Matthew Audley's Conference Abstract4 Jul 2023 22:53
Matthew Audley: Speaking at the Biostimulants World Conference, Nov 28-Dec 1, 2023, Milan. His abstract below:
Towards Sustainable Potato Production: Harpin Boosts Calcium Use Efficiency
Calcium is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development. It plays a vital role in ensuring optimal potato health and tuber quality by promoting cell wall strength, mitigating disease, and improving storage quality. Harpins are naturally occurring proteins that are known to enhance plant growth and improve resistance to abiotic stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a harpin protein on calcium use efficiency (CUE) in potatoes.
In this series of studies, commercial potatoes were grown in British field conditions and treated with 1% harpin âºÎ². The results showed harpin âºÎ² treatment increased calcium content in potato tubers compared to the control. In 2019 (Cambridge, England) and 2020 (Angus, Scotland) foliar application of harpin âºÎ² with a commercially available calcium nitrate fertiliser (224 g/l Ca0) increased tuber calcium content above treatment with the calcium nitrate fertiliser alone (P