Solutions to limit frost and drought damage
Solutions to limit frost and drought damage
Orstim 48, applied to the soil, and Kori Zen, applied to the leaf, are liquid organic nutrient solutions (usable in organic farming) built on a base of amino acid and carbohydrate complexes of plant origin. Their formulations promote an increase in osmotic pressure, in other words the concentration of minerals, within the plant. This lowers the freezing point of tissues and limits passive water evaporation. It is thus possible to reduce frost-related stress and improve drought resistance.
Spring 2017 was catastrophic for many crops, particularly for fruit growers and winegrowers. The dry summer that followed did not improve the situation. There are few viable solutions to face these climatic hazards.
Most are very costly, many are makeshift solutions, and some choose to rely on nature’s know-how. This has been OvinAlp’s credo for many years. Plants have the ability to develop self-defense mechanisms in response to climatic variations. Precise fertilization can help them do so. It is known that the more minerals are concentrated in the plant, the lower its freezing point. However, in order to concentrate minerals in the plant, they must be made to penetrate regularly.
By reducing plant stress through a regular supply of proteins and potassium of organic origin into plant tissues, the plant assimilates and stores trace elements more easily. The study “VISA for sustainable fertilization”, conducted by OvinAlp researchers, demonstrated the importance of the nitrogen/potassium balance in achieving this objective.
In particular, the factors influencing the presence of potassium in petioles were observed. It was noted that its concentration in the soil strongly influences plant assimilation, as does phosphorus (to a lesser extent). On the other hand, pH and calcium were found to potentially have a negative impact.
In the soil, potassium enters the plant passively and allows minerals to be progressively concentrated within the cell. This leads to the phenomenon of reduced freezing and evaporation points. On the leaf, combined with amino acid-based chelation, potassium penetrates more rapidly but also more durably, independently of humidity.
To address these issues, OvinAlp has developed two complementary products in the form of an antifrost & drought kit: Orstim 48 and Kori Zen. The former, as a liquid root solution, allows early application at the end of winter at the base of the bare plant. The latter, a foliar solution, applied between mid and late spring, helps limit the impact of late frosts.
Did you know?
Applied before the occurrence of these frosts, damage is limited. Continuing applications into late spring and early summer also helps reduce water deficits and drought-related stress.
- Advice from the OvinAlp technician
Not all frost damage can be avoided. However, post-frost management is often underestimated. When all small branches have been damaged, uncontrolled regrowth will make autumn-winter pruning difficult. The nitrogen-potassium balance of Kori Zen is then a good solution to allow the vine to “regrow wood”. - How does it work?
The combined treatment of Kori Zen and Orstim 48 is the first effective response to limit frost damage, of course in addition to heaters or other systems… because by concentrating potassium and amino acids in plant cells, it helps prevent a sudden drop in temperature, but cannot compensate for a decrease to –10 °C.