(Rural Roots Canada) – With the growing season in full swing, a plant growth stimulant called Radiate by Nutrien AG Solutions aims to boost overall crop performance.
Radiate is a plant growth stimulant designed to develop longer, stronger, healthier roots, significantly improving nutrient uptake. This foliar-applied product promises to boost crop performance across a wide range of plants, everything from canola, cereals, and peas, to lentils, soybeans, potatoes, and corn.
Kassi Rinas, Proprietary Rep for Nutrien AG Solutions explains how it works.
“It’s a foliar-applied plant growth hormone product compatible with herbicides and liquid fertilizers,” she says. “It’s a unique blend of two plant growth hormones that work together to drive prolific root growth. That’s the goal. It’s a liquid formulation so it’s easy to use and goes in a pass that you’re likely already making on a farm.
Rinas says that most growers use Radiate in conjunction with herbicide timing.
“It’s easy to tank mix with because it goes in the tank last. So, any mix you’re working with, it’ll go in last. It’s easy to add in if you’re considering trying it or doing a side-by-side trial. You just wait until you have the last 60 acres in the tank and throw your jug in.”
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Despite a kickoff to the season marked by rain delays and cooler temperatures, moisture levels are good and Rinas says Radiate offers a timely solution to ensure robust crop development. Preliminary trial work backs up the claim.
“We have seen some yield results in good environmental conditions across Alberta. We have done a lot of replicated trial work over multiple years because we know every year is different here in Alberta. For the most part, we are seeing a really good return on investment for our growers and yield benefits.”
Rinas points to a notable trial conducted in Peace River Country with a first-time Radiate user growing hard red wheat.
“We applied at herbicide timing and went back in 14 days later. We dug up the roots and we soaked them in water. As we soak them, eventually we pull them out and put them on a comparison board. We’re trying to look at the difference in root growth. The whole product’s premise is to drive prolific root growth specifically root hair growth because that’s where the majority of our nutrient absorption occurs.”
Rinas says they could definitely see a larger, more robust root on the Radiate treated side but also noticed something else.
“The dirt wouldn’t wash away or soak off those plants,” she notes. “That’s an indication of root hairs, and something was holding on to that dirt a little bit tighter and I believe it was the root hairs.”
And then, there were the yield results.
“We ended up getting a three-bushel gain per acre. The grower had a good return on investment there. We also took a sample into the elevator and we saw on the Radiate treated side there was an increase in the protein content. It was a huge win-win situation all around.”
To learn more about Radiate, you can visit the website.
