LOUDONVILLE — Farmers, retailers and agricultural representatives from the Knox County area received a close look at a new practice in rotational pasture management Dec. 1, sponsored by the Loudonville Farmers Equity Co-op.
The use of two new plant growth stimulant products were demonstrated in a tour of plots planted on area farms. These two new growth stimulant products are RyzUp SmartGrass and Release marketed by Valent USA Corp. Both products incorporate the use of a natural gibberellin as the active ingredient being utilized to stimulate plant growth. RyzUp SmartGrass is used by treating foliage with a spray application, and Release is a seed treatment application which uses a slightly different percentage of active ingredient in its application.
Gibberellins have reportedly been used to stimulate growth in apples, pears, grapes, cherries and citrus crops, and are now being introduced in agricultural crops including wheat and various other grasses.
The tour began with stops to observe plots of wheat and rye at the farms of Bob Brightbill and Tom Allerding near Loudonville. “Gibberellin is a natural plant product that it makes itself,” said Neil Badenhop, a consultant with Valent USA Corp. “Because a plant cannot make its own gibberellin below 55 degrees, we’re placing it on the seed in this scenario as a supplement to the plant’s own ability to create gibberellin in cooler weather.” Release gives farmers planting wheat the opportunity to plant in colder temperatures and experience an accelerated growth rate.
RyzUp SmartGrass, which was first introduced in New Zealand and is manufactured and marketed by Valent USA Corp., has utility in pasture management and wheat production. In both pasture and wheat production, RyzUp SmartGrass allows for the extension of the pasture grazing or wheat growing season.
