May be used in combination with chemical seed protection products (fungicides). Does not affect viability of seeds. Rate: 0.1 l/ha.
Fungicides for plants are like medicines for humans: they treat or suppress symptoms. However, if a person’s immune system is strong, medication is not needed because they do not get ill. Plants also have an immune system. They get sick when they can no longer protect themselves against pathogens that attack, with the bacteria responsible for defence too few or too weak. Through reduced microflora, crops become vulnerable to diseases and abiotic factors such as drought, the cold and heat. Like humans, robust plant immunity is the foundation of good health. If a plant is healthy, it will be able to resist many diseases on its own and be ready to fight against adverse environmental conditions.
Bacillus spp. and Paenibacillus spp. microorganisms are characterised by antifungal activity. Bacteria rapidly position themselves in the rhizosphere and secrete a variety of compounds, including cell wall-degrading enzymes (chitinases, glucanases and proteases), peptides and pathogen-inhibiting volatile organic compounds.
Depending on the living environment and conditions, bacteria also produce biofilms. With the help of such biofilms, bacteria can improve access to nutrients and oxygen, reducing the effects of biological, chemical and physical damage. Microorganisms established on plant roots that form biofilms act as biological inhibitors of pathogenic microorganisms by occupying the site of entrapment of pathogenic bacteria in the rhizosphere.
PROTECT is characterised by the inhibition of disease-causing fungi and is used to prevent diseases in soils. It excretes substances that stimulate plant genes responsible for the natural immune system, improving the plant’s resistance to abiotic factors, such as drought, cold and heat.