Welcome to issue #12 of the ECTOL Plant & Crop Nutrients Newsletter

This month, we’re addressing frost and chill, and how you can top-up protection for your wheat, cereal and fruit crops for as little as $25/ha.

Protect your wheat and cereal crops from frost and chill, for as little as $25/ha

Frost and chill present a major threat to wheat and other small grain yields, particularly from late-boot stage, to head emergence and flowering. However, there is evidence to suggest that natural plant biochemical extracts can be applied to help mitigate these stresses and potential loss to farmers – all without breaking the bank.

What is frost damage?

Frost damage occurs in plants under low and sub-zero temperatures, with ice crystals forming both inside the plant and outside the individual cell. The expanding ice crystals 'suck up' water molecules and can cause the cells to dehydrate, damaging many of the sensitive structures. 

As a result, frost can cause pinched wheat and reduce yields, due to the destruction of the reproduction cells and pollen.  

Can my crops resist frost?

The ability to resist frost stress, which varies by variety, is a physiological process involving a number of plant biochemicals, including plant hormones, growth regulators, sugars and minerals. These are all activated when temperatures fall below 4 ⁰C. 

This process, known as ‘acclimation’ may occur a number of times during the early vegetative stages of growth. However, studies show that plants have a limited ability to acclimate and protect the cells, as environmental conditions, such as warming day temperatures and increasing day length, bring on the reproductive flowering growth stages.

Consequently, most of the damage experienced in wheat crops occurs from late boot stage, to head emergence and flowering.

Top-up protection can help to resist frost after natural acclimation declines

Studies have shown that plant biochemicals, naturally produced during acclimation, can be ‘topped-up’, when applied as a foliar spray, providing additional protection at a time when the plant is most exposed to frost and chill. 

ECTOL frost trials – 20 years of experience

For 20 years, ECTOL have been developing and testing products that help protect crops against frost and chill. Now, farmers can use ECTOL Protect and Grow, which contains many of the natural plant biochemicals, used to protect itself against frost stress.

The ingredients in ECTOL Protect and Grow will boost the plants own protection system, without causing damage to sensitive flowering parts at this critical stage of growth. The effective protection lasts about 10 days and a further application of 2 Lts/ha can be applied to the crop, if weather conditions justify the decision.

Application:

Frost risk generally runs from mid-boot through to flowering, a period of about 6 weeks.

We recommend:

- Low-to-normal seasonal risk: 4Lts/ha ECTOL Protect and Grow at head emergence

- High seasonal risk: 4Lts/ha ECTOL Protect and Grow at late boot, 2 Lts/ha at flowering

Note a Further 2Lts/ha can be applied 10 days later if season and crop economics are justified. 

ECTOL Protect and Grow is applied with sufficient water to ensure foliar cover and may be applied with other crop protection chemicals.

Cost:

Typically, the product cost is about $25/ha (4Lts/ha) for ECTOL Protect and Grow – a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Frost and Cold Shock Destroys Horticultural Yields, Quality and Profitability

With winter nearly over, now’s not the time to be complacent with frost and cold shock. Horticultural crops, which may need cold weather to set fruit, are often lost to late frost and sudden cold temperatures, impacting fruit development, size and yields.

ECTOL Protect and Grow has been proven to protect crops and support yields for over 10 years, with extensive in-field and university trials.

Spring Frost Protection for Blossom and Buds in Horticultural Crops

Frost damage occurs when temperatures drop below freezing and ice crystals form within the plant tissue, dehydrating the sensitive cell membranes.

Plants can naturally defend against frost and cold impact, by producing a sequence of biochemicals and undertaking physiological changes. However, this response is not immediate and sudden temperature changes in spring can destroy sensitive new buds and cells.

ECTOL Protect and Grow, has been developed to directly protect, or initiate self-protection, in new growing buds and flowers. Containing growth promotants, enzymes, amino acids, organic acids, regulators, sugars and alcohols, ECTOL Protect and Grow is a highly complex blend of natural biochemicals, critical to the protection of plant cells. It should be sprayed onto flowers and buds as soon as possible before the threat of spring frost events. 

 Cold Shock - The Silent Thief

When spring and summer temperatures fall below 10°C plants shut down. In such conditions, photosynthesis slows, reducing sugar production and the synthesis of essential amino acids - limiting disease and pathogen resistance. This in turn, can reduce fruit size and yields, but with no visible damage to the crop at the time of the cold shock event.

Independent Trials Support ECTOL Protect and Grow:

A number of trials have been conducted by Dr Sally Bound of the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research and Dr Mike Walker, an independent plant physiologist and UC Davis in California. Details of these trials are available. Key findings include:

FROST PROTECTION: Apples - Tasmania

Apple blossom was sprayed with Ectol Protect and Grow then frosted to -2°C for 2 hours

The 2% ECTOL solution lost 5% of the buds and blossom

The 5% ECTOL solution had no losses

The untreated buds and blossom had a loss of  35% due to frost.

CHILL STRESS: Green Beans - Tasmania

Green beans, a warm weather crop, were sprayed with ECTOL Protect and Grow and subjected to a temperature draw down from 9⁰C to 3.5⁰C over 6 hours in a  frost chamber. Photosynthetic efficiency was measured with a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) meter.

ECTOL Protect and Grow increased the photosynthetic efficiency or sugar produced within the plant cells. At 9°C the efficiency or sugar production of the treated plants was 22% greater than the untreated, at 7°C 22%, at 5.5°C 19% and at 3.5°C 13%.

ECTOL Protect and Grow enables plants to maintain higher levels of photosynthesis when under stress from cold temperatures and therefore, by assumption, continue to grow and recover under these conditions.

 Recommended Easy Application

Add ECTOL Protect and Grow to sufficient water to achieve cover, typically this would be 7Lt/ha in 200Lts water. For frost control, application should commence from early budburst and repeated every 10 to 14 days during the period of risk.

For 'cold shock' events, 5 to 7Lts/ha should be applied before the event or as soon as possible following.

For more information on transitioning your farming practices to a more natural operation, visit the ECTOL website or contact a member of the team:

John McKay
Phone: +61 438 918 135
Email: john@ectol.com
 

Russell Speed (Victorian Sales)
Phone: +61 427 839 369
Email: russell@ectol.com