[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Berkshire, England: Improving turf health to help reduce or eliminate fungicide applications has become increasingly vital to turf managers as more and more fungicides are withdrawn from the market and as greenkeepers try to become more environmentally friendly.

The Asset range is the latest range of plant health enhancers from Indigrow, a group of companies striving to bring the latest technological advances to the turf and amenity, agriculture and horticulture and weed control industries.

Indigrow, a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation, says the products are designed to work effectively in conjunction with one another to provide the maximum benefit to the plant.

The unique bio-stimulant properties of Asset Gold, in conjunction with the natural chitin content of Asset Chitosan and the innovative foliar nutrition properties of Asset Titanium ensure excellent all-round plant health and colour, with or without the use of plant protection products.

Asset Gold

Plants experience ‘stress’ from a wide range of external factors, including drought, water logging, salinity and, in the case of turf grass, additional stresses from compaction and mowing height and frequency. The symptoms of stress manifest themselves in a number of ways including a reduction in Chlorophyll.

One of the natural defence mechanisms of plants is to increase the production of the amino acid Proline which, in turn, mops up the damaging ‘Free Radicals’ which have been released and are attacking plant cells. By applying Asset Gold, the natural production of a plant’s Proline is further enhanced without the plant expending excess energy.

Trials have shown the positive effect of Asset Gold on the production of Proline and Chlorophyll, compared to a control. Plants naturally produce ‘osmolytes’ to combat the biotic and abiotic stresses. Production is favoured under water-deficit or salt stress as they provide stress tolerance to cell without interfering in cellular function.

Asset Gold is one a of a group of these ‘osmolyte’ compounds and is extracted from a plant species which has naturally occurring high levels.

Asset Gold helps overcome plant stress and aids recovery by:

• Osmotic Regulation
• Cell Membrane Protection
• Reduction in Free Radical Production
• Protection of Photo-synthetic Bio-chemical Pathways
• Stimulates a plant’s natural production of amino acids including proline

Asset Chitosan

Chitinous materials indirectly control fungal diseases in plants by the indirect inhibition of the pathogens via their decomposition by-products, by also having a fertiliser effect, stimulating/supporting the growth of beneficial micro-organisms, and by the elicitor activity of chitin (Velasquez and Pirela 2016).

Asset Chitosan is a foliar plant health product based on chitin, found in shells of shrimp and other crustaceans. Chitosan is derived from natural sustainable organic bio-polymers (complex carbohydrate compounds). This unique formulation increases plant health by supplying plant available carbohydrates to the turf, supporting and retaining much-needed energy within the plant to maintain root mass and turf coverage.

Chitosan enhances the ability of plants to resist disease, pest damage and drought and is derived from natural ingredients.

Asset Titanium

High iron inputs to increase Chlorophyll production on stadium pitches causes the gradual acidification of sand-based rootzones. The Titanium (Ti) content is able to replace iron in the production of Chlorophyll and can be used at far lower application rates, to alleviate chlorosis.

Titanium optimises Chlorophyll content and therefore the visual impact of all sports and amenity turf without excessive growth. The unique combination of Titanium and a sustainable bio-polymer, enhances turf colour without high iron input.

Trials have shown that applications of Titanium can increase levels of Chlorophyll present in the leaf blade. These trials have shown up to a 17% increase in Chlorophyll levels compared to the control plot. This trial was measured using the Chlorophyll index SPAD on the grass species Timothy (Radowski A et al; 2015).

Asset Titanium is a new, innovative foliar nutrition formulation to enhance the organoleptic properties of quality sports turf and overall plant health. It helps to maximise the nutrients already with the rhizosphere and reduces the need for acidifying alternatives to help further develop the organoleptic experience of quality sports turf.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]