Optimizing your greenhouse for biostimulant efficiency

Editor's note: This is the final part a three-part series on the efficacy of biostimulants in the greenhouse. Special thanks to Ohio State's Michelle Jones for compiling the information from a panel she led at Cultivate'21. You can find Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.

Dr. Michelle Jones, The Ohio State University DC Kiplinger Floriculture Chair, and a panel of industry experts addressed this and other questions during a discussion at Cultivate'21. The panel included Mark Freeman (Bioworks), Matthew Krause (Lallemand Plant Care), Troy Buechel (Premier Tech), and Blair Busenbark (Mycorrhizal Applications).

Keep reading for highlights from the discussion.

What are the beneficial plant responses to colonization with mycorrhizae and how long does it take to observe these responses?

Krause: Depending on the plant type, time in production, stage of growth, and growing conditions as well as type of mycorrhizal active ingredient(s) and nutrient status of the growing medium or soil, positive responses range from improved plant vigor to increased rooting density to greater resistance to drought stress to increased phosphorus or micronutrient content in the foliage. How long it takes to observe such responses depends on the plant type, variety, and growth stage, and the mycorrhizal product's active ingredient(s), formulation, and application timing.

Busenbark: The plant relationship with mycorrhizal fungi is driven by the plant. The plant does not benefit from this relationship unless there is something that the mycorrhizal fungi can provide that the plant cannot get without this association. Improved nutrient availability, efficiency, and uptake is the most documented benefit, which results in increased phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, sulfur, and micronutrients content in the plant. 

Continue reading.

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Source: Greenhouse Grower