With the Met Office likely to declare a heatwave in the UK later this week, with temperatures rising above 28o C for three consecutive days in eastern England, crops will be under immense stress. Thankfully, biostimulants—particularly those derived from natural sources like seaweed—are proving to be valuable tools in the agricultural arsenal to help crops withstand these challenging conditions.
What Are Biostimulants?
Biostimulants are natural substances or microorganisms applied to plants or soils to enhance plant growth, health, and resilience. Unlike fertilisers, which directly supply nutrients, biostimulants stimulate the plant’s natural processes. They improve nutrient uptake, increase tolerance to abiotic stress (such as drought, heat, and heavy rainfall), and enhance overall plant vigour.
Heatwaves And Plant Stress
When temperatures soar and rainfall becomes scarce, crops experience what’s known as abiotic stress. This can lead to:
- Reduced photosynthesis and growth
- Wilting and leaf scorching
- Poor flowering and fruit set
- Lower yields and compromised crop quality
Without intervention, repeated or prolonged exposure to heat stress can devastate crops and reduce farm resilience.
The Role Of Algifol In Combating Heat Stress
Algifol is a biostimulant made from finely refined seaweed harvested sustainably from the North Sea. Algifol contains a rich blend of micronutrients, carbohydrates, amino acids, and growth-promoting hormones such as cytokinins and auxins, all of which help crops cope with the damaging effects of heat stress.
How Algifol Can Make A Difference During Heatwaves
Enhances Water Use Efficiency
Algifol promotes deeper root development, allowing plants to access water from deeper in the soil profile, which is an obvious benefit during long dry spells.
Improves Plant Resilience
The natural compounds in Algifol strengthen cell walls and improve the plant’s natural defence mechanisms, making them less susceptible to heat-induced wilting and damage.
Supports Recovery After Stress
Crops treated with Algifol show faster recovery post-heatwave, with improved leaf regrowth, flower retention, and fruit development.
Boosts Chlorophyll Production
By stimulating chlorophyll synthesis, Algifol helps maintain photosynthesis even under heat stress, ensuring continued energy production and growth.
Proven In The Field
Since 2018, the Louth Potato Company has used a seaweed-based biostimulant to counter the impact of extreme weather conditions. Ryan Wrisdale has regularly applied Algifol to his winter wheat, pumpkins, and potatoes.
“In 2018, we had a very wet winter and spring, followed by drought conditions over the summer. As we don’t have an irrigation system, we could not water our 20-acre crop of early and second early potatoes. After a few weeks, the plants were suffering from stress due to no water and were not growing.
“We were introduced to Algifol, which we applied with every blight spray on a seven-day interval. This meant that the plant was fed through the leaves with Algifol applied little and often. This kept the plant alive, and the potatoes were able to gain more weight and size, resulting in a bonus of an increased yield after we thought it was too late.
“We also gained a good-sized potato, which was amazing as, at one point, we thought we were going to have a disastrous crop. The potato crop yield averaged between seven and ten tonnes per acre that year.
“It wasn’t just me that saw the benefits of using Algifol that year. One of our growers had over seven acres of Accord, which had developed a virus and distress. I told them about Algifol, and they started using it too. After four applications spread over four weeks, their crop recovered to a high standard and produced an exceptional yield. We know this was down to the Algifol because the grower had a small strip in the field which never received Algifol. That strip didn’t produce a high yield, and the potatoes didn’t grow very big because the tops died off.”
A Natural Choice For A Sustainable Future
As pressure mounts to farm more sustainably and reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals, biostimulants like Algifol offer a natural, environmentally friendly solution. Not only do they help safeguard crops during extreme weather, but they also support long-term soil and plant health.
Want to Know More?
We hope this short overview of how biostimulants can help crops withstand heatwaves has been useful. If you’d like to know more about Algifol, please don’t hesitate to contact Marcus on 07702 293 727 or email [email protected]