Since the withdrawal of Wakil XL in 2021, pulse growers have been searching for new options to help with plant establishment. Trials conducted at Shray Hill have revealed significant increases in the speed and percentage emergence of peas and beans treated with Sunagreen ST.
Sunagreen is a mixture of salicylic and anthranilic acids, both precursors to the plant growth hormone auxin, which promotes cell division and elongation in plants. “The amount of auxin available to a seedling is fixed,” explains Joanne Hawke, UPL trials manager for the UK. “By providing the plant with its precursors, it can produce more than is available from the seed, promoting quicker growth.
Challenging conditions
“The cold and wet conditions we experienced this spring were challenging for pulse establishment. Peas and beans particularly struggle in waterlogged seedbeds, which is what this trial was like. The spring beans treated with Sunagreen had almost 100% establishment, whereas the untreated was just over 60%. It was a similar story with the peas, where the Sunagreen improved emergence by nearly 30%.
“Not only did more plants emerge, but the seedlings grew much quicker when treated with Sunagreen. You can still see the difference between the plots four months after they were sown,” adds Ms Hawke.
