Cooperation between Tomatoworld and Koppert for improved soil life
Tomatoworld and Koppert have been working together for years to gain more knowledge and promote new developments in tomato growing and horticulture. This season, we are focusing specifically on soil. Last season, we started an experiment focusing on stimulating soil life, which then works together with the plant in the root environment. Plants were treated with Trianum and Vidi Parva to promote and stimulate soil life along with the plant.
Vidi Parva for a strong root in tomato
The image on the left shows tomato cuttings planted in water enriched with nutrients and trace elements. Note the cuttings on the right, on which Vidi Parva has been added several times. In practice, Vidi Parva leads to a significant improvement in root growth, with a 15%-20% increase in root weights.
Soil life is often a forgotten but essential part of a healthy plant
It enters into a symbiotic relationship with the plant by:
- Protect the plant from diseases and pests
- Warn the plant of attackers
- Help the uptake and availability of nutrients
- Support plant development through hormone production
A greater diversity of soil life can provide a buffer against pests by competing for space and nutrients. Some soil organisms specifically target certain pathogens and produce substances that can suppress soil pathogens or act parasitically, such as insect parasitic nematodes. Soil fungi such as the Trichoderma harzianum T22 strain in Trianum can even colonise roots and provide protection against soil pathogens. Trianum forms a protective shield around the roots and can actively kill certain pathogenic fungi. It also ensures that other harmful fungi and bacteria have less space and nutrients to hinder the plant. Trianum's protective role is so effective that it has been a CTGB-registered biological plant protection product for 20 years against diseases such as Rhizoctonia spp., Pythium spp. and Fusarium spp. Trianum not only protects the plant, but also aids in nutrient uptake and helps the plant withstand stressful conditions.
The connection between plant and soil life takes place at the roots. The plant secretes specific substances, known as root exudates, which attract beneficial soil life and promote cooperation. A strong root system and sufficient energy to secrete these exudates are therefore crucial for the plant. Adding biostimulants such as Vidi Parva can provide additional support for plant development. Vidi Parva is a root biostimulant that helps the plant develop a stronger root system. It contains a large amount of tryptophan, which the plant can convert into auxin. Increased auxin levels in the plant cause more root branching and the development of more root hairs, both of which lead to a larger root surface. This improved root development is clearly visible in the image below, where the tomato cutting on the right has been treated with Vidi Parva.
At Tomatoworld, we worked with Trianum and Vidi Parva last season to build our knowledge of soil life and biostimulants in tomato cultivation. These additions were well received and in the coming season, we want to quantify their added value using data. We will focus on different aspects, such as the duration of acclimatisation at the start of cultivation, reduced use of chemical fungicides and root development.
Mechanisms of action of Trianum
Trianum interacts with a tomato plant by colonising the root and then supporting it. Trianum does this support in various forms: protects the root from fungal pathogens due to parasitisation/competition, reduces stress reactions of the plant and helps with nutrient absorption.