Tap into nitrogen from a sustainable source and capture something incredible for your potatoes
Agricultural uses of nitrogen make it the dominant source of nitrogen losses in the EU, with the current loss estimated to be 6.5-8 million tons per year and nitrates affecting over 18% of groundwater bodies in the EU.
Potato growers looking to optimise their fertiliser applications have access to a new nitrogen efficiency optimiser widely available across the UK and Ireland.
BlueN from Corteva Agriscience is an innovative biostimulant that enables plants to fix nitrogen from the air and make it available to the plant in the usable ammonium form. In doing so BlueN provides supplemental nitrogen to crops without the risk of leaching, increasing the crop nutrition efficiency.
When BlueN is applied on top of a standard N regime in more than 80% of cases this strategy brings an increase over the untreated (without BlueN). Across all trials the average yield benefit is 2.5t/ha (including marketable yield fraction).
And in more than 80% of cases, applying BlueN on top of the standard nitrogen regime brings a yield increase over the untreated of 3.3t/ha.
In this study:
*Potatoes £200/t
For more information, read the BlueN label or visit our BlueN page.
The shelf life of BlueN is two years unopened. It is reccomended to use BlueN on the day of opening because the bacteria become activated once in contact with moisture. The shelf life of an opened pack can be up to one month, however this is difficult to achieve.
Ensure the crop is actively growing at application.
Apply to a potato crop meeting in the rows, usually BBCH 25-33.
BlueN colonisation can be slowed down if temperatures are too cool, or if too hot, the bacterium can die. The optimum day temperature for application is between 10°C - 30°C (ideally 15°C - 25°C).
BlueN's bacterium, Methylobacterium symbioticum, enters via stomata on the plant's leaves. Therefore, best results are obtained when BlueN is applied to the foliar of a non-stressed crop when stomata are open. Apply BlueN in the morning or late afternoon/evening.
Under normal conditions it takes BlueN around seven days to colonise. Avoid irrigating potatoes during this time.
Spray volume 100-400 L/ha of water, pH between 6-8.
BlueN takes 1 hour to become rainfast, once inside the plant under normal conditions it takes around seven days for the bacteria to colonise. Avoid irrigating during this time.
BlueN contains a naturally occurring bacteria called Methylobacterium symbioticum. Approved in a wide range of crops including potatoes, BlueN comes in a convenient pack and is applied at the low rate of 0.333 kg/ha. The bacteria in BlueN enter the potato plant through stomata translocating to the surrounding leaves, stems and roots quickly colonising the plant.
Once inside the plant the bacteria uses methanol given off by the potato plant during growth as an energy source and fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere, converting it into ammonium which is used by the plant to make glutamine, an amino acid used to maintain growth and health of the plant.
M. symbioticum is an endophyte bacterium, and can exist inside the plant for the lifetime of the plant, providing a constant sustainable source of supplemental nitrogen estimated in trials to be on average the equivalent to 30 kgN/ha of applied nitrogen over this time.
Iuliia Kovalova, Field Technical Manager for Biologicals in the UK at Corteva Agriscience, explains how to use BlueN on potatoes. Iuliia also talks us through some trial data on potatoes.
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Iuliia Kovalova, Field Technical Manager for Biologicals in the UK at Corteva Agriscience, explains how to use BlueN on potatoes. Iuliia also talks us through some trial data on potatoes.
The BlueN Application Optimiser tool is the grower's guide to making local tactical decisions to optimise the application of BlueN. The application tool is avilable on the Corteva Arable App.
For more information click here, or download our FREE Arable App. Available to download from the App Store or Google play now.
Applying BlueN in optimum conditions is key for effective colonisation of the plants, and therefore, to get the best results. This guide will help you get the best from BlueN.
BlueN provides a potato crop with a unique way to capture nitrogen throughout the season, helping plants reach their yield potential. You will find all of the technical information you need in this document.
Contact our technical experts for more information about how to apply BlueN to your potato crops.
Call: 0800 689 8899
Email: ukhotline@corteva.com
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