UPL launches new biostimulant in Argentina to alleviate herbicides and extreme weather

  UPL Argentina launched the OPTIMAT at Aapresid 2023. OPTIMAT is a biologic developed by UPL's Natural Plant Protection (NPP) business unit. According to the company, this powerful biostimulant is used to help soybean plants recover from various stresses.

OPTIMAT can be used in combination with post-emergence herbicides such as Fomesafen and can also mitigate damage caused by 2,4-D and other abiotic stresses. According to UPL, OPTIMAT regulates the metabolism of soybeans and eliminates the effects of harmful compounds.

Diego Gandulfo, marketing director of UPL Argentina, said: "Climate change is increasing the stress on crops. Soybeans are subjected to heat and light (UV) stress, freezing damage and even exposure to certain herbicides, or tank contamination during each planting season." He says OPTIMAT can help crops recover significantly and protect them from invisible stresses. In addition, years of application in different environments, crops and soil environments have shown that the effect of the product is very stable. This is due to the regulation of stomatal opening and closing and water transport of the product, which promotes the function of the plant detoxification system and promotes the continuous synthesis of glutathione, which is the main detoxification pathway in plants. In addition, the product also helps plants produce substances with antioxidant effects, speeding up the balance of chlorophyll content.

A series of trials conducted at 34 sites between 2018 and 2023 showed that the use of Fomesafen resulted in a 6% drop in yields. After spraying OPTIMAT, the yield was recovered by 6.5%, that is, the full loss caused by the herbicide was recovered and slightly more. Measuring the phytotoxicity of the pre-emergence herbicide in 3 areas during the 2018/19 planting season showed a decrease in yield of 5.6%(158 kg/ha), compared with an increase of 5.2%(140 kg/ha) with OPTIMAT. Trials conducted at 16 sites in 2020-2023 have also shown that OPTIMAT prophylactic application can lead to a yield increase of 6.2%(193 kg/ha).