This year, Nufarm is running further trials to see whether the effect of elicitors can be optimized by combining them with plant strengtheners or fertilizers. The focus is on the well-known product Fado and the new XSilem Plus, which will be launched as a CE-certified fertilizer in early 2026 and later, after certification trials, as a biostimulant.
© Nufarm
Up until now, elicitors like Fado have often been positioned as a foundation in crop protection strategies — for example, against powdery mildew. The aim is to delay the need for chemical correction for as long as possible, allowing growers to produce crops that stay greener and free of chemical residues for longer. Adding XSilem Plus fits perfectly into this approach, according to Nufarm's Gerwin Murre and Tjeerd Peeters. "It contains nutrients that the plant can directly use to support its defense reactions and activate its natural resistance. We expect elicitors to perform even better when sprayed onto a crop with a stronger nutritional status," they explain.
Field trial
At Seasun BV in Kapelle, a major pepper and tomato producer, an 8-hectare practical trial is now underway in the tomato variety Xavy. The trial is managed by crop specialist Alex Gresnigt on behalf of Seasun, with support from Luc Kurris of Royal Brinkman.
The collaboration started last year, when Seasun was already searching for new solutions against Cladosporium, a notoriously difficult fungus to control. The need was clear: even a strategy that relied heavily on chemical interventions out of necessity was not always sufficient. A new approach, one that uses less chemistry while at the same time achieving better control, was therefore very welcome. In addition, a residue-free strategy leaves room to target other pests and helps meet the strict requirements of customers.
This season, the first Cladosporium was observed in April. From that moment, two to three applications of XSilem Plus were carried out to prepare the plants for elicitor treatments. These were then followed by tank mixes of Fado and XSilem Plus.
© Nufarm
At the top of the leaf, you can clearly see how severely this leaf has been affected (left); when the leaf is turned over (right), we see much less damage, not the heavy brown spots we would expect to see.
The first results showed that Cladosporium was indeed effectively suppressed with this strategy. The infection present in the crop did not spread, and the young leaves stayed clean. Over time, the crop even seemed to outgrow the Cladosporium infection, perhaps helped by favorable weather conditions, with the plants regaining strong growth.
Now that Seasun has reached the maximum number of permitted Fado applications, the trial has been continued with a chemical product, again in combination with XSilem Plus. The reasoning: not to skip any spray interval while the plant is still in defense mode, and at the same time to keep supporting the plant with the right nutrients. Going forward, XSilem Plus may also be tested in combination with other elicitors or biofungicides that trigger the plant's natural defense system.
Testing in other crops
At the same time, additional trials are being set up at different locations across the Netherlands to see if these positive results can be reproduced. While there is strong interest from tomato growers, other crops such as rose and gerbera are also included in the testing.
For more information:
Nufarm BV
Gerwin Murre
+31626625355
[email protected]
Tjeerd Peeters
+31651224563
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://nufarm.com/nl/
