With increased acreage of spring cereals in the ground following difficult weather conditions, targeted use of a chlorophyll enhancer can help rapidly growing crops to overcome stress and maximise yield.
Klorofill®, an organic keto acid-based biostimulant, reverses chlorophyll suppression to maximise green leaf area and plant biomass. For plants experiencing rapid growth such as spring cereals, this could be particularly beneficial.
Head of Research and Development at Agrovista, Craig Morgan, said: “The lifecycle of spring crops is condensed into a much shorter timeframe, meaning that the plant will be under stress from rapid growth for longer. If combined with difficult climatic conditions, this can result in the plant dropping tillers and prioritising a single seed head.
“The benefit of using a targeted biostimulant such as Klorofill, is that it improves photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll production, both of which are sensitive to this stress.
“Translating this into a practical application – for spring barley, we need to maximise chlorophyll production and green leaf area right through to grain filling. This is so the plant can convert light energy into yield benefits and retain more tillers.”
Replicated manufacturer trials show that on average, Klorofill can increase spring barley yield by 0.27t/ha compared to untreated. These yield benefits are backed up further by 2019 Agrovista trial data from Truro. On average, across 10 spring barley varieties, Klorofill improved yield by 0.54t/ha.
The product can be applied to a range of spring crops including malting barley, with farm-scale trials currently taking place in Scotland to investigate the impact of use at different timings. So far, used at mid-tillering, feedback has been positive.
Elgin-based Agronomist Tony Ralph has been advising the use of Klorofill in malting spring barley. He said: “Malting spring barley is such an important crop for Scottish growers in particular. With fluctuating markets, it’s important that my growers find ways to achieve maximum yields.
“Klorofill fits well within the spray programme because it maximises green leaf retention which ultimately increases yields. As the crop is more susceptible to the variances of weather than winter equivalents, it needs the stress relief the product offers.
