase the beneficial biodiversity of the system, with this the soil has better health and higher quality, which favors the storage and filtration of water, making it a more resilient system if affected by water stress, much more favorable to development of the plants’ root system”, he reports.

The treatment also includes solutions that maximize the plant's nutritional and photosynthetic efficiency. “In this case, the use of technologies formulated from plant extracts and specific nutrients complexed by amino acids will allow the plant to have greater production and distribution of photoassimilates, improving the plant’s source-sink relationship”, details the specialist. Promoting the hormonal and nutritional balance of the crop, with stress mitigating technologies, will help in the process of adapting the crop to adversity.

The specialist further explains that all these gains have a direct impact on productivity, which was possible to prove in the study carried out in Rio Verde (GO). According to the research, carried out at an experimental station, the soybean area that underwent the application of these natural solutions showed a productivity 23,2% higher than the area that did not receive the treatment. The products Soil-Plex Active, Soil-Plex Fert, Agro-Mos, Grain-Set, Liqui-Plex Unix, Liqui-Plex Vegetables, Liqui-Plex CaMg+B, from Alltech Crop Science, were used in the study.

other tips

Bavia also remembers that other precautions are important when it comes to water stress. He recommends that producers frequently monitor the weather forecast, learn about the characteristics of phenomena such as La Niña, for example, for good harvest planning, in addition to knowing the physical, chemical and biological properties of their soil, to seek balance of the system, stimulate rooting and water storage capacity.