SPRING IS COMING

Spring is fast approaching and with it comes unpredictable weather. Plants, unfortunately, don’t have legs to run away, but they do have the ability to deal with environmental oxidative stress if they have the proper nutrition and the ability to produce adequate antioxidants.

Most of the plant injury caused by freezing temperatures is due to cell dehydration and cell damage.

Some strategies that can help plants deal with this stress are:

  – Avoiding excess stored Nitrogen and weak cells.

  – Calcium and Silicon help the plant with adequate cell wall strength and reduce moisture loss from the cells.

  – Potassium plays a key role in water and solute balance within the plant. It can lead to better photosynthesis and acclimatization before a frost event.

  – Phosphorus is known to improve acclimatization of plants and is important for cell division and plant energy, therefore important for recovery of tissue after freezing.

  – Amino acids combined with these key nutrients and soluble carbon help enzymatic processes in the plant thus improving metabolic activity before and after a frost event.

One thing is certain every growing season and that is the uncertain weather. We can’t change the weather, but we can help our crops be prepared to deal with these stress events as best they can before they happen. Plan ahead and help your crops reach their full yield potential!