Harvest under Biosecurity!
Use of Narcissus in the system of biological plant protection on vegetable crops and roses
In the «Concept for the development of agricultural science and scientific support of the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025», adopted by the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, great importance is attached to the creation of innovative biopreparations for plant protection. The biological method is an important link in the integrated plant protection system, and today more and more agronomists give it their preference. Therefore, we once again want to remind you of our environmentally friendly product Narcissus and tell you about the scheme of its use in low-volume cultivation technology.
Narcissus is a unique drug that has a wide spectrum of action and consists exclusively of natural ingredients. The combined use of three highly active substances — chitosan and two food acids, succinic and glutamic, as well as trace elements in a chelated form — determines a number of its characteristic features.
One of these features is growth stimulation, which manifests itself at all stages of plant development, from seedlings to the end of the growing season. Narcissus enhances the growth of the root system and the aerial parts of plants, thereby contributing to the stable development of plants throughout the growing season. This effect is due to the activation of biologically active substances, the presence of ethylene and easily digestible forms of nitrogen, which are formed during the decomposition of Narcissus.
For many years, IMPEX AGRO has been actively involved in various programs to study the properties of chitosan and its application in practice. So, in 1996, our company registered the first chitosan in Russia containing its own product — Narcissus.
The activation of plant defense mechanisms by Narcissus has received a lot of attention during our studies, since the use of the immune properties of plants provides a number of advantages compared to the use of chemicals. The action of chemical fungicides is mainly aimed at suppressing or destroying pathogens, but in most cases this causes great damage to beneficial flora and fauna, and they are often toxic to the plant itself. Immunization with Narcissus, on the contrary, provides complete biological purity. It is used as an environmentally friendly chemical immunizer, that is, a drug that increases nonspecific resistance to harmful organisms through an altered metabolism in plant tissue. Thanks to these properties, Narcissus increases the resistance of plants to stress, allows you to deal with adverse microclimate conditions and smooths out technological disturbances.
The fungicidal action of Narcissus is based on the ability of the drug to create a film on the leaf surface that is impermeable to the growth tubes of the mycelium of the fungus, as well as the activation of the enzymatic system of plants (chitinases and chitosanases) to split the chitinous cover of the fungal infection.
In addition, drugs of the NARCISS series affect the agrotechnical background of greenhouses, which is manifested in the following:
- Improvement of soil microbiology. Narcissus stimulates the development of microorganisms beneficial to the plant, as well as predatory and parasitic fungi that destroy nematode larvae and their eggs.
- Reducing pesticide load. Under the influence of preparations of the Narcissus series, the protective properties of the plant organism are activated, as a result of which it is less likely to be affected by pests and diseases and needs much less treatment.
Narcissus requires an integrated approach at all phases of plant development and growth, and not as a one-time action to solve a local problem. With preliminary soaking of seeds before sowing in a solution of Narcissus-S, the energy of seed germination increases, as a result, shoots appear 2-3 days earlier, more friendly and leveled. During the seedling period, it is necessary, depending on the duration of the seedlings’ stay in the seedling compartment, to shed mineral wool cubes with seedlings once or twice with a 0.5% Narcissus solution at the rate of 100 ml of working solution per plant (see table). The first strait is carried out after the root system of plants passes through the cubes and appears at the bottom. The second strait must be done 14-17 days after the first, in the same doses and concentrations. Narcissus at these straits is added to the nutrient solution for watering plants. As a result, a powerful root system is formed and the growth and development of the aerial part of the plant is intensified, which leads to a significant reduction in the damage caused by fungal diseases (root rot, powdery mildew, late blight, etc.).
The planting period is very responsible for the farms and for the plants. Plants often experience stress when they get out of the comfort of the seedling section into completely different, harsh conditions: lack of necessary lighting, insufficient air and soil temperatures, and low relative humidity. At the same time, the «stuffing» of seedlings into boxes, its transportation and placement in a permanent place injure the aerial part and, especially, the root system of plants. Plants after planting are in shock and often up to 10-12 days (depending on the conditions of the greenhouse) cannot begin to develop a good root system, at this stage their aerial part develops faster. Subsequently, this leads to a delay in early collections and a reset of the ovaries.
During the planting period, plants need to be provided with comprehensive assistance to get out of stress as soon as possible and restore their root system. To do this, we offer the following option. In the seedling section, one day before planting the plants in the greenhouse, shed 0.5% Narcissus solution at the rate of 100 ml per plant. When working with Narcissus through a drip irrigation system, it should be noted that this preparation contains a large amount of chitosan and is initially quite thick. To make it less dense and suitable for drip irrigation, it is necessary to dilute the required dose of Narcissus in hot water (almost boiling water) at the rate of 1:5 (1 part Narcissus to 5 parts boiling water). Mix the resulting solution well, if necessary — strain, and it is ready for use.
Narcissus’s work on vegetative plants includes alternating treatments every 14 days: shedding the root system with a 0.5% solution at the rate of 100 ml per plant and foliar treatments with a 0.5% Narcissus solution, the consumption rate of the working fluid is 500 -1000 l/ha(see table).
The use of Narcissus with low-volume technology (drip irrigation)
| Drug | Application | Concentration, % | Consumption rates per unit, ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narcissus-S | Soaking seeds | 0.5%* | Exposure 6-8 hours |
| Narcissus Narcissus-C |
I — Spilling Cubes with Seedlings (after rooting through the cube) | 100 ml/plant | |
| II — Shedding cubes (14-17 days after the first) | 0.3-0.5% | 100 ml/plant | |
| Root shedding at planting | 0.5% | 100 ml/plant | |
| Spillage of the root system of vegetative plants | 0.5% | 100 ml/plant with an interval of 14 (min) — 28 (max) days | |
| Spraying vegetative plants every 20-30 days | 0.3-0.5% | 500-1000 l/ha | |
| Foliar treatments together with fungicides at 50% concentration of the recommended pesticide dose | 0.3-0.5% | 500-1000 l/ha |
*1 l of the drug diluted in 200 l of water
**1 liter of the drug diluted in 400 liters of water
When using drugs Narcissus on roses in greenhouse plants, the effect of good condition of flower stalks is observed, as well as an increase in size and an increase in the brightness of coloring of flowers. Tests carried out in the flower factory ZAO «New Holland» (Leningrad region) showed that Narcissus has pronounced anti-stress properties. During the experiment, the rose was damaged by powdery mildew, in addition, chemical treatments aimed at combating the disease led to a deterioration in the decorative qualities of the flower. The plants were in a depressed state. Narcissus was applied in three treatments per leaf (including bud) via the Mycoton system at a concentration of 0.5% with an interval of 7 days between treatments. After the third treatment, a clear improvement in the decorative quality of the flower was noted. The color of the bud has turned burgundy red. The foliage has acquired the correct shape and uniform green color. Monitoring also showed an increase in yield by 10% and flower growth of almost 10 cm, which made the flower more competitive in the market.
Narcissus is used in almost 250 greenhouse complexes in various light zones of the Russian Federation with a total area of 1000 hectares — about half of the currently actively working protected ground, where the use of Narcissus is an element of the technology for the production of vegetable and flower products.
Why is NARCISS BP so widely used in greenhouses? First of all, because it allows you to solve a number of problems, and with relatively small investments, which pay off many times over with an additional harvest.
Summarizing the above, we would like to emphasize once again that drugs of the Narcissus series: in complex use provide the following benefits
- restrain the appearance of powdery mildew for 10-15 days;
- act prophylactically against fungal diseases (phytophthora, root rot, anthracnose, white and gray rot, transferorosis and others);
- accelerate the maturation of plants by 6-12 days, increase yield by 25-35%;
- increase immunity in plants;
- stimulate plant resistance to stress, help fight adverse environmental conditions;
- allow the entire season to keep the root-knot nematode at a level below the threshold of harmfulness;
- safe for humans, animals, beneficial insects and the environment;
- no wait time for harvest after processing;
- reduce the pesticide load in greenhouses;
- very effective when growing crops using hydroponics (lettuce lines, seedling tables).
The demand for agricultural products that meet high environmental standards continues to grow around the world, and experts confidently predict that biological plant protection products will be able to compete with chemical preparations in the near future. Therefore, Russian agricultural producers should seriously think about innovative products and biotechnologies that allow not only to produce high quality products, but also significantly save on plant protection products.