The term ‘biorational’ describes agrochemicals that work in synergy with beneficial organisms. It was initially used to describe a new generation of insecticides that were developed to work alongside biocontrol insects without harming them. Crucially, while biorational products can be used to reduce the environmental impact of farming, and some products are organic, they are […]
Basic Substances are a group of chemicals and natural extracts that can be used in plant protection in the EU. In 2014 a range of substances were approved as “basic” under Regulation 1107/2009 and these can be used without restriction in any EU member state for an indefinite period. Sounds pretty amazing, right? So why […]
As with all growers, greenkeepers and groundsmen use a variety of tools to ensure that their plants have adequate nutrition. This includes regularly sending off both soil and tissue samples to accredited labs for analysis to indicate the nutrient concentrations, or in the case of soil samples their availability. They will also make use of […]
Manganese is an essential plant micronutrient which is a key component of many important metabolic processes. In particularly, it is crucial as an enzyme co-factor for the catalysis of many redox reactions in photosystem II and nitrogen assimilation. It is also essential for many reactions that allow plants to tolerate environmental stresses. Some typical symptoms of […]
Most of the seaweed extracts used in agriculture as biostimulants are extracted from species of brown algae (Phaeophyceae); principally the species Ascophyllum nodosum (knotted wrack), which grows in the intertidal zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It is thought that the stressful conditions of repeated exposure to desiccation, ultraviolet light and temperature fluctuations experienced by the […]
No-till cultivation involves preventing/minimising soil disturbance by eliminating ploughing and drilling seeds directly into the seed bed left by the previous crop. Once considered the preserve of hippies by mainstream agriculture, no-till agriculture has now gained widespread acceptance in the US and Europe. This acceptance is down to farmers appreciating the less intense nature of […]
At Plater Bio we manufacture two products which are designed to improve the rate at which organic matter is broken down in the soil; Stubble Digester focuses on arable crops, and Thatch Degrader for sports and amenity turf. Both products utilize the same intrinsic technology, which we know from our previous laboratory trials to be […]
The world of amateur hydroponics can be a confusing place if you are not an experienced horticulturist. If you go into any grow shop or browse an online hydroponic store you will find an almost endless array of products on offer. This is especially true for the fertilizers on offer, which often have crazy outlandish […]
A germination bioassay is probably the most basic experiment a plant scientist can conduct; you simply get a chemical and apply it to some seeds and see what happens! As such, a wide range of chemicals have been found to promote germination. Below I have put together a non-exhaustive list of the chemicals that I […]
Chitosan is a natural polymer that has applications in a range of industries. Here at Plater Bio we are working on an exciting project to manufacture chitosan on an industrial scale. The facility we are designing will be the only one of its kind in Europe. Chitosan manufacturing begins by extracting the polysaccharide chitin, which […]
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