New biological foliar treatment to boost nutrient use efficiency

British farmers will soon benefit from a new biological foliar treatment, proven to enhance nutrient use efficiency, boost crop yields, and decrease reliance on artificial fertilisers.

John Haywood from Unium Bioscience

Based on the industry leading seed treatment, TIROS, TARBIS is a foliar applied to any crop, comprised of a unique combination of endophyte strains which enable seedlings and mature plants to not only fix nitrogen, but also sequester phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, and better withstand drought stress.

Launched to the market this spring by biologicals specialist, Unium Bioscience, TARBIS improves yield due to maximising biological nutrient availability and use efficiency, building more robust crops which can handle abiotic stress.

“The technology has undergone peer review at the University of Washington and NASA Ames Research Park, and it has been tested in trials on the International Space Station. Subsequently, independently conducted trials in the UK have consistently shown that treated crops require less artificial fertiliser. This is not only beneficial for the environment but also for a farmer’s financial bottom line,” explains John Haywood, Unium Bioscience director.

“It’s a multi-functional, broad-spectrum product, that increases the availability and uptake of many nutrients, not just nitrogen and phosphorus, and it can be applied at any time of the year and at any temperature,” says John.

“The foliar treatment, TARBIS, has a wide application opportunity and can assist where farmers were not able to get the seed treatment,” he says.

“It contains microbes which contribute not only to nitrogen fixation but also in making other nutrients available to the seedling and plant by mineralising, solubilising, chelating, and supplying them to the plant in a highly efficient form for the plant to use e.g. phosphorus,” adds John.

TARBIS has been tested alongside the major crop protection materials with no loss of active ingredient or effectiveness and is also approved for use in organic systems.

Unium Bioscience will be offering TARBIS across the UK in the coming months. Speak to your merchant to source it. To learn more, visit https://www.uniumbioscience.com/portfolio-items/tarbis/