Premature pod shatter is a major challenge for farmers, especially those cultivating vital oil crops like oilseed rape (OSR) and soybean. This natural process, often triggered by unfavorable weather conditions, can result in significant yield losses. The uneven ripening of crops and environmental stresses further complicate the harvesting process, leaving farmers grappling with reduced yields and additional pressures. To address these issues, biostimulant products like SEALICIT® with PSI759 Precision Technology offer an innovative solution designed to reduce pod shatter and secure higher yields, helping growers achieve more efficient crop performance and harvest flexibility. This article will explore the challenges posed by pod shattering, how SEALICIT® works, and the benefits it offers to farmers.
Framing the Agricultural Challenge: Premature Pod Shatter
Premature pod shatter poses a significant threat to global oil crop production, leading to substantial economic losses for farmers. Oilseed rape (OSR) or Canola, one of the world’s key oil crops, experiences seed losses of up to 25% due to pod shattering under typical growing conditions. This is often triggered by adverse weather conditions such as drought, heat, and wind, which can weaken plant pod structures and lead to premature shattering in plants that have pods, such as OSR and other oil crops.
Harvesting oil crops can be challenging for farmers due to the unpredictable ripening of fruits, which often leads to premature pod shattering. This results in seeds falling to the ground before harvest, reducing yields and promoting volunteer plants that compete with the next season’s crops. For example, winter oilseed rape (WOSR) can have a prolonged flowering period that can last up to a month, leading to uneven pod maturity. This non-uniformity increases the risk of seed loss and the growth of volunteers, further impacting future crop production.
SEALICIT®: A Biostimulant Solution to Pod Shattering
SEALICIT® with PSI759 Precision Technology is a biostimulant that reduces the risk of premature pod shatter in podded crops such as oilseed rape and soybean. SEALICIT® works to physiologically increase pod shattering resistance and aid in uniform ripening prior to harvesting. Formulated through proprietary hot extraction process using the seaweed, Ascophyllum nodosum, SEALICIT® strengthens plant pods to be less fragile, which prevents early shattering and respectively, increases seed yield.
How Does SEALICIT® Work?
Pod shattering Is a natural seed dispersal strategy in plants that have pods. The process is driven by a key gene called INDEHISCENT (IND).IND promotes lignification in the dehiscence zone; the predetermined breaking point where the pod of the plant opens, to ensure successful reproduction.
SEALICIT® works by downregulating IND. When IND is downregulated, lignification in the dehiscence zone is reduced thus making pods mechanically stronger and delaying their natural tendency to shatter.
SEALICIT® is created using Brandon Bioscience’s PSI® Precision Technology. This ensures the specific composition of the product is targeting specific biological process. With RT-qPCR tests confirming the downregulation of the IND gene accompanying every batch, growers can be confident that SEALICIT® secures yield and reduces pod shatter risk in their crops. Such PCR-based validation of a product’s mode-of-action represents another important development towards the claim-focused description of higher functioning biostimulants that SEALICIT® represents. Further post-harvest evaluation through Random Impact Testing (RIT) ensures SEALICIT® consistently boosts pod firmness, reducing pod shatter under stress as well as longer shatter times compared to controls. These results indicate that the biostimulants in agriculture, like SEALICIT®, can effectively increase pod firmness, protecting the yield.
How Does SEALICIT® Benefit Growers?
Unlike a pod sealant, SEALICIT® is applied before flowering stage. Pods that are produced are more shatter resistant to pod shattering. Pod ripening becomes uniform across the crop, from the top of the plant to the bottom, reducing yield losses and gives growers extra time during harvesting period. SEALICIT® is safe for tank mixing and can be combined with other crop protection products (e.g., pesticides and fungicides).
With 110+ trials and an average yield increase of 4.5% and a return on investment of 3:1, the scientifically proven benefits and substantial for growers. SEALICIT® buys time without compromising on yield through a longer harvesting window. It also gives flexibility with choice of variety as well as improving field hygiene by reducing OSR volunteers into the following seasons. SEALICIT® acts as an insurance for the farmer to save seeds that would be lost due to adverse weather conditions. SEALICIT® reduces stress and gives growers peace of mind during growing season by providing a new level of harvest flexibility, with a longer harvesting window.
SEALICIT®: CE Certified and Distributed by Nufarm
SEALICIT is approved under EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 2019/1009 and carries the CE mark on all product packaging. The EU FPR allows Brandon Bioscience to specify the effects of their plant biostimulants and make these claims on the product label. The justification of SEALICIT® claim was verified by an independent national Notified Body following the submission of a dossier of technical information and test results.
Partnering with crop protection and specialty seed company, Nufarm Europe GmbH, SEALICIT® is available through Nufarm’s extensive distribution network in Europe via their NuBio Portfolio and will carry the NuBio label. Nufarm’s biological insecticides, fungicides, and biostimulants carry the registered “NuBio” label. This means that farmers can easily identify effective biological solutions like SEALICIT®. The collaboration with Nufarm ensures that farmers have access to cutting-edge plant biostimulants, like SEALICIT®, that improve crop yield and resilience.
To discover more about how SEALICIT® can significantly improve your crop yield, resilience, and overall productivity, visit Nufarm’s official website for detailed information. Alternatively, you can easily find additional resources by searching “SEALICIT Nufarm” in your preferred search engine. Discover how SEALICIT® can revolutionize your farming operations, bringing cutting-edge biostimulant technology directly to your crops.
About Brandon Bioscience
Brandon Bioscience is a marine biotechnology company based in Co. Kerry, Ireland. Brandon Bioscience produces biostimulants derived from marine based biomolecules. Using their PSI® Technology, they fine-tune the bioactivity of their extracts to increase nutrient use efficiency, crop quality and tolerance to abiotic stresses. Founded in 1998, Brandon is proud to pioneer the research of marine based biomolecules and their application as crop based biostimulants. Through peer reviewed publications & trials that provide farmers with the benefits of biostimulants, Brandon Bioscience enables them to meet their production, revenue & environmental goals.
SEALICIT® represents a breakthrough in agricultural technology, offering farmers a proven solution to mitigate the risks of premature pod shatter. By enhancing pod strength and promoting uniform ripening, SEALICIT® secures yields and provides much-needed flexibility during the harvesting season. Backed by rigorous scientific testing and certification under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation, SEALICIT® delivers peace of mind to growers, helping them achieve better crop outcomes in the face of unpredictable weather conditions. Farmers who use SEALICIT® can expect a stronger yield on biostimulant-treated crops, improving overall productivity. With its availability through Nufarm in the Nubio portfolio, SEALICIT is posted to become a trusted tool for oilseed farmers across Europe. Developed by Brandon Bioscience, a pioneer in marine biotechnology, SEALICIT® is the result of decades of research in biostimulants, helping farmers meet production and environmental goals.
