With steady growth to many kilos and a good number

The limited availability of phosphate is a major point of concern on many potato fields. With CEPACET® the grower has a means to provide the crop with the necessary phosphate over a long period.

According to Ties Berkers, advisor at Syngenta, there is no debate about the importance of adequate phosphate supply for potatoes: "Phosphate ensures rapid growth and better tuber setting. The quality of the tubers also improves with a good phosphate supply." There is another reason why potato growers, and especially seed potato growers, pay so much attention to phosphate supply. "On many fields, the phosphate reserves are sufficient, but the immediate availability leaves something to be desired," Berkers continues. 

That is because phosphate is very strongly bound to other elements in many soils. It becomes available only in small amounts at a time. And that can CEPACET® offer a helping hand. Because the bacteria in this product are capable of releasing the bound phosphate and making it available to the plant. You increase the available amount of phosphate through better utilization of the soil reserve.

Utilize nutrients more efficiently
CEPACET® is a biostimulant that helps plants utilize nutrients more efficiently. It contains two bacterial strains, one of which (Azotobacter salinestris CECT 9690) is capable of converting nitrogen from the air into a usable form for the plant. The second bacterium (Bacillus megaterium CECT 9689) can release bound phosphate from the soil, making it available to the plant. The product also contains an algae extract that supports the establishment of the bacteria. 

The bacteria in this product ensure that the plant has a small but sufficient supply of phosphate available for an extended period. This helps the crop to grow evenly for a long time. The benefits of this are obvious, states the Syngenta advisor. "Even growth is not only important for fruit setting, but also for maintaining a healthy crop and a good final yield. And that is exactly what we are seeing in trials as well."

Those trials are being conducted at independent institutes and with commercial growers. When CEPACET® When applied solo, we see a yield increase of up to approximately 20% compared to a plot without phosphate application. The largest part of that increase is in the 35-50 size range. However, even when the biostimulant is combined with liquid phosphate fertilizer, we still see an increase in kilograms, up to about 8% compared to general practice.

Get acquainted without risk
According to Berkers, the latter offers opportunities to become acquainted with the operation of without risk. CEPACET®"You can easily combine half a dose of liquid starter phosphate with this product," he mentions as an example. "Not every grower will want to switch completely to a new organic product immediately. Moreover, with such a combination, you also benefit more from the application of synthetic phosphate fertilizer, because the biostimulant indirectly ensures better absorption. After all, the bacteria also stimulate root growth." 

Growers need not worry about the application costs.CEPACET® "In many cases, it is cheaper than the cost of a liquid phosphate application. However, it is important that the product is applied in the root zone. But that is not a problem at all with standard techniques on planting machines," concludes Berkers. This product therefore plays an important role in phosphate availability for the crop. More on the benefits of this product for nitrogen supply will follow later!

The benefits of CEPACET®:

• Makes soil-bound phosphate available to the plant again
• Provides extra nitrogen
• Stimulates root growth

This results in a smooth start, more uniform growth, improved tuber setting, and larger tubers. 

_{Photos: Klein Tiengemeten}