Transcript Document

Active form of amino acids in plants and obtainment systems
It is possible to supply amino acids to the plant so that it can save energy in synthesizing them, thus obtaining a better and faster response from the
plant being grown.
By this means, amino acids are rapidly taken up by the plants and immediately transported to the growth points.
However, the quality of an amino acid-based product is directly related with the obtainment method used. The easiest way to obtain amino acids that
are useful for agriculture is by protein hydrolysis, breaking the peptide bridges by which the various amino acids are joined together. Hydrolysis gives
amino acid chains or shortchain and free (single) amino acids. It is the latter that can be used most beneficially by plants.
The better the hydrolysis process is, the more free amino acids and short-chain oligopeptides will be obtained, with less long-chain polypeptides.
Racemization. The exposure of food proteins to certain processing conditions such as those that take place during chemical hydrolysis,
induces different chemical changes. One of them is the racemization of all L-amino acids to their D-isomers. The racemization of the Lamino
acids in proteins depends on the pH, time and temperature. The presence of D-amino acid residues in the protein chain reduces
its digestibility and nutritional quality.
Enzymatic hydrolysis uses enzymes. Enzymes offer advantages that include efficient control of the hydrolysis process, fast reaction
speed, gentle hydrolysis conditions and high specificity. Although more expensive, this hydrolysis process is gentler and more natural
than chemical hydrolysis and guarantees that all the amino acids obtained are in the “L” (levorotatory) form, which is the form required
for effective assimilation and use by plants. This is the system used by Prothemco – (APC Europe) in all its products.
Acid hydrolysis / enzymatic hydrolysis, crop results with PEPTON
In the following tests, carried out in lettuces and strawberries, yield of both crops on the plots treated with
PEPTON was much higher than other plots, which were treated with a standard product (and current Spanish
market leader), obtained by acid hydrolysis.
Compared with an acid hydrolysis standard product
Plant weigh en Gr. (10 days after treatment)
300
250
1000
800
Pepton-2
600
Acid Hydrolysis
standard
400
Pepton-2
100
50
Pepton-4
0
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. (one application)
Compared with an acid hydrolysis standard product
Crop production efficacy (In 19 harvest) – Ton./Ha
95
Acid hydrolysis
standard
200
150
Compared with an acid hydrolysis standard product
First harvest production in Kg./Ha
(130 days after transplant)
90
85
80
200
75
0
70
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. .x 5 aplic.
Acid hydrolysis
standard
Pepton-0,5
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. .x 7 aplic.
In hydroponic tomato growing, the yield of 19
consecutive harvests, which encompass the main
production period, shows the advantages of PEPTON
over the acid hydrolysis standard.
Typical aminogram
Amino acid
Characteristics
% w/w
% w/w
Pepton 85/16
Pepton 25/9
Aspartic acid
9.93
2.93
Very common in the soil. Involved in the formation of Nitrogen reserves.
Glutamic acid
7.25
2.77
Improves pollen germination, activates development of growth tissues (meristems). Stimulates growth of young leaves. Provides
resistance in stress situations, enhances photosynthesis and chlorophyll synthesis.
Alanine
6.90
0.64
Stimulates chlorophyll synthesis and metabolism in the formation of growth hormones. It is also a precursor of fruit aromas and
flavours.
Arginine
5.22
2.25
Essential in cases of phosphorus deficiency and in deficiencies of other elements such as magnesium, potassium, calcium,
manganese and zinc.
Cysteine
2.25
0.08
Regulates production-related processes.
Glycine
4.06
1.59
Takes part in chlorophyll synthesis and has a chelating effect. Involved in the formation of young leaves
Protein amino acid. Improves phosphorus deficiency. Easily degrades.
Stimulates root growth and also takes part in chlorophyll synthesis. Precursor of polyamides that activate cell multiplication.
Histidine
6.34
1.33
Isoleucine
0.15
0.12
Leucine
10.99
3.05
Together with Glutamic Acid, it is the most commonly found amino acid in woody tissues (branches and shoots) and in olive
leaves.
Lysine
7.19
2.94
Protein amino acid. Assists photosynthesis, chlorophyll synthesis and stoma opening.
Methionine
0.71
0.22
Vital link in ethylene synthesis, which favours fruit ripening. Favours root development.
Phenylalanine
5.93
1.59
Precursor of lignin, a component of wood and woody parts of plants
As a component of cell osmosis in plants, it causes a decrease in hydric potential during droughts, improves moisture content of
biopolymers and acts as an energy source, increasing the resistance of plants exposed to these conditions.
Proline
2.84
0.76
Protects against cold, drought or excess salt stress (by strengthening cell walls).
Improves pollen germination and fertility. Regulates cell wall metabolism and water by regulating cell osmosis. Consequently, it
is important in conditions of drought and extremely high or low temperatures.
Serine
3.88
0.93
Regulates water balance and takes part in chlorophyll synthesis. Improves plants’ resistance to adverse situations.
Tyrosine
1.92
0.53
Threonine
2.47
0.80
Has antioxidant properties
Tryptophan
Insignificant
0.26
Precursor of Indole Acetic Acid, a basic hormone in root growth and set. Has antioxidant properties. Can degrade with some
ease.
Together with other compounds, it is present in olive branches and leaves. Precursor of fruit aromas. Gives resistance to plants in
3. Benefits of amino acids in the plant life cycle
The amino acids are basic nutrients and building blocks for proteins. They are essential for all of the different forms of life, which include plant life. They
take part in multiple plant metabolism processes and make up the proteins in plant cells.
The plants synthesize these compounds from inorganic nitrogen, using its metabolic pathway, depending on their requirements. However, this synthesis
requires expenditure of a considerable quantity of energy which could be used in protein synthesis to accelerate the plants’ growth.
At times of stress, the plants’ energy is not used to form proteins but to synthesize different AA (Mertz 1952).
Consequently, a direct supply of amino acids facilitates protein synthesis and plant growth.
Almost all of the AA in plants are in the “L” form, which is the only form in which the plants can use them.
The “L”-form AA are the only biologically useful amino acids in that they can be used to form plant proteins.
It has been found in experiments that, depending on the type of stress to which they are exposed, plants
accumulate and, therefore, require certain types of AA. An external supply of amino acids in an appropriate
balance helps considerably in overcoming the different periods of stress that plants may suffer for various
reasons.
Sprouting and root growth
Harvesting/Production
Set/fructification
Plant growth
Flowering
PLANT LIFE CYCLE AND BENEFITS OF PEPTON DURING THE LIFE CYCLE
PEPTON promotes initial sprouting and root growth, enabling stronger plant rooting.
This is a very important aspect after transplanting the young plants, when they have to overcome external aggressions and grow quickly. It is even
more important in forced greenhouse growing, when plants must start producing as quickly as possible. It also enables greater plant homogeneity,
avoiding planting failures and inconvenientreplantings.
In Camarosa strawberries grown in Huelva in
bedded soil under tunnels, the mean weight of
the treated and control plants’ roots was
measured after four applications of PEPTON, one
application every two weeks, in spring by drip
irrigation, obtaining the following results:
The roots development efficacy
Roots weigh in gr./plant
Trial realized in 2005 in strawberry (Camarosa) in Huelva
8.5
8
7.5
Control
Pepton-4
7
6.5
6
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. .x 4 aplic.
During intense cold stress at the start of growth
“Frigo” strawberry plants (naked-root plants kept in cold storage at 2ºC) from a high-elevation nursery were transplanted to the final
bedded fields and under a semicircular tunnel, initially uncovered. A
winter treatment programme was started immediately, with a total of
five applications spaced 2 weeks apart at the doses given below. It just
so happened that there
were very sharp night frosts during the five days after transplantation,
with minimum temperatures down to -6ºC. By 60 days after
transplantation
and with four applications completed at the time of performing the
test, the results given below were obtained.
The roots development efficacy
Percentage of the roots dry weight increase after transplant
(60 days after transplant)
300
Control
200
Pepton-2
Pepton-4
100
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. .x 4aplic
PEPTON has been shown to stimulate growth
Of young plants and also growth of their leaf area. This is an important property in leafy vegetables and also in ornamental plants, where the
highest commercial value is obtained with large leaf volumes. In vegetable garden fruits, faster growth means stronger plants and earlier
production, enabling better prices to be commanded for these crops.
60
The plants growth efficacy
Size of the Plants in cms.(40 days after transplant)
1300
Pepton-1.7
40
Pepton-3,4
20
Pepton-6,8
1100
110
Pepton-1,7
900
Pepton-3,4
700
Pepton-6,8
500
0
Dosage of product in gr/lt. Mixed into the soil subtract
The leaves growth efficacy
Foliar area in cms.2 (40 days after transplant)
4.7
Dosage of product in gr/lt. Mixed into the soil substract
Pepton-1,7
90
70
Pepton-3,4
Pepton-6,8
50
The leaves growth efficacy
fresh weigh of the leaves in gr./plant (13 days after treatment)
110
5.1
4.9
The plants growth efficacy
Plants weigh in gr./plant.(40 days after transplant)
The leaves growth efficacy
Foliar area in cms.2 (40 days after transplant)
Control
Peptron150
4.5
Dosage of product in gr/lt. Mixed into the soil substract
90
70
Control
Pepton-9,6
50
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. (one application)
In just two foliar applications of
PEPTON (in summer and autumn)
performed on olive trees, a slight
increase was observed in the
number of new leaf pairs (in the new
shoots appearing during the year).
In mandarin orange trees grown in the
Valencia region, the strength of the sprouts
of growing 3 and 5-year-old trees after
weekly applications of PEPTON via drip
irrigation, from May to the end of August,
was measured on a scale from 1 to 5 on two
occasions, mid-July and end of September,
with the results given below.
Efficacy over the trees vigour
Trees vigour in scale of values from 1 to 5
At July 13 and September 29
July 13
September 29
4.3
4.1
3.9
This shows the increased tree strength that
an application schedule can provide.
Stronger trees are more resistant and also
more productive, with all the benefits this
entails.
3.7
3.5
Control
Pepton-3
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. .x 14aplic.
Efficacy over wood buts development in trees
Buts lengt in cns.
In olive trees, just two foliar applications of
PEPTON (in summer and autumn) during the
first year obtained a significant growth of new
shoots, which will promote increased
production the following year.
8
7.5
7
6.5
Control
6
Pepton-150
5.5
5
4.5
4
Dosage of product in gr./Hl. .x 2aplic.
Efficacy of PEPTON versus other Biostimulants
The response obtained with PEPTON has been compared with other plantbased amino acid formulations in mandarin orange and strawberry crops.
PEPTON has been shown to be clearly superior to these other composites in
terms of increased vigour of the trees and quantity and quality of the harvest
obtained.
In the total number of fruits harvested
In the number of kg harvested
Compared with a vegetal origin of aminoácids standard product
Fruits quantity / treatment (In 4 harvest)
Compared with a vegetal origin of aminoácids standard product
Kg./ treatment (In 4 harvest)
550
500
450
Vegetal AA
pproduct
Pepton-4
13
11
9
Vegetal AA
product
Pepton-4
7
400
5
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. .x 4 aplic.
Dosage of product in Kg./Ha. .x 4 aplic.
Dose and method of administration
PEPTON can be applied as a foliar spray and to the soil in fertirrigation. When several applications are made, the number of applications will
vary depending on the crop’s requirements and the goals pursued with the crop.
As a general rule, we recommend: In foliar spraying:
PEPTON 85/16, apply 150 to 300 g /100 l of water per application
In the case of PEPTON 25/90, 300 to 600 cc/Hl. (At least two to three applications)
Through the irrigation system:
PEPTON 85/16, apply 2 to 4 kg /Ha. per application
In the case of PEPTON 25/90, 4 to 8 L/Ha. (At least three to four applications)
If very frequent applications are made, it is recommended to give half the dose in each application (it can be mixed with other fertilisers)
CROP
Application times
Dose in foliar application
Dose when applied through
irrigation
Pepton 85/16
g/hl
Ppepton 25/9
cc/hl
Pepton 85/16
kg/ha
Pepton 25/9
L/ha
Vegetables in general and
strawberries
From transplantation to end of harvest and
in stress situations
150-300
300-600
2-4
4-8
Orchard and citric fruits
From beginning of flowering to harvest and
in stress situations
150-300
300-600
2-4
4-8
Olive
From flowering to harvesting and in stress
situations
150-250
300-500
2-3
4-6
Wine and table grape
Before and after flowering
150-250
300-500
2-4
4-8
Cereals
At start of growth and in stress situations
150-200
300-400
2-3
4-6
Tropical fruits
From flowering to before harvesting
150-300
300-600
2-4
4-8
Tropical crops
During fruit growth and before harvesting
150-250
300-500
2-3
4-6
Industrial crops
During growth and in stress situations
150-250
300-500
1-3
2-6
Flowers and ornamental plants
During growth and before flowering
150-300
300-600
2-4
4-8
CONCLUSIONS: Benefits provided by PEPTON during crop growth and production periods
o PEPTON promotes growth of the root system, improving plant rooting
o PEPTON stimulates general growth of the plants
o PEPTON promotes formation of new sprouts in tree crops and increases their strength
o PEPTON stimulates the formation of flower buttons
o PEPTON promotes set and fructification, increasing the number of fruits
o PEPTON improves the plants’ resistance in stress situations caused by excess cold or heat
o PEPTON increases the number of higher grade fruits
o PEPTON increases the fruits’ sugar levels
o PEPTON helps reduce certain diseases in tomatoes
o PEPTON contributes to earlier harvests and increased volume in early harvests
o PEPTON increases the harvest’s quantity or general weight
o PEPTON promotes better quality production
o PEPTON helps reduce rejects (the part of the harvest that has no commercial value)