In today’s edition of Growing Possibilities, we ask: are potato growers using ag-biologicals? The potato plant is the third most important crop worldwide (1). But are potato growers seeing returns from the ag-biological revolution? Some are but from what we are seeing many could benefit from taking a closer look at new yield boosting products like XiteBio® Tuber+.

Phosphorus (P)-solubilizing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can stimulate root growth while making P bioavailable to potatoes. Evidence for the economic benefits of P-solubilizing PGPR products for potato growers is piling up.

Yañez-Ocampo et al. (2020), showed that micro potato plants grown under laboratory conditions and inoculated with a selected P-solubilizing bacteria had increased root and stem length with stem length increasing by as much as 79% (1). Pantigoso et al. (2022), showed that P-solubilizing bacteria collected from wild potato varieties enhanced the growth of modern potato varieties when they were inoculated with it (2). Lin et al. (2023), showed that P-solubilizing bacteria isolated from a soybean crop significantly increased the yield of potato commercial tubers by 17% (3).

Luckily you do not have to go out and commercialize a P-solubilizing PGPR for potatoes. XiteBio has done the work for you. Since it’s launch XiteBio® Tuber+ has been an award-winning product, capturing a spot in SpudSmart’s Top 10 Innovative Products in the potato industry of 2023. (4). XiteBio® Tuber+ uses our world-wide patented Bacillus firmus PGPR technology. This technology has been proven to work in real world field trials across multiple geographies. Here are some examples of third-party results:

 

Potatoes have a shallow root system. This means their ability to uptake P as well as other nutrients is limited. Because of this, potato growers need comprehensive nutrient management plans (6). More P uptake can be facilitated by greater development of root hairs. Root hairs were found to be responsible for as much as 90% of P uptake by potato plants (7). XiteBio® Tuber+ has two relevant modes of action, the first one solubilizes the P in the soil making it bioavailable to the plant and facilitating P uptake. The second one produces plant hormones that trigger root hair growth in the plant, allowing the plant to develop a stronger root system that is better able to seek out and access P along with other nutrients in the soil. These two modes of action allow XiteBio® Tuber+ to mitigate challenges potatoes face in the uptake of P.

Are potato growers using ag-biologicals? XiteBio® Tuber+ is a liquid ag-biological with advanced compatibility that can be applied in-furrow or early post-emergent. Farmers still have time this season to use this revolutionary ag-biological on their crops. Give our sales rep in your region a call today because supplies are dwindling down fast. Our goal at XiteBio is to help potato farmers adopt sustainable technologies that produce healthier plants and better yields.

 

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7810110/
2. https://bnrc.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42269-022-00913-x
3. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1140752/full
4. https://spudsmart.com/spud-smart-names-10-most-innovative-products-of-2023/?utm_content=240182130&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-175040431
5. https://xitebio.ca/xitebio-tuber-phosphate-solubilizing-inoculant/
6. https://extension.umn.edu/crop-specific-needs/potato-fertilization-irrigated-soils
7. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1465