United Kingdom - Potato crops powered by Vixeran nutrition

A new Syngenta nitrogen fixing biostimulant for potatoes, Vixeran^®, could provide crops with an equivalent of 30 kg/ha conventional N fertiliser this spring, and create a more resilient nutrient strategy to cope with increasingly challenging seasonal conditions. 

The highly efficient endophytic bacteria in Vixeran convert atmospheric nitrogen into a nutrient form that is readily accessible to potato plants. It is a new opportunity for farmers looking to reduce the reliance on high levels of conventional fertilisers to achieve profitable yields, whilst supporting soil health, advocates Syngenta Potato Technical Manager, Andy Cunningham. 

″Potato growers’ drivers for change in nitrogen use include societal and legislative demands, the cost of fertilisers and climate change requiring reduced energy consumption,″ he says, ″along with the potential for crops to perform better in improved soil microbial conditions with regenerative farming practices, including min till and cover crops.″

Potato crops have repeated surges in demand for key nutrients through the growing season - especially nitrogen at times to fuel a rapid green leaf canopy, and then to supply the building blocks of carbohydrates laid down during tuber bulking, Andy advises.

″And it is also incredibly important during tuber initiation, when the plant’s vigour at the time will dictate the number of tubers set, which is ultimately the yield potential of the crop.″ 

One of the key advantages of using foliar applied Vixeran early in the growing season is that it goes on consistently supplying nutrient to the developing plant, even if conventional fertiliser applications are disrupted by weather or soil conditions.

Vixeran action

The Vixeran bacterial strain of Azotobacter salinestris is unique in its high nitrogen fixation activity and its triple mode of action – working as a foliar and root endophyte inside the plant, as well as in the soil rhizosphere. 

What sets the Vixeran bacterial strain apart - and makes it so applicable for field applications - is the speed at which it gets to work and its resilience to climatic conditions, which means it will provide reliable results more consistently, in a wider range of crops.

Andy advocates use in potatoes would be a single application, typically at hooking and the start of tuber initiation, giving effective coverage of the foliage and for soil colonisation around the plant.  

He recommends that to get the optimum performance with Vixeran, crops should be actively growing at the time of application, ideally with temperatures reaching over 10-12⁰C on the day of treatment to ensure rapid colonisation of the bacteria. 

Trials have shown that for simplicity of application, Vixeran is compatible with most crop protection products and liquid fertilisers.

Find out how Vixeran works?

Research has shown Vixeran typically generates around 30kg of readily available N taken up by crops over the course of the season. Growers and agronomists can plan to use that to reduce inputs and cost of artificial fertiliser, or choose to use it as an additional nutrient resource to help increase crop yield. Vixeran is also certified for use in organic production systems, consult your certification body prior to use.