By Mick Lane

Roots don’t get the attention they deserve. So says Tom Waring, manager of the Agway Cooperative store in North Collins, NY. Building a barn or a house starts with a good foundation. Waring thinks that crops ought to get the same consideration. "With the exception of early-season seed protectants for some crops, we’ ve pretty much ignored root systems," he insists. One might think, "So what?" or possibly "Don’ t roots take care of themselves?" "A customer told me recently that he feels if you have a good root system under a plant, you’ ll get a good crop," Waring continues.

Adverse Conditions
And the fact is, roots do take care of themselves - at least to some extent. But in adverse situations that are conducive to root diseases, the roots can be stunted or, at best, spend a lot of time regenerating themselves right back into the same diseases. The question is how to get and maintain that good root system. In the soil are hundreds - maybe thou- sands - of microbial organisms. While most of these are benign, some can be detrimental to root establish- ment and growth. Others, like Rhizobium, can actually enhance growth. And some, insists Dr. Gary Har-man, a Cornell University research plant pathologist, can actually protect roots from the detrimental effects of others. Harman is also acting CEO of BioWorks, Inc., a Geneva, NY, based company formed to find and market biological solutions to crop production problems. Its first product is a root protectant sold under the trade name T-22. It functions to do just what Waring and others feel is necessary: protect roots from invaders such as Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, and Pythium. 66 l Al: Retailer l.

February 1998
A Hybrid Fungus T-22 is the common name for Trichoderma harzianum, strain T-22, a hybrid fungus developed in a micro-biological breeding program at Cor-nell. T. harzianum occurs naturally in some soils. Where it comes in contact with plant roots, it grows in colonies around the root, feeding off of root exudates. In exchange for this form of food given off by plant roots, T. harzianum aggressively fends off Pythium, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia, the three most common and most destructive root invaders. In addition to extensive research on T-22 conducted at Cornell University, studies have been conducted at at least 25 other state universities and by distributors, including Wilbur-Ellis Co. and Agway, on a host of crops including field corn, soybeans, potatoes, dry beans, sugar beets, onions, greenhouse bedding plants, and even poinsettias and kinnikinnik, a groundcover indigenous to the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Russell Wallace, director of field research for BioWorks, Inc., says one of the biggest benefits from T-22 is in potatoes, where researchers and growers alike have reported both higher yields and better quality, higher grading crops. He says, however, that re- searchers don’ t always report increased yields or improved quality. "While there have been a few cases where there was no yield increase, we have yet to see a case where yields were lower," he says. Dr. Christopher Hayes, the company’ s director of research and new product development, explains that under high levels of management, where the crop is never under moisture, nutrient, or temperature stress, the plant’ s roots may not need the protection from disease that T-22 gives. A Roll of the Dice "It’ s a roll of the dice, though," Hayes says. "Conditions differ from year to year, and if a producer has a product available that can help protect and improve the crop’ s root system, making it more efficient in uptake of nutrients and moisture all season long, I think he’ll opt to use it." Dr. David Pieczarka, director of sales and marketing for BioWorks, Inc., echoes Hayes’ sentiments. "Cost of using T-22 is minimal compared with the total cost of putting a crop in the ground," he says. "And, quite often, the improved root system not only improves yield, but also improves nutrient efficiency." Waring’ s customers say T-22 works, and that’ s reason enough for him to sell it. Also, there’ s money for him in it, too. "We sell several products that fit into the biological category, and this is one of the more profitable ones," he says. Looking ahead, Waring sees a bright future for products like T-22. "Until researchers discovered Trichoderma’ s ability to protect roots from diseases, we didn’ t realize we needed T-22. I think we‘ re going to find more and more natural products to take the place of the chemicals we’ ve been using for insect and disease control," he says.

Mick Lane is a free-lance writer based in Ankeny, IA.

Biological Root Protectant Helps Growers Protect Yields and Profit Potential

By Bruce Ulmer, CCA
Assoc. Director Market Support/Technology Svcs
SEEDWAY, Hall, NY

Notice the stressed root health of untreated soybeans on the left, compared to the same variety - treated with T-22 - on the right. (Samples taken from farm of Martin Greenleaf, Seedway dealer, Oxford, PA.)

John Corman, Spring Mills, PA, wanted to improve his no-till soybean performance. David Zittel, Eden, NY, wanted a more uniform sweet corn crop. Roger Bonvouloir, Orwell, VT, wanted to boost corn silage yields. Each of these farmers found potential in T-22, a new plant root protectant from BioWorlts, Inc., distributed by Seedway and Agway. "T-22 is unlike any other product farmers use," says Dr. Gary Harman, a Cornell University research plant pathologist and acting CEO of BioWorks. "It’s a biological fungicide that is economical, relatively easy to use, and requires only one application for season-long protection." The active ingredient in T-22 is a fungus called Trichoderma harzianum, strain 22. It is a hybrid strain derived from a microbiology breeding program at Cornell, which Harman headed. T harzianum occurs naturally in many soils. Where it comes in contact with plant roots, it establishes a colony around the roots, living in a symbiotic relationship with the host plant. The fungus feeds on substances given off by healthy plant roots and, in turn, protects the roots from potentially damaging invasions by pathogens such as Fusarium, Pythium and Rhizoctonia "T-22 can be up to 100 times more effective in colonizing plant roots than its naturally-occurring T harzianum parents," Harman explains. "By applying T-22, either with the seed or in furrow, growers can be assured that nearly all of their plant roots will be protected."

Seedway worked hand-in-hand with BioWorks in bringing T-22 to the Northeast market. We facilitated much of the initial on-farm testing, including yield trials and product demonstrations on the farms of customers of Seedway dealers and Agway crop locations. We have experienced positive, consistent results. Dr. David Pieczarka, director of sales and marketing for BioWorks, notes that T-22 is available in several different formulations. The most popular among row crop producers is T-22 Planter Box, a powder form mixed into the planter box with seed. T-22 Granular can be applied in furrow using a granular applicator like those used to apply corn rootworm insecticides. T-22 Planter Box can also be sprayed in furrow, used in transplant water (agitation is necessary to keep the product in suspension) or as a root dip. Jim Barber, a farmer, sweet corn grower and Agway sales specialist in western New York, now uses T-22 on all his sweet corn. "When you’re planting into cool, wet soils, it really males a difference in stand uniformity," he says. ‘And it costs less than $1.5O an acre, so it’s good insurance." Roger Bonvouloir, Orwell, VT, who is a farmer, custom operator and Seedway dealer, recommends T-22 to his seed customers. "Despite late planting and a cool season," says Roger, "Seedway E330 was just right for silage harvest; yield was heavy We used T-22 on this production and intend to use it on the entire farm next season." The Zittels used T-22 Planter Box on 12 of their 60 acres of sweet corn in 1997. "We used it on our early sweet corn, which was planted in early April," reports David Zittel. To test the product, the Zittels used T-22 in two boxes on their four-row planter. "That way, we planted four-row treated and untreated strips," David explains. Although it is not a seed protectant and T. harzianum can’t function without a root to protect, the Zittels felt the T- 22 treated sweet corn emerged from the ground stronger. Mike Orfanedes, Cornell area extension commercial vegetable crop production specialist, Aurora, NY, took yield samples from the Zittel’s strips. He saw no significant yield differences in ideal or dry soil conditions, but says, "We have seen up to 25 percent better sweet corn yields with the T-22 product when planting early on heavier soils, particularly if supersweet (sh2) varieties are used." John Corman planted his soybeans into cool soils last spring, and then went through a dry summer. He put side-by-side plots at two locations. He reports better yields with T-22 in most of the plots. "It was apparent where we’d used T-22," says Corman. "The treated beans seemed to be a little shorter, but had bigger root systems and much better nodulation. They seemed to mature more uniformly, and did dry down a little later than the untreated beans." Corman says overall yield was about 3 bushels higher for the T-22 treated beans. In one plot, the T-22 beans yielded nearly 10 bushels more per acre. Like Barber, Corman feels the cost of treatment is minimal, compared to potential benefit. "It costs only $4 -to-$5 an acre to use T-22 (on soybeans), so we’re talking about a payback in increased yield at less than a bushel per acre."

Tom Waring, manager of the Agway commercial crop retail outlet in North Collins, Nu, likes T-22 for several reasons: "First, it aids the farmer in making more money. It’s economical to use. It’s a biological product rather than a chemical, so is not a threat to the environment, nor to the user. ‘A customer told me the other day, ‘if you develop a good root system, you can grow a good plant.’ In the past, we hadn’t really considered the importance of protecting the root system, largely because we didn’t have a good product with which to do it. Now, though, we can put T-22 on at planting and protect the root system for the full growing season," Waring concludes.

Organic producers find T-22 to be just what the doctor ordered. As a biological control, T-22 goes a long way toward enhancing production of certified, organically-grown products. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, New Hampshire and Rhode Island Departments of Agriculture, Massachusetts, New York Northeast Organic Farming Associations and the Demeter Association have approved T-22 for use in organic production of crops. Dr. Harman concludes, "T-22 helps protect growers’ investment and enhance yield potential in virtually every agronomic and vegetable crop, including dry beans and potatoes, which have shown exciting results." T-22 is available through all Agway agronomic and store outlets, Milford Fertilizer Company and Seedway dealers.

Note: Bio Works is registered trademark and T-22 is a trademark of Bio Works, Inc., Geneva, NY