Vegetable bioactivator-controlling nematodes can be associated with fertilizers.
Derived from plant sources, the Organic Bloom vegetable bioactivator has been drawing the attention of technicians and farmers as an efficient organic alternative in combating the main species of nematodes that cause damage to crops such as soybeans, corn, beans, and cotton. In addition to being effective in controlling reniform nematodes, along with gall, cyst, and lesion nematodes, Organic Bloom has studies confirming its ability to solubilize phosphorus, induce resistance against nematodes in soybean plants, and synergize with biological products formulated with bacteria and fungi.
According to agronomist Cristiane dos Reis, Director of Research and Development (R&D) at Ingal Agrotechnology, studies were conducted in collaboration with nematologist Dr. Cristiano Bellé from the Phytus Institute, confirming the effectiveness of Organic Bloom against nematodes when incorporated into organomineral fertilizer formulations.
The research was conducted in greenhouse and field settings in soybean (Glycine max) cultivation. Various organomineral fertilizer formulations treated with Organic Bloom were compared to their standards and also to mineral fertilizers regarding plant productivity parameters and mitigation of the root-knot nematode, Meloidoyne javanica.
In the greenhouse trial, 30 days after the application of Organomineral treated with 2 Liters.Ton-1 of Organic Bloom, there was efficiency in controlling Meloidogyne javanica eggs and juveniles in 100 cm3 of soil, with reductions of 46.2% and 43.2% compared to the control treatment, respectively. At 60 days after the application of organomineral in the soil, the highest response was observed in juvenile control, with an efficiency of 35.6%.
Field trials were conducted in Júlio de Castilhos/RS and showed more significant results compared to the same dose used in the greenhouse. At 30 days, efficiency of 46.8% and 48.2% in controlling eggs and juveniles in the soil was observed, with a similar result found in nematode control in soybean roots.
“Unexpectedly, the efficiency levels for both young plants and soil-buried eggs, as well as soybean roots, were sustained at consistent levels even 60 days after the introduction of organomineral fertilizer into the soil. The results, however, went beyond nematode control, as during the trial, factors related to soybean plant physiology, such as fresh root and shoot mass, were benefited, resulting in a productivity increase of 6.54 sc/ha,” commented Cristiane dos Reis.
According to her, the result contributes to strengthening studies initiated in 2021 by Ingal Agrotechnology. Preliminary tests were conducted on the treatment of mineral fertilizers with Organic Bloom, and promising results led to the development of the first organomineral enriched with Organic Bloom in the state of Paraná.
Ingal Agrotechnology’s Commercial Leader for the Southern Region, Estevão Terra Caetano, also established the technology in the cassava market. It is important to note that results have already been obtained in wheat cultivation. The research will continue with various organomineral fertilizer formulations and will be presented at the 35th Symposium of the European Society of Nematologists in April 2024 in Spain.
The results reveal that the addition of Organic Bloom to mineral (NPK) and organomineral fertilizers promotes greater root development and soybean plant growth. In addition to the benefits related to the crop, the combat against the main nematodes in the soil was verified in the first 30 days after emergence.
Treatments with NPK + Organic Bloom (2 L per ton of NPK in the 5-20-20 formulation) and Organomineral + Organic Bloom (2 L per ton of organomineral) achieved control efficiencies of 38.6% and 43.2% on juveniles and 38.5% to 46.5% on Meloidogyne javanica eggs. In the roots, control efficiency ranged from 31.3% for NPK + Organic Bloom to 38.2% for Organomineral + Organic Bloom on juveniles and remained at a similar level on Meloidogyne javanica eggs.
In the 60-day evaluation after emergence, greater control efficiency of Meloidogyne javanica juveniles occurred in the soil, 30.1% and 35.6% for NPK and Organomineral treated with Organic Bloom, respectively. Regarding the roots, the highest percentage of control was observed on nematode eggs, 39.2% in the NPK + Organic Bloom treatment and 32.2% in the Organomineral + Organic Bloom treatment.
