To avail growers plan ahead and optimise plant health on nurseries twelvemonth - round , ICL has originate a new Plant Health Planner . " It is a primer - breaking digital connection - base cock that is designed to both simplify and optimise industrial plant health programmes on UK nurseries , ” explains ICL Technical Area Sales Manager , Sam Rivers . “ In descent with the Sustainable Use Directive , it will help agriculturalist trim their reliance on chemical crop shelter products . "
Sam Rivers
“ With an ever - diminishing range of available chemicals , growers are adopting a different mindset and a more sustainable IPM approach to keeping their crops sizable . This means ethnical controls are growing in grandness again as the first line of defence , follow by programmed biological approaches to boost plant health and mastery target pests and disease . As a last haunt , growers have a diminish mountain range of chemic product to descend back on . "
“ In this new earned run average , to be successful it is key to have a plan approach – which is where the ICL Plant Health Planner comes in , ” says Sam .
Having tuck data as to the plant wellness problem areas on a fussy nursery , the timing , crop pretend and product currently used – members of ICL ’s BASIS qualified technical squad will flag up any ethnic improvements and produce an accompanying bespoke Plant Health Plan .
“ Once set up , nursery yield faculty can access their Plan via a mobile , lozenge or desktop computer , ” explains Sam . “ gentle to use , they simply get across on the week number to see recommended action . For representative , this might be to apply a biostimulant to boost works health ahead of high powdery mildew pressure on the glasshouse , or to apply nematodes to target vine weevil grub at the correct time of year . “
The Planner feature recommendations around ICL ’s lucubrate range of biological intersection plus the broad - spectrum fungicide Amistar . biologic product include the Seeka nematode range for controlling vine weevil larvae , WFT and sciarid fly , the accolade - win biorational Pitcher for controlling vine weevil eggs , the biofungicide PreStop as well as ICL ’s show range of biostimulant products including Hicure and the Vitalnova ambit .
“ Biostimulants are like multi vitamins for human being , ” explains Sam . “ It is important to understand that they are not a replacing for a full-bodied IPM program or a preciseness nutrition programme , but a welcome addition to advance plants through full stop of stress . ”
