Cereals Preview: Increasing crop efficiency in nutrient management

Balance

Bio-fertiliser manufacturer, PlantWork’s Smart Rotations range of biological inoculants is designed to reintroduce and restore microbial balance in arable soils.

Smart Rotations comprise two groups of microbes that make up the beneficial soil biology: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and a sub set of bacteria called the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).

Growth

By growing into the root, as well as accessing large areas of soil around the root, mycorrhizal fungus can increase the uptake surface area by up to 700 times, according to PlantWorks, who says plants colonised by AMF are healthier and more efficient at collecting water and nutrients from the soil.

Support

PGPR have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and unlock soil bound phosphorus.

They further support a robust plant immune system for healthier crops and produce phytohormones such as auxins and cytokinins, aiding growth and development of plants, according to the manufacturer.