Because they are out of sight, roots are often
out of mind. Yet, research increasingly points
to Root Health as the key for next-generation crop
productivity. Seed treatment plays a key role
in effectively protecting Root Health to increase
crop performance.
Root problems cause yield losses
It has been estimated that 80% of all plant
problems start with soil/root problems*.
Increased use of agronomic practices such as
no-till and irrigation can increase the
prevalence of soil-borne diseases. This
compromises Root Health.
The roots of most plants are under threat from
pathogenic fungi and nematodes. This usually
goes unnoticed until the end of the season when
growers are faced with often significant crop
damage and yield losses.
Without specific
analyses, these problems are often misdiagnosed,
resulting in further losses for growers.
Stronger, healthier roots will lead to improved
crop performance under a wide range of
conditions.
New research directions link healthy roots to
higher yield
Industry experts and scientists recognize that
Root Health can hold the key to the next ‘Green
Revolution’. Their research focuses
on the ability of roots to efficiently use water
and nutrients as a key to further improvements
in crop productivity.
The structure and growth habits of roots have a
pronounced effect on the size and vigor of
plants. Stronger, healthier roots:
-
can better
absorb
water and nutrients,
-
lead to better
crop development at all critical stages and
under a broad range of environmental conditions,
-
help produce
stronger stems and foliage that better
cope with environmental stress, especially
in challenging climates,
-
protect the genetic potential of the
crop,
-
lead to improved
and more consistent yield.
Global Root Health Forums
The
link between Root Health and plant performance
was further explored at the first Global Root
Health Forum hosted by Syngenta in 2011. The
Forum brought together 100 research experts from
public and private organizations to exchange
their findings.
A second Global Root Health
Forum is now planned for 2013 in Beijing, China.
Several regional Root Health Forums took place
in 2012 to address regional specific
topics and information exchange.
Syngenta also hosts a Global Root Health network
on LinkedIn®. It brings together leading
technical experts from private, public and
nonprofit institutions worldwide to exchange
knowledge about Root Health and the link to
plant performance.
New seed treatment VIBRANCE™
with RootingPower™
as integrated
Root Health solution
Maximizing seed yield starts and ends with a
healthy root system. A new proven strategy is
the protection of plants from yield-reducing
diseases by using seed treatment fungicides,
enabling the plants to grow to their maximum
genetic potential.
At Syngenta, this research direction has
resulted in a new active ingredient. In May
2011, Syngenta announced the launch of
VIBRANCE™,
a proprietary seed treatment fungicide based on
the new active ingredient sedaxane – the first
Syngenta molecule developed specifically for
seed treatment.
Learn more
about VIBRANCE™ and its unique
RootingPower™
*
Rovira, A.D. 1990. The impact of soil and crop
management practices on soil-borne root diseases
and wheat yields. Soil Use and Management
6(4):195-200. |