Like everything in life, plants are only as strong as their weakest metabolic link. In the case of plants, photosynthesis bottlenecks or the inability of the plant’s engine to fire on all cylinders can keep plants from reaching their full potential. Discovering ways to improve photosynthesis and water hydration can help to conserve water yet still transport nutrients, keeping plants healthy and metabolizing.
Andaman Ag sells a product called Phyto-Catalyst that was originally sold for cleaning irrigation lines and filters (and does an excellent job!). But based on a recently completed study by UC Davis, we’ve learned that the product also contributes to higher rates of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance (or the amount of water vapor and CO2 passing between the leaf and atmosphere) and better instantaneous water use efficiency, which resulted in higher leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid content. (Carotenoids absorb light for photosynthesizing and provide protection from photo-oxidation.) It was also found that mineral nutrient content for nitrogen and potassium increased linearly with the increase in applied product. Essentially, Phyto-Catalyst is supplying powerful water hydration benefits to plants, contributing to their ability to lower water consumption through increased efficiencies.
Phyto-Catalyst transforms irrigation cleaning maintenance into a comprehensive water management tool that enhances water usage while facilitating an increased solubility of nutrients, improved soil/seed nutrient conditions for root growth, and improved aerobic soil conditions. Any time we can impact the latter, oxygenating our soils, soil microbes are going to explode in quantity. The more soil microbes that are life-cycling, the more organic matter that is created.
Phyto-Catalyst is a breakthrough biocatalytic water conditioner utilizing a safe green biochemistry for superior cleaning performance of organic and inorganic fouling of emitters and lines. The subsequent increase in photosynthesis in plants enhances sugar transport, mainly sucrose and raffinose, which can slow down the detrimental effect of water deficits on yields.
In addition, the study highlighted an important role of sugar and nitrogen with regard to biomass partitioning or the division of their energy among their leaves, stems, roots, and reproductive parts. Sugars, or example, directly or indirectly control a wide range of physiological processes, including photosynthesis, sugar transport itself, nitrogen uptake, defense reactions, secondary metabolism, and hormonal balance. Sugar allocation to vegetative organs was highly affected by Phyto-Catalyst leading to different shoot-to-root biomass partitioning delivering increased shoot:root ratio, leaf non-structural carbohydrates, and photosynthetic pigments. Improved biomass partitioning allows plants to better address imbalances in any critical resources that are growth-limiting.
For example, non-structural carbohydrates are responsible for providing energy and carbon for growth. Better control of carbon allocations between source and sink organs in the plant help to manage water deficits in hot weather conditions and substantially cut down on the crop evapotranspiration, or the sum of evaporation and transpiration.
Again, Phyto-Catalyst transforms irrigation cleaning maintenance into a comprehensive water management tool that enhances water usage reducing the impact of water deficits on crop yields. Growers need all hands on deck to get every last benefit from our water consumption in drought conditions.
