The HEAT is ON!

Heat stress is especially detrimental when high temperatures disrupt the metabolism of the plant during critical crop growth stages. For example, during the vegetative stage, high daytime temperatures can damage components of leaf photosynthesis, reducing carbon dioxide assimilation rates. High daytime temperatures also can cause leaf firing, which involves necrosis of the leaf tips.

Soil microbiome research offers opportunities for improving resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors in crops. Microbes surrounding a plant, particularly the roots, are associated with various plant developmental stages and physiological cascades. Physiological cascades in plants are hormonal responses, cell-cycle regulation, abiotic stress signaling, and defense mechanisms. These remarkable responses create biochemical and molecular reactions in the plant at the cellular, tissue and whole plant levels. These responses are all driven by the microbial activity around the root systems. If the microbial world isn’t what it should be, none of this level of signaling can take place, and the plant doesn’t have the capability to counterbalance heat or other stress.

When plants are entering the reproductive phase, they are sizing and maturing fruit, building flavor, increasing sugar brix, building carbohydrates, and in many cases adding color. Most of this critical activity occurs during the summer heat. So, these functions are not being performed as well if the plant doesn’t have the level and diversification of soil microbes supporting the physiological cascades that give the plant the capability to do battle with the heat!

Andaman Ag offers two excellent heat-stress products. MetaGrow ST has over 20,000 different species of microbes and a large microbe population of (7,000,000,000 per milliliter). This large and diverse population ensures that the necessary variety of microbes is available to re-establish a balanced and stable plant microbiome. In addition to the microbial benefits, MetaGrow ST has important metabolites, generated in the fermentation process, that combine with the microbial functions to significantly contribute to reducing plant heat stress.

Secondary metabolites, like the one found in our CropBioLife flavonoid, are also essential compounds for plant acclimation — the process in which the plant adjusts to changes in its environment. CropBioLife has been shown to help plants with heat stress, and it also benefits the plant by contributing to color and flavor development and disease resistance.