The mission statement of IHC2018 is “Bridging the World through Horticulture.” The event aims to connect participants, countries, scientific communities and the industry through research and innovation. Bayer’s Crop Science Division is the Platinum Sponsor and will be highly visible at the venue with a prominent booth, with its logo on conference materials and websites and through numerous speakers on different expert forums and workshops.
At the IHC2018 Bayer launches its Root2Success approach for healthy soils and healthy roots which are the foundation for a healthy food production and a consistently high productivity. In horticulture healthy roots can increase yield and quality by 30 to 50 percent according to field tests.
Fruit and vegetable growers are aware that healthy roots have an impact on yield and quality, but the focus is often on the above-ground parts when judging the health of the plant. Root2Success is a holistic approach to improve and sustain root health in horticulture crops. Protect, heal, activate and preserve are important aspects of this approach which includes preventive measures, curative treatments, root health enhancers, biostimulants and Drip-by-Drip technologies.
Key Bayer products are Serenade, Velum Prime and BioAct DC. Serenade activates roots through Bacillus subtilis QST713. Velum Prime protects roots against motile stages of plant-parasitic nematodes. BioAct DC with the Purpureocillium lilacinum strain 251 rapidly parasitizes eggs of plant-parasitic nematodes. BioAct DC is fully compatible with drip irrigation systems, a technology provided by Bayer collaboration partner Netafim.
Root2Success has been used and tested in tomato cultivation in Mexico, banana growing in Central America and potato farming in Australia. The new approach requires multifunctional R&D platforms and capabilities. Bayer therefore invites R&D partners and customers to jointly improve the Root2Success concept.