Biostimulant helps berry growers reduce water consumption

A firm in Spain developed a new biostimulant that can cut water consumption significantly in strawberry crops. When Valagro trialled its product called Talete with its Inspire and Victoria plants earlier this year, it was found to improve the plants’ ability to absorb and retain water.

In a press release, SP Soluciones Agrícolas, the company that carried out the tests, reported: “In the first test, we saw a reduction in water consumption of 25-30 per cent, without losing production, which was the same as that of the untreated areas. Moreover, the lower foliar mass in the area treated with Talete facilitated the strawberry harvest, a job that could be done faster and, therefore, with less labour.”

Tests at a second farm with sandy soil and poor water absorption showed that Talete helped plants reach similar sizes to those grown in soil with better water absorption. In both cases, 5 litres of Talete was applied every 15 days, up to a total of 20 litres.