Utilising Titanium for Improved Crop Health
There is a common saying, “water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink”. This can be the same with nutrient uptake in crops. Whether these are major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium or sulphur) or micronutrients (manganese, copper, zinc, iron, boron or molybdenum), they can often be in plentiful supply but not available to the crop due to a range of issues including; soil type, pH, lack of moisture or a number of other physical structural issues below the surface.
Crop Deficiencies
There are countless symptoms of nutrient deficiency that manifest themselves in the growing crop. Lack of colour is a sure sign chlorophyll reduction which can cause stunted growth, twisted leaves or chlorotic lesions.
Often it is evident that there is an issue but it is generally too late to easily rectify the deficiency. Thankfully the advances in foliar nutrition have bridged this divide for some common deficiencies. The use of sophisticated adjuvants and highly soluble nutrients can alleviate many symptoms reducing the impact on the growing crop.
Titanium
In recent years the use of bio-stimulants has become more widespread. Due to the increased knowledge and refinement of products, growers are now able to harness the natural ability of these sustainable products to enhance plant health and hence reduce the impact of both biotic and abiotic stresses which are detrimental to both crop quality and yield.
One of the more recent beneficial nutrients to be employed by growers is Titanium. It is important that these products are manufactured from Ferro Titanium complexes which have been proven to elicit a defence response within crops.
This response increases the plants biomass production and nitrate reductase production to increase the efficiency of nitrogen usage.
A secondary response through applications of Titanium products is for the plant to actively increase its uptake of both iron and magnesium. The resulting increase in chlorophyll production can be, on average, 15-20%. This extraordinary increase in nutrient uptake enables the plant to access previously unavailable iron and magnesium from the soil, which is a huge benefit to any grower.
Titanium has the potential to benefit many crops with challenging or difficult underlying nutrient conditions. Independent filed trial work has shown a marked increase in chlorophyll production leading to increased dry matter and overall biomass.
Chlorophyll Production
One of the main effects cited by the research is the increase in Chlorophyll production. This is just one of many actions that occur when Ti in the plant available form are applied. The mode of action of titanium can be broken down into several metabolic processes.
Initially Ti is taken up by ligands that would ordinarily be occupied by iron and magnesium this is most prevalent at low levels of iron resulting it a synergistic effect.
Spectrum Ti
It is crucial that the titanium using in formulating products is in a highly soluble and plant available form to trigger the natural plant response and related increases in nutrient uptake and chlorophyll production.
Indigrow have developed the ferro-titanium complex Spectrum Ti, which, after several years of research, development and testing with excellent feedback, is available globally.
Spectrum Ti is a liquid formulation, designed to be easily taken up by the plant. Applications of Spectrum Ti will help the plant utilise nitrogen more efficiently, which will lead to an increase in crop mass and an acceleration in the both the uptake of iron (Fe) and Magnesium (Mg) from the soil. The result is increased chlorophyll production and an increase in plant mass, which enhances the overall production and nutrient use for the crop.
