ABIOTIC STRESS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON PLANT GROWTH, HEALTH AND QUALITY.

A critically important part of Redox technology is its proven ability to stimulate and increase the production of antioxidant compounds during plant metabolism. Turfgrass treated with Redox Bio-Nutrients can withstand the effects of abiotic stress under all types of growing conditions. The damage that can be caused by harmful oxidative compounds can be avoided by bringing the level of antioxidants and oxidative compounds into balance within the plant.

Antioxidants stop free radicals in their tracks!!

An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. They reduce the effect of oxidative stress by binding together with these harmful molecules, decreasing their destructive power. Antioxidants stabilize free radicals by terminating their reaction and damage. They can also help repair damage already sustained by cells.

When a free radical encounters an antioxidant, something unusual happens:

1. The free radical steals an electron from the antioxidant instead of seeking another molecule to damage.

2. The antioxidant doesn’t react.

3. The destructive chain reaction simply stops.

Summary:

Oxygen Free Radical – A highly reactive molecule that has unbalanced electrons and can lead to the damage of plant cells.

Oxidative Stress – The accumulation of excess oxygen free radicals in turfgrass that cause premature cell degradation.

Antioxidants – Neutralizes the negative effect of excess oxygen free radicals in turfgrass.

OxyCal: Formulated to provide efficient potassium, calcium, phosphorus and sulfur that is complexed and chelated with proprietary BioActive Compounds. The proprietary BioActive compounds help the plant stimulate secondary metabolites in the plant that help combat Abiotic Stress.

Use Rates: 2 – 5 lbs./A or 2.25 – 4.5 kg/Ha. Weather your managing warm season or cool season turf, there is a time of year that Oxidative stress is more aggressive than others. For some it can be season long due to say, excess sodium in your water source. So, depending on what your situation is, OxyCal can work for you in many ways.

One example, on Bent/Poa greens, summer stress, heat stress, OxyCal at the 5 lb./A rate sprayed by itself or can me mixed with other products works fantastic. ALWAYS FOLLOW MIXING INSTRUCTIONS WHEN USING OXYCAL. You can get 10 to 14 days of relief at that rate, depending on weather conditions. The 5 lb./A rate is a fix me right now application, spray in the morning let set dry all day, water in lightly that evening. Or you can add 1-2 lbs./A in your normal tank mix starting in the spring and make OxyCal part of your Antioxidant tool to increased turf health as you prepare to deal with the heat and summer stress you know is coming.

Turf Rx K+: Formulated to provide efficient potassium and phosphorus that is complexed and chelated with proprietary BioActive Compounds. The proprietary BioActive compounds help the plant stimulate secondary metabolites in the plant that help combat Abiotic Stress.

Use Rates: 2 – 4 lbs./A or 2.25 – 4.5 kg/Ha. Turf Rx K+ is a 0-31-50, Extremely cost-effective source of P and K. Fairways, sports turf, greens, and tees, 2 lbs./A monthly on fairways, 2 lbs./A on greens on a bi-weekly spray program has proven to be enough to satisfy P&K deficiencies. Not only is K+ a great nutrient input, but also gives you Antioxidant production all along the way. As we look at soil test from all over the world in Golf and Sports Turf, one thing remains consistent is K levels are the leading element that is most deficient across all soil types. So having a good source of plant available potassium is paramount, especially in times of heat and drought stress. Complexed and chelated means you have a potassium source that can be taken up by the plant as a foliar application and complexing gives protection to the P and K source in the soil for root uptake.

Turf Rx NatureCur: Fortified with botanical extracts and potassium that is complexed and chelated with proprietary BioActive Compounds that help stimulate secondary metabolites in the plant to help combat Abiotic Stress.

Use Rates: 1 – 2 gallons / A or 5 – 10 L/Ha. When and why would I use NatureCur? NatureCur started going out into spray mixes during the summer when we would have summer/heat stress. Areas of the greens where superintendents would typically get some thinning out of turf then dealing with Algae or moss issues due to the lack of turf cover. Once this product started to go out, reports back were very positive on how well the turf was handling the summer/heat stress. Then we had some customers dealing with some severe turf loss due to Nematode issues. One severe case was at Tanglewood G.C. in Fulton Missouri had several areas of turf damage, due to Ring and Root-Knot nematodes as well as anthracnose issues and getting worse by the day. The superintendent made one application of Rx NatureCur at the 2 gallon per acre rate, watered it in and 3 days had turf coming back. His program now consist of NatureCur at the 1.5 oz/1000 rate goes in every tank starting in May. Anytime you have pest or pathogen effecting root growth and development NatureCur helps in root growth and metabolism, to help deal with the pest or pathogen pressure.

Turf Rx Si: Formulated to provide efficient calcium and silicon that is microencapsulated with proprietary surfactant technology. Calcium and Silicon increase and organize cell wall strength that strengthens the plant to overcome stress events.

Use Rates: .5 – 1 gal/A. or 5 to 10 L/Ha. Turf Rx Si is a great addition to your spray mix to increase cell wall strength and structure, improve ball speed on the stimpmeter, and overall playing conditions. As plants take up Silicon through the roots, Silicon is deposited in the cell of the leaf that gives it that stiffness, to improve quality of cut and ball speed on the greens.