USA
May 17, 2013

Source: BioWorks newsletter
By Scott Armstrong, Central Region Technical Sales Manager

Now that spring is coming to a close it is time to focus on summer production. Though summer is a time to fill the greenhouses back up, it is also a time of heavy disease pressure due to the higher temperatures. Phytophthora root rot and Pythium aphanidermatum are just two of the diseases that can become very prevalent as the weather gets hot.

The "curative only" approach can save the grower money only if all the inputs fall in their favor (weather, cultural, clean incoming stock, etc.), but this is the gambler's approach. For just a few cents per pot, the grower can help assure that they will have limited issues with root disease in their plants. Plants that are propagated and grown in a disease-free environment have a healthier root system, thus assuring a stronger plant that comes to market quicker, and will hold up longer in the retail environment.

When planning for your summer-fall production, plan for RootShield® Plus. For healthier roots RootShield Plus is a biologically-based combination of two strains of beneficial fungus (Trichoderma harzianum T-22 and Trichoderma virens G-41). This allows the plant a double level of preventative protection against the very tough summer diseases. Not only will they shield the roots, but they will also aggressively release enzymes that will dissolve the cell walls of the fungal pathogens. This protection last for 10-12 weeks.


RootShield strand eating pathogen, RootShield strand removed to reveal the damage (holes) eaten into the cell wall of the Rhizoctonia.

Please note that while RootShield Plus is a great tool in your disease prevention program, sound cultural practices are still the most important part of the equation. No product on the market can help prevent root disease if the crop is stressed due to overwatering, over-fertilization and poor growing conditions.

What other product on the market can provide you with 10-12 weeks of protection? How often are you currently applying drench fungicides? With RootShield Plus, not only will you save money by producing stronger crops, but you will also save money on labor because you don't have to drench every 3-4 weeks. All for the cost of less than 2 cents per 6" pot!

RootShield Plus is also an OMRI listed product and is both safe and effective. It carries a 0-hour REI and 0-day pre-harvest interval. This product has the complete package - it has a proven track record, it is cost effective, AND provides a safe environment for your staff and for your customers.

Protection from root rot!
Within 24-hrs RootShield®Plus blocks and actively attacks 5 major root pathogens by "eating" them; ensuring uninterrupted plant growth. 0-hr REI / OMRI Listed. Click here for more Information.

What customers have to say...
"We have been using RootShield WP for over ten years as a soil drench every three months in our stock plants to prevent soil diseases and reduce the need for other fungicide drenches" Fred Ceballos, EuroAmerican Propagators

"We have been protecting our young plants with RootShield for more than 15 years. Preventing root problems is much easier than trying to cure problems created in production." Mike Guy, Plug Connection

(Photo courtesy of Professor Ilan Chet, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
 

Website: http://www.seedquest.com/id/b/BioWorks.htm

Published: May 17, 2013