High summer temperatures can place significant stress on crops, reducing both yield and quality. This stress has both short- and long-term impacts on plants, from the decline in alfalfa hay quality during summer and blossom drop/blossom-end rot in tomatoes, to reduced bud fruitfulness in almonds and pistachios following hot seasons. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a single heat wave can cut agricultural productivity by up to 50%. As temperatures rise, heat stress disrupts normal plant functions, leading to lower productivity, poorer crop quality, and increased susceptibility to disease. Fortunately, advances in our understanding of abiotic stresses such as heat have led to effective management strategies that can help mitigate these negative effects.
Heat Stress Involves Two Factors:
- When respiration (the consumption of carbohydrates) outpaces photosynthesis (the production of carbohydrates). Heat stress can reduce photosynthetic efficiency while simultaneously increasing demands for respiration, ultimately causing carbohydrate consumption to exceed product and resulting in yield loss
- When damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated, degrading plant cells and cell membranes
How to Protect Crops from Heat Stress:
Plants have several natural mechanisms that help them tolerate periods of high temperature; however, when heat stress becomes severe or prolonged, these protective systems can be overwhelmed. Effective heat stress management focuses on supporting the plant’s own physiological processes so it can maintain normal function and minimize damage during periods of elevated temperatures, and includes the following strategies:
- Helping the plant cool itself through transpiration
- Assisting photosynthesis
- Slowing down respiration
- Promoting the action of antioxidants
BounceBack® for Heat Stress Relief:
BounceBack® is a stress mitigation product built with our Transit® biostimulant, plant extracts, and key nutrition. BounceBack provides rapid relief for crops under photosynthetic and respiration stress and supports better crop quality:
- Our Transit biostimulant and plant extracts work together to combat stress.
- Transit down-regulates binding proteins to improve nutrient translocation of non-mobile nutrients.
- Calcium supports heat stress mitigation through stomatal regulation and antioxidant enzyme activation.
Heat Stress Mitigation
BounceBack supports rapid heat stress relief for crops under photosynthetic and respiration stress and improves flower retention.
Other BounceBack Benefits
Improves Nut & Fruit Quality
BounceBack supports fertilization success for improved set and reduces incidence of malformed and aborted fruit.
Carbohydrate & Sugar Mobility
BounceBack aids movement of carbohydrates to the developing fruit or grain to maximize yield.
Visit our website to learn more about BounceBack and find your local sales rep.