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Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

March 25, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Mark Sanderson

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes: Biostimulants offer an exciting chance to strengthen the role of Integrated Turf Management (ITM) in producing consistently high-quality playing surfaces. Speaking at the launch of Hicure, the first biostimulant for turf from Syngenta, Professional Solutions Business Manager Daniel Lightfoot, reiterated cultural controls have always been, and remain, the primary mainstay of […]

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building

March 25, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Mark Sanderson

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building: Hicure is set to be a key building block of future turf agronomy programmes, according to Syngenta Technical Manager, Glenn Kirby. Speaking at the Hicure on-line launch event, he said: “The potential of biostimulants is immense. Some of the things we’ve seen during glasshouse research – by way of turf […]

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

March 25, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Mark Sanderson

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building

March 25, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Mark Sanderson

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Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

March 25, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Mark Sanderson

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes: Biostimulants offer an exciting chance to strengthen the role of Integrated Turf Management (ITM) in producing consistently high-quality playing surfaces.

Speaking at the launch of Hicure, the first biostimulant for turf from Syngenta, Professional Solutions Business Manager Daniel Lightfoot, reiterated cultural controls have always been, and remain, the primary mainstay of good practice for greenkeepers.

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

“But whilst in the past they might have reached for a chemical solution as the next option, there are now real advances in monitoring and modelling of issues and the potential for biological solutions that are increasingly effective steps in the ITM process.”

He emphasised that chemicals remain a key part of greenkeepers’ armoury, with Syngenta’s commitment to continue to develop and extend new options, such as the introduction of Ascernity in the UK and Ireland earlier this year.

“However, we see that biologicals and biostimulants such as Hicure can genuinely complement and support existing technologies, particularly against a backdrop of challenging regulatory legislation” advocated Daniel.

“It is an area of real focus and huge investment. We’ve committed the same rigorous R&D approach to Hicure and future biostimulant developments as a new chemical product.

“That means we can support what is said with data and experience, and that turf managers can be confident it is fully tried and tested.”

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

Digital support

Daniel Lightfoot believes that biostimulants can be better incorporated into ITM programmes with the support of innovative digital tools to aid monitoring and modelling of potential problems.

Tools such as Disease Forecasting, Growing Degree Day Calculator and historic weather and disease records, all available on the GreenCast website, build a picture of where and when actions can be proactively targeted to best effect.

Digital tools of the near future will look to predict precisely where efforts can be targeted, before the problems occur, he predicted.

“When you combine digital precision, with innovative biostimulant technology and proven chemical solutions, the top of the ITM pyramid takes the next step to producing the consistently better playing surfaces demanded by greenkeepers and players.”

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Hicure launch sees biostimulants building

March 25, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Mark Sanderson

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building: Hicure is set to be a key building block of future turf agronomy programmes, according to Syngenta Technical Manager, Glenn Kirby.

Speaking at the Hicure on-line launch event, he said: “The potential of biostimulants is immense. Some of the things we’ve seen during glasshouse research – by way of turf rooting, drought tolerance, colour and recovery, for example – have been really impressive.

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building

“In practice differences are more subtle, but get things right and fine-tune the timings, then you could see some big differences,” he reported. “We’re beginning to unlock the potential through really deep research.”

Glenn highlighted over five years research with Hicure has given valuable insights into the product and how to use it to best effect. Key to its success is not just its high level of amino acids, but the fact that a high proportion is immediately available to turf plants to counter stress effects.

“Amino acids are like building blocks that the plant can use to build the structures it requires. It does that by joining individual amino acids into peptides, and then linking multiple peptides together into ever longer complex chains used to create specific proteins.

Hicure contains 10% of raw amino acids, along with 53% as short chain peptides that can be absorbed through the leaf and rapidly utilised by plants.

“Unlike other amino acid sources, Hicure contains 18 individual types of amino acids that are of most use to plants to build the proteins required to stop stress effects.” All amino acids contain a nitrogen molecule, which is a crucial element as an organic N source to provide plant cells with energy to build proteins – particularly when stress adversely affects photosynthetic capability.

Most other amino acid biostimulants are predominantly made up of long-chain peptides, which are typically slow to be utilised and as the need to be broken down by the soil before they can be absorbed by the plant.

“Understanding the function of amino acids and how they are used in the plant’s physiology is crucial in targeting and timing their use.

“With Hicure, we’ve seen real benefits building from targeting foliar applications close to the onset of stress periods for rapid uptake into the plant,” he advised.

With an application rate of 20 l/ha per month over the summer period, that may be split into two, three or even four treatments, in combination with a Primo Maxx II PGR or foliar nutrition programme, for example, he cited. Excellent results had also been seen in tank mix with fungicides.

“With a wide range of stresses in the summer months, including the onset of drought, light and heat a programmed approach is effective to give turf coverage over a prolonged period of potential stress events,” he advocated. “But we are also doing more research and trials into forecasting stress effects and the fine tuning of Hicure timing to optimise applications.”

That includes countering a wide range of abiotic stress effects where plants can build specific protein responses. Whilst there is no direct effect of Hicure on disease pathogens that cause biotic stress, trials have shown that alleviating turf plants’ abiotic stress factors can help put the turf plant in a better position to tolerate biotic stresses, including impacts of anthracnose and microdochium patch.

“Building Hicure into the agronomy programme can add up to make incremental gains with all the products’ applications,” he added. “That’s ever more important to cope with increasing climatic and management stresses imposed on turf every season.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes

Hicure strengthens ITM programmes: Biostimulants offer an exciting chance to strengthen the role of Integrated Turf Management (ITM) in producing consistently high-quality playing surfaces.

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building

Hicure launch sees biostimulants building: Hicure is set to be a key building block of future turf agronomy programmes, according to Syngenta Technical Manager, Glenn Kirby.

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