Revolutionary new seed treatment maximises potential
A new phytohormone biostimulant seed treatment from Nichino UK could help cereal growers boost growth and development after trials have proven its ability to consistently improve seed health and yields. With the best start essential to maximise seed potential, Newton could be a crucial new tool in the crop production toolbox to protect crops at the critical establishment phase.
Request a Newton product guide here
Giving crops the best start is essential to maximise seed potential, and crucial for efficient and profitable crop production – particularly when you consider the less-than-optimal growing conditions that can so often coincide with seed germination and early establishment. Plants require extra attention in those first critical weeks to maximise their competitive nature, protect yields, and boost quality potential.
New to farms this summer, Newton is a novel and revolutionary naturally-sourced organic biostimulant seed treatment designed to help get winter and spring cereals up and away as quickly as possible. Newton stimulates germination and emergence, improves root and shoot growth, and promotes resilience to abiotic stress, leading to enhanced vigour, improved crop establishment and better tolerance to stress from the get-go.
Find out how Newton has been helping on farm – here
Why seedling health can be improved
Poor vigor
Seed germination is one of the most vital steps in plant development and a key determinant for plant productivity. Rapid seed germination and uniformity in emergence is crucial for healthy, vigorous seedlings that grow on to become fit, high-yielding crops. But good germination and early seedling growth relies on getting the most from stored energy reserves of carbohydrates and proteins that live inside the seed, as well as access to the enzymes that trigger growth. This isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds. Low soil temperatures, limited moisture, and low energy reserves caused by poor nutrition in the previous crop can all delay seedling germination and emergence, leading to poor crop vigour in the long term.
Poor establishment
Plant emergence and establishment are the starting points of crop growth, and will set the pace for how it performs later in life. After germination, seedlings have to produce the energy they need by taking in light through their leaves to be used in photosynthesis, as well as nutrients and water from the soil through their roots. Poor shoot growth will slow photosynthesis causing energy production to grind to a halt. Below the surface a poor root system stops the plant getting access to critical water and nutrients.
After germination, it is vital young seedlings are not allowed to dry out. Where conditions are dry, a strong root system becomes even more important, as crops need to pull up moisture from depth, and this is where a good seed treatment biostimulant could be extremely beneficial.
Abiotic stress
The exposure of seeds to abiotic stress results in lower seed viability, reduced germination and poor seedling establishment that will lead to poor growth and compromise yield and quality potential down the road.
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Best start essential, maximise seed potential with Newton
A good biostimulant seed treatment can help to optimise seed health right before drilling – the best time in the growing season to protect genetic yield potential. Containing a new and unique blend of crucial signalling peptides and organic nitrogen, Newton is a naturally sourced phytohormone biostimulant seed treatment, developed to help waken dormant seed, prompt growth and development, and trigger stress defence mechanisms to help young seedlings acclimatise to changes in environmental conditions in order to maximise potential.
Newton improves vigour
Newton contains crucial signalling peptides that play a fundamental role in the regulation of growth and development. Only recently discovered, and in a ready to use form for immediate use by the crop, these signalling peptides play a vital role in stimulating germination and emergence, and influence the behaviour of other plant hormones. Newton is also a source of organic nitrogen, delivering an energy boost to seed reserves and improving vigour for uniform and efficient seedling growth.
Newton improves establishment
Early access to nutrition and moisture is critical for the healthy and rapid development of the crop. Nutrition must be accessible to the roots, while the healthy development of true leaves will help optimise photosynthesis, as well as provide competition to weeds also fighting to establish at this time. Signalling peptides in Newton stimulate root and shoot growth, driving better crop establishment.
Newton improves abiotic stress tolerance
The exposure of seed to abiotic stress often results in lower seed viability, reduced germination and poor seedling establishment. Peptides in Newton trigger defense signals which help to promote abiotic stress tolerance.
Best start, better finish
In trials over the last 2 years, Newton has delivered excellent improvements in seedling health, and yield increases of up to +0.6 t/ha in cereals, delivering the essential best start, to maximise seed potential.
Research conducted by the University of Nottingham’s Dr Steve Rossall has shown significant germination and establishment benefits from treating wheat and barley seed with Newton.
In the trials, when the rate of seed germination in winter wheat was tested at 7oc – a soil temperature which late-sown wheat may be exposed to – the time taken to achieve 90% seed germination was improved by two days with Newton treated seed.
At 10oc Newton improved germination by one day, over naked seed. At both temperatures Newton increased the rate of germination over Vibrance Duo by 1.5 days and 0.75 days, respectively.
In the glasshouse, plant growth over the first four weeks after emergence was evaluated. Significant enhancement of root growth was observed, with a smaller increase in shoot growth. In wheat and barley increases in root biomass were commonly in excess of 30% after seed treatment with Newton.
Research looked at the effect of Newton in a controlled environment
Wheat treated with Newton germinated 2 days faster
Effect of seed treatment on germination in Winter Wheat at 7 ºC
In Cereals Newton increased rooting by an average of +43% and shoot growth by +22%
Average of 4 research studies conducted in Wheat and Barley
In Wheat Newton increased root and shoot growth significantly over Vibrance Duo
Newton has also shown significant benefits in replicated field trials
Newton increased plant counts significantly at 2 different row spacings
Effect of Beret Gold and Newton on number of Winter Wheat plants / sqm
Germination improved in the early & late sown wheats
Effect of Beret Gold and Newton on number of plants / sqm
Newton improved crop establishment and increased yield in Spring Barley
On farm Newton has helped to improve establishment and increase yields
Newton improved Wheat rooting significantly at Faccombe Estates 2018/2019
Newton increased Spring Barley yield by +0.6 t/ha
Effect of Newton on yield (t/ha)
Newton increased Winter Barley yield by +0.49 t/ha
Newton increased Winter Wheat yield by +0.28 t/ha
Seed trade experience
Newton has impressed in establishment trials with both Frontier Agriculture and MSP/Simpsons Malt. Find out more below.
Advantages of Newton
Independently proven and tested – Newton performance has been tested under controlled conditions at the University of Nottingham, put through replicated field trials and tested on farm over the past two years. It has been shown to consistently optimise seed health and deliver higher yields.
Convenient and flexible – Newton is compatible with a range of seed treatments when applied together.
Approved for organic crops – Sourced solely from plants for plants, Newton is 100% natural, and is approved by Organic Farmers and Growers for use on organic crops. Newton has also been verified and is permitted for use within Soil Association organic standards for producers as a plant-derived fertiliser under Soil Association standard 2.5.2.
Newton is suitable for use on crops grown for vegans, vegetarians, and is GM free.
How to use Newton
For information on recommended rates in key crops and how to use, please request a copy of our product guide on the Newton product page and we’ll get a copy right over to you.
