Crop Stress

Improve Crop Resilience to Stress Events

Heat, Cold, Drought and Microbe Stress - Biostimulants

Farming is  challenging. Environments are harsh and farmers can't do anything about the weather.

Our crop stress products strengthen plants when under pressure to give them increased resilience to  recover and return to productive growth.

Our products are tested, trialled and researched with crop specific programs for heat, drought, and cold.

Crops grown from seed or transplanted

The first 2-6 weeks are normally critical for establishing productivity. Vigorous early growth can help avoid damping off disease and stress causing transplant shock.

Our Biostimulants improve root growth and increase vigour and growth in leaves.

 

Crop Stress Pyramid

Our Approach

Horticulture Australia Heat Stress

Yield and quality are impacted by many stress events throughout the growing season.

Adding targeted biological soil and crop health inputs at key times support your crop through stress events.

Activity: Stimulates root growth, help plants thrive after stress
Results: Improved yield and quality, 5-15%
Savings: More efficient fertiliser use
Effective: Over 20 years of research & 1,000 studies

Crop stress programs outline when the key stress events are for each crop and provide solutions to help your crop through these events.

Biological inputs provide targeted benefits when your crop is under pressure that synthetic fertilisers cannot.

Different stresses require different approaches - use the links below read more about specific factors

Strengthening Crops

A survey by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Queensland measured the level of disease in roots of conventional and organic bananas and tomatoes. They discovered there was less disease in the organic crops as compared to conventional crops.

The Department then looked at the different programs used to understand why there was less disease in organic crops and found organic programs were using inputs that were promoting microbial activity and diversity as well as adding carbon.

A large number of published scientific research papers support this finding that supporting microbial activity and adding active carbon reduces disease.

Biostimulants support the plant system to improve microbial activity and diversity.

Vital Earth photo only

Crop Stress Programs

Organic matter in soil improves all crops resilience to stress events.

There has been a steady decline in soil organic matter and a resultant increase in higher fertiliser use, reduced quality and uniformity of produce, compacted soils, requiring more horsepower, and increased susceptibility to stress events.

Crop Stress programs provide cost-effective ways to get the benefits of soil health when crops are under stress. They target four key areas which research has shown improves crops resilience to stress events.

  • Microbial Activity & Diversity: Increased soil biological diversity and activity helps to build a healthier soil that is better at sustaining plant growth; improving nutrient cycling, soil stability and disease suppression.
  • Active carbon: Humates/fulvates are the most active component of soil organic matter and are a cost-effective way to get the benefits of soil health. Humates increase water retention, improve soil structure, buffer against salinity and toxins, improve soil microbial activity and much more.
  • Energise the Plant – Heat & cold stressed crops benefit from kelp and bio-stimulants which improves root growth and photosynthesis to makes plants more resilient.

It is important to understand when stress events occur for specific crops, and when apply an appropriate stimulant program.

Sustainable Farming Solutions has a wide range of crop specific biological programs addressing crop stress including Almonds, Apples, Avocadoes, Bananas, Citrus, Cucurbits, Leafy Greens, Macadamias, Mangoes, Onions, Potatoes, Stone Fruit, Table Grapes, Tomatoes & Capsicum and Wine Grapes.

You can download these Programs below or contact us to discuss your specific requirements.