ICL’s water conservation agent H2Flo wins Silver Arable Innovation award (LAMMA ’20)
Hot on the heels of CropTec, ICL’s water conservation agent H2Flo has been awarded a Sliver Arable Innovation award at LAMMA ‘20.
“At a time when many growers are looking to reduce water consumption and improve farm efficiency, H2Flo has been proven to help significantly increase potato yields and reduce water use,” explains Debbie Nolloth, ICL Specialty Agriculture Sales and Marketing Coordinator.
“It is essential farmers manage water effectively to help tackle issues such as water scarcity, crop quality and production costs. Containing a unique blend of surfactants, H2Flo promotes improved water infiltration into the soil, enhanced moisture distribution within the soil profile − both vertically and laterally − as well as increased water retention. H2Flo can also reduce soil hydrophobicity in water repellent soils. Ultimately, it improves overall water use efficiency.”
Based in Lancashire, agronomist John Cairns of ProCam County Crops advises potato and carrot growers with soils ranging from sandy loam to peaty soils – the majority with no access to irrigation. “I’ve been working with H2Flo for over four years and growers are seeing good results with significant boosts to yield as well as quality,” he says. In a number of ½ field trials, potatoes growers applying H2Flo have reported quality improvements - with increases in the size of baking and chipping varieties.
“A single application of H2Flo to potato crops pre-emergence can be enough to deliver a good return on investment. Those with irrigation are reporting significant improvements to moisture distribution following the first pass.”
UK trials have shown this improvement in productivity can directly boost farm profits by over £1000/ha. Where irrigation is not available, H2Flo helps make rainwater more available to the crop. For convenience, H2Flo can be applied a number of ways, either tank mixed with, for instance, a blight spray or by trickle irrigation.
Dr Richard Collins, ICL’s Specialty Agriculture Technical Sales Manager, will be available on the ICL stand (LAMMA Hall 10 stand 10.902) to discuss H2Flo as well as controlled release fertilizers (CRF). Part of ICL’s vision for a more sustainable method of farming, CRFs can deliver benefits in efficiency, economy and ecology. The stand will showcase two controlled release NPK fertilizers ranges - Agromaster and Agrocote.
Employing ICL’s patented E-Max technology, 30-40% of the N in Agromaster is coated and released over a two to three month period − depending on the product selected − even if rainfall is high without leaching away from the root zone. The release of the product is controlled by temperature only. The remaining N is uncoated, promoting early development. Agrocote is ICL’s coated urea product.
Dr Collins will also be on hand to talk about ICL’s portfolio of Nova Straight water-soluble fertilizers, including the patented PeKacid.