Recent trials across Australian vegetable crops have proved the economic and environmental advantage of adding specific enzymes for more efficient use of nutrients and other inputs to increase yield and improve produce quality.
Enzymes are a new addition to Australian vegetable growers’ toolkit of farm inputs for profitable production of high-quality fresh produce, while also protecting and enhancing their property’s natural resources.
This new category, researched and developed by US-company Elemental Enzymes, is now being distributed in Australia by Agreva, a company devoted to sourcing agricultural inputs with superior environmental credentials.
Agreva general manager Danny Thornton said several enzyme products that were already commercially successful in the US had been tested extensively in Australia and were now available to distributors and growers.
“This exciting new field of biological products could revolutionise agriculture by supporting plants’ ability to survive and thrive in the harshest to the best conditions, boosting yield from existing farming practices, resources and inputs.
“Important roles for applied enzymes in Australian agriculture include accelerating and enhancing soil conversion of unavailable nutrients like phosphate into plant-available forms and breaking down crop residues and soil organic matter into available nutrients.
“Enzymes are produced naturally by soil microbes and plant roots, but growers can accelerate and enhance these processes by applying concentrated enzymes that rapidly disperse through the soil, working quickly in a range of soil moisture and pH (5–10) conditions.
“Compared with applied microbes, enzymes are far more consistent, with reactions beginning as soon as they are applied and continuing for days and up to weeks, as well as increasing activity of native microbe populations.
“Enzymes applied with fertiliser at planting start to work immediately, accelerating release of plant-available nutrients so plants germinate or are transplanted into a nutrient-rich zone for better and quicker crop emergence and establishment.”
Mr Thornton said that after three years of testing in a wide range of crops under local Australian conditions, enzyme products including Nucleon, Magno and Res+ are now available here.
A concentrated liquid blend of two enzymes (lipase and mannanase),Nucleon is ideal in horticulture for use with liquid fertilisers or as a stand-alone side dressing, enhancing uptake of water and nutrients by plant roots and improving plant growth and yield, plus soil and plant health.
“Nucleon triggers soil organic matter to release bio-available N,P,K nutrients and water, and stimulates native microbial activity. At the same time, it acts on the outer layers of the root tip to create ideal soil conditions for plant-root growth,” Mr Thornton said.
In 2022 potato trials at Table Cape in Tasmania, Nucleon increased yield by 5.5 tonnes per ha, with potatoes in the treated area having more fibrous root systems, cleaner skins and less raised lenticels.
In trials at Virginia, South Australia on potatoes (variety Almera), Nucleon increased yields by 6–23%. Nucleon-treated potato plants were visually different throughout the trial, with a 12% total yield increase of 9.54 t/ha for extra revenue of $4014 t/ha – a return on investment of 46:1.
In trials at Myalup WA, Nucleon was applied in-furrow to a carrot crop to enhance nutrient uptake, leading to improved emergence, yield, plus root and top-length.
Nucleon at 50 mL/ha added to the grower’s standard fertiliser program increased returns by $3000/ha (with ROI 67.6%). A higher rate of Nucleon at 75m L/ha increased return by $4100/ha.
Aimed at improving phosphorus availability, Mr Thornton said Magno is a good fit for vegetables. A concentrated dry granular enzyme formulation, Magno can be applied to soil with liquid or soluble fertiliser, or as a stand-alone product.
“Magno’s phosphatase enzyme improves phosphate uptake, starting to work immediately in moist soil, releasing unavailable organic phosphate from the soil’s organic nutrient bank into plant-accessible form.
“Its mannanase enzyme breaks down exudates around the outer layer of root tips, enabling flow of water and plant-available nutrients, plus soil conditions ideal for plant growth.
“In Dec 2021–Jan 2022 trials on Iceberg lettuce at Forcett in Tasmania, Magno applied to the soil and watered in following planting increased head field weight by six per cent, and noticeably improved lettuce colour.”
Containing many key factors needed by soil microbes to grow and spread on residues, Mr Thornton said Res+ provides a simple way to optimise and speed up microbial conversion of residues plus nutrient release, accelerating crop-residue breakdown, kick-starting soil microbial activity, and increasing yield potential.
“Sprayed onto stubble after harvest or added to pre-planting knockdown and pre-emergent herbicides, Res+ immediately starts stubble breakdown and nutrient release, providing nutrient-rich soil for improved crop establishment.
“Multiple trials across Australia have confirmed the ability of Res+ to speed up breakdown of crop stubble, for quicker release of nutrients and improved soil structure for the following planting. Applied post-harvest or ahead of planting at 1.2 L/ha, Res+ has led to higher yields and higher income from subsequent crops.
“At Clifton on the southern Darling Downs, applying Res+ on forage sorghum stubble three weeks prior to sowing increased yield of the following broccoli crop by 15.5 per cent, with increased head weight of 67 grams/head plus improved broccoli head quality estimated to be worth $5401/ha.
“On the Res+ treated portion, the soil was easier to work and plant the broccoli crop in August, with the October-picked crop ready for harvest a week earlier than the untreated area.”
