Establishment of roots is hampered by water drenched soil.
With many growers delaying Winter wheat drilling in order to maximise black grass kill, some crops will inevitably be planted in less than favourable seedbed conditions.
High rainfall and falling temperatures will result in plants struggling to develop a strong root system, a key requirement for success.
Poorly established crops tend to be more susceptible to pest, disease and climate stresses, driving down potential yield and ultimately profitability.
Kickstart rooting with Phosphites
Canopy development in November drilled winter wheat, Cambridgeshire
[Ref: OMEX Trial 2014/02]A series of independent trials under controlled conditions, at both farm and university level, have already shown that early post-emergence foliar phosphite applications can significantly advance root development, not only in late drilled winter crops (as highlighted in the graph opposite) but also in spring sown crops.
Further trials in 2015 have demonstrated significant yield responses in crops that have been treated with OMEX Kickstart.
Kickstart treatment gave better canopy development and stress tolerance
This example field trial (chart right), clearly demonstrated the growth promoting and yield benefits of Kickstart against untreated on Spring Wheat, on a farm near Benwick, Cambridgeshire.
Application advice
Kickstart is best applied from the 3 leaf stage of the crop onwards. This means that the decision to apply can take full account of the state of the crop and the prevailing conditions, increasing the likelihood of worthwhile returns.
Half ton yield response from a single applicationWhen applying to such a small target, good leaf coverage, uptake and rainfastness are crucial for best effect. When used alone, Kickstart should be applied with the purpose-designed adjuvant OMEX NA13 at 0.1% of the spray volume (e.g. 100 ml/ha in 100 litres of water). This is not usually necessary for co-applications with crop protection products.
Kickstart can be easily tank mixed with a wide range of agrochemicals, and can therefore be applied with the standard T0 or T1 spray programme. For a full compatibility list please ask for our physical compatibility list.
David Booty
Technical Development Manager
david.booty@omex.com