Biostimulant registration

The imposed drought stress across all four trials utilising rain covers during forecast rainfall was effective with clear abiotic stress showing over all unirrigated plots on the trials (see images). Volumetric moisture content (VMC%) results were significantly greater (P<0.05) for ‘control-irrigated’ plots when compared with ‘control-deficit’ plots for both dates shown demonstrating that the drought stress regime was effective in reducing soil moisture contents (Table 1). H2Pro TriSmart treated plots which received the equivalent moisture as ‘control-deficit’ plots maintained significantly greater VMC% for all four trials on both dates shown demonstrating that the moisture saving value of such a programme.

A range of additional measured turf characteristics all showed significant differences between ‘control-deficit’ and ‘control-irrigated’ for all four trial sites, demonstrating that the imposed drought-stress significantly reduced turf quality, colour, uniformity, density and NDVI on a number of measurement dates (only August data shown). The addition of an H2Pro TriSmart programme significantly increased measurements of turf colour, quality, uniformity, density and NDVI on every occasion for nearly all trial sites (only trial area 1, turf density was not significant) demonstrating the value of following such a wetting agent programme.

Table 1 (below). Mean volumetric moisture content (%) for two assessment dates (July & September). Different letters indicate significant (P<0.05) difference between means.