Barenbrug

Barenbrug news

By Olaf Bos MSc, agronomist

Change in climate leads to more extremes in the weather. Periods with a lot of precipitation alternated with periods with drought and heat. This is not only stress for the plant, but also for the sod producers. The less stress during establishment of the young vulnerable plants, the more surviving plants, the healthier sward. What is the key for germination and establishment and for less stress so more surviving plants? Water. Barenbrug will introduce a revolutionary technology for the best drought and heat tolerant sod mixtures available in the market. This seed enhancement will take care of optimal water management for germinating and establishing grass seeds.

Water is the key

Water is the very first thing a seed needs for germination, the very first thing a young plant needs for photosynthesis. If water is not available, seeds won’t germinate and plants won’t grow. Barenbrug launched Yellow Jacket Water Manager seed enhancement as the ’insurance’ for germinating and establishing new grass. Yellow Jacket Water Manager provides the key to germination and establishment by managing the water availability and water balance in the soil, in all, also extreme, conditions. The feedback from the first users confirms what the many scientific studies already showed: water management is stress management.

What is Yellow Jacket Water Manager?

Yellow Jacket Water Manager is the world’s first Seed Enhancement Technology that provides the grass seeds and young plants a good moisture balance for optimal germination and establishment. Yellow Jacket Water Manager was developed by Aquatrols, in collaboration with Barenbrug. It makes water available for the seeds and plants, distributes in the soil when watering and adheres to the sand grains. Thus forms a so-called ‘Plant Survival Zone’. This is a zone around the young plant in the ground, where by water management the seed can germinate and the young plant can settle and survive without stress. Growth conditions are optimized, which enables the grass plant to develop rapidly and vigorously.

Due to the rapidly changing moisture conditions, the success of germination can be strongly influenced. The speed of germination is genetically determined and it cannot be influenced by any seed coating in the market, however it is often suggested. However, the success of germination can be influenced: this is mainly determined by the availability of water. By ensuring the water availability is optimal, the chance that seeds will germinate will dramatically increase.

Water management crucial for survival

Water management is crucial for avoiding abiotic during the establishment phase of grass. The Plant Survival Zone that is created, does not only hold water in the ground, but also regulates the moisture around the seed. The water can reach the seed and the water that reaches the seed is available to the young plant. Because the water is available to the plant, the first step in photosynthesis can take place, the plant can absorb nutrition for growth and the plant can cool itself. Yellow Jacket Water Manager thus takes care of total water management and contributes to, among other things, successful germination, insured establishment, more surviving and healthy plants and greater survival opportunities in all circumstances.

What happens in extreme conditions?

Yellow Jacket Water Manager has proven its value. High temperatures and drought, but also winter desiccation, often lead to (local) water repellency. In these hydrophobic soils water does not reach the seed and the young plant. If there is no water available, there is no food available for the plant and it will also experience additional heat stress because the plant cannot cool. For many young plants this combination is lethal. The Yellow Jacket Water Manager treated plants clearly do not show this stress.

The soil continues to absorb water when it is irrigated or if there is rain and the plants can therefore continue to grow vitally, both above and below the ground. An improved root system increases the survival rate in dry periods. Even after a long period of time without water, Yellow Jacket Water Manager plants recover as the untreated plants get lost!

If it is raining, the quantity of rain in short period is becoming bigger and bigger. Too much water in the soil also causes stress to the plant and to soil life. If the soil holds the water too long, this will influence the exchange of the O2 and CO2 of the soil. Pores in the soil are filled with water instead of air and this disturbs the gas exchange. Yellow Jacket Water Manager ensures that water is rapidly distributed into the ground and that abundant water is drained leaving space for air in the pores.

Grass plant insured with Yellow Jacket Water Manager

Yellow Jacket Water Manager takes care of an optimal moisture content, resulting in ensured seed germination and plant growth without stress, even in extreme conditions like the drought and heat.

Yellow Jacket Water Manager and sod mixture

From autumn 2020 Barenbrug will make the revolutionary technology of Yellow Jacket Water Manager available for sod mixtures that will focus on the best drought and heat tolerant genetics. Contact your local Barenbrug distributor for tailormade solutions for your site.