Could VITALROOT support your struggling crops?

For drilling and crop establishment, the last few months have been challenging to say the least. With waterlogged soils across the country, winter-sown crops have...

For drilling and crop establishment, the last few months have been challenging to say the least. With waterlogged soils across the country, winter-sown crops have had a tough time establishing strong roots, and the prospects for spring crops aren’t exactly wonderful. But there are options for growers and opportunities to maintain, and even exceed, expected yield. VITALROOT is one such option. We spoke with Hugo Rowland - an agronomist working for Spunhill - to find out how VITALROOT transformed results for one of his clients. A last ditch effort for struggling winter wheat Hugo had a client with a field of late-drilled winter wheat. Despite high seed rate to account for the late drilling, a flock of crows refused to leave the field alone (even with bangers present) and the resulting crop was in poor shape. “We reviewed the field in the middle of April, and it was only at two tillers with a low plant population.” An exceptionally wet spring and the seed lost to crows meant Hugo’s client was ready to give up on the crop and replace it with maize. But, having evaluated VITALROOT at Spunhill, Hugo and his client decided to give it a go. The impact of VITALROOT With 1.3 l/ha mixed with a foliar N, P, K product, the crop eventually yielded over 8t/ha. “Ten days after it was applied, the turnaround in the crop was astonishing. Considering we were about to give up on the crop, the results were amazing and the client was delighted.” VITALROOT is so effective because it encourages more extensive roots and greener leaves from the get-go. This enhances nutrient uptake and energy conversion for further growth, helping plants hold onto more tillers and boosting overall crop health. “It’s a snowball effect,” says Stuart Jackson, head of technical services at UPL UK. “The main active ingredient is GA142, which is an oligosaccharide isolated from seaweed extract. This kick-starts enzyme activity producing more amino acids for the plant’s metabolic pathways.” Stuart says they saw similar results to Hugo’s client in trials at UPL’s research site - Shray Hill. An autumn application of VITALROOT at 1 l/ha, tank mixed with the herbicide, gave a yield increase of:

+ 0.7t/ha in the Theodore winter wheat
+ 2t/ha in the SY Thunderbolt hybrid barley

Are you ready to try VITALROOT? Hugo and his client were thrilled with the results, and Hugo is planning to incorporate VITALROOT into his recommendations moving forward. He’s looking forward to seeing more trials and results on farms to give growers even more confidence in its ability. That’s where UPL’s VITALROOT Challenge comes in. We shared VITALROOT with growers around the country to give them the opportunity to see the results for themselves. We’re currently following up on their progress. You can find out more about VITALROOT here.