Harp-N-Tek™ Products
ProAct™ Plant Health Regulator is a next-generation Harp-N-Tek™ protein product designed specifically to provide a yield boost and reduce the impact of nematodes in vegetable crops such as cucurbits.
For example, cantaloupe plants treated with ProAct in Auburn University field trails averaged significantly:
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Improved plant vigor
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Greater shoot diameter, shoot weight, root weight, and total plant weight
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Lower Root Knot Nematodes, based on lower gall ratings
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Increased vegetable yields. Yields in the Auburn study were sharply higher in ProAct treated vs. untreated cantaloupe. Based on prior research with Harp-N-Tek™, cantaloupe yields typically can be expected to increase an average of nearly 14% or more. Similar results can be expected in other cucurbit crops such as watermelons, cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash. On-farm yield increases may vary depending on crop management and growing conditions.
In the Auburn study, ProAct was applied as a pre-transplant spray at 3 oz/100 gallons of water, followed by 2 oz/acre pre-bloom and repeated at 21- to 28-day intervals. Yield increases and other beneficial effects happen because ProAct turns on the plant’s own growth and self-defense biological systems that trigger improved root mass, stamina, and overall health.
ProAct doesn’t require a separate pass over the crop, saving time, fuel, and compaction. ProAct is compatible with most post-emergence fungicides, insecticides, growth regulators, and foliar nutrients applied to cucurbits. Just add ProAct to the tank first for best results.
ProAct is rain fast after 30 minutes or after spray materials dry. There will be no detectable residue of ProAct remaining within hours of the application. ProAct has not been found to cause phytotoxicity or crop injury.
Other Harp-N-Tek™ Research Findings
Many years of research field trial data and commercial producer experience support the benefits of using Harp-N-Tek in cucurbit crops. In 57 field trials in various varieties of melons, cucumbers, and squash conducted between 1999 and 2003, cucurbit crops treated with Harp-N-Tek consistently out-yielded untreated cucurbits. Overall the yield increase averaged 12% in the 57 trials conducted primarily in California, North Carolina, Florida, and Mexico. The positive yield results were consistent over all types of cucurbits. In the 18 watermelon trials, the average yield increase was 11.9%. The average increase in 30 cantaloupe trials was 13.7%, and for cucumbers the yield increase was 9.7%. The yield increase comes primarily from an increase in the number of fruit per harvest, not an increase in melon size. Harp-N-Tek performance is quite favorable on multi-pick cucurbit crops.
Many producers like to time Harp-N-Tek applications during known physiologically significant events in the plant’s life, such as the critical stages of early root development, peak nutrient utilization, or bloom initiation. Harp-N-Tek also helps plants get through predictable stress situations such as the application of some post-emergence chemicals.
Employ™ Reduces Nematodes and Increases Vegetable Yield
Employ™ Plant Health Regulator works hard for cucurbit growers to deliver yield increases while lowering nematode pressure.
Harpin Protein (Harp-N-Tek™) has been shown to reduce nematode eggs and juveniles among roots by an average 50 percent or more. These results are consistent year to year in replicated and commercial field trials and across some of the most damaging nematode species.
Employ contains the new generation of Harpin Protein. When this Harpin Protein switches on plant growth and self-defense systems, one result is increased photosynthesis that helps boost root development, overall plant vigor, and stamina. This often contributes to increased fruiting, improved fruit retention, and greater yields.
Like all Harp-N-Tek™ foliar products, Employ fits traditional crop management systems because it has a wide window of application and is a compatible tank mix partner with almost all post-emergence herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators, and foliar fertility amendments.
Harp-N-Tek™ Fertilizer Blends Improve Cucurbit Nutrient Uptake
It’s the exclusive Harpin Protein that makes Harp-N-Tek™ Enhanced Fertilizer blends supercharge the nutrient uptake in cucurbit crops. Harpin Protein has been combined with traditional nutrient and micronutrient formulations, and the result is a new dimension in performance.
Harp-N-Tek turns on the plant’s growth and stress-defense systems, which enhances the plant’s ability to absorb and translocate the nutrients made immediately available in the formulation. More nutrient uptake is better because it means more vigorous cellular activity, growth, fruiting, and stress tolerance.
Harp-N-Tek™ 18-18-18 is a balanced blend of fertilizer plus micronutrients designed to boost nutrient uptake in vegetable crops, including cucurbits. Growers find that when they make Harp-N-Tek a part of their crop’s fertility program they get more marketable produce, fewer culls.
PHC Mycorrhizal and Bacterial Technology Products for Cucurbits
PHC™ Mini Plug Reintroduces Mycorrhizal Fungi to Roots
PHC Mini Plug is a highly concentrated, dry mix spore inoculant for establishing mycorrhizal fungi (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal, or VAM) symbiosis on roots of plants initially grown in small container plugs, including some cucurbits. The high spore count in PHC Mini Plug ensures sufficient inoculation of even tiny plugs.
PHC Mini Plug also contains PHC Myconate (formononetin) a proprietary stimulant of VAM fungi that helps promote rapid colonization of the root system. Mini Plug is applied by blending it thoroughly into the potting mix. Plants grown in fumigated soils or soil-less media often suffer due to the lack of beneficial fungi and microbes. By inoculating roots with VAM fungal associates early in life, the health of these plants is greatly enhanced.
With PHC Mini Plug, results to expect include:
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Improved water uptake and drought tolerance
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Increased absorption of mineral elements
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Minimized “transplant shock” and improved survival
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Improved growth and yield, especially under stress
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Improved survival and growth of plants that are difficult to grow
PHC MiniPlug is also sold in a formulation designed for organic farming, under the label PHC Natural MiniPlug. (This version does not contain Myconate.)
PHC Inoculants and Soil Nutrients Help Create Ideal Soil Conditions
for Cucurbit Root Growth and Plant Health
Plant Health Care, Inc. has developed a full line of inoculants and soil nutrient formulations that provide the natural bacteria and other microbes that promote plant growth naturally. Many modern agricultural practices reduce or even eliminate many of these growth-promoting microbes. Replacing these biological systems in the soil is important for cucurbit transplants and seedlings to get off to a healthy start for a vigorous crop.
PHC® BioPak® provides six species of rhizosphere Bacillus to enrich the soil profile with a sustainable biological system to increase soil organic content and improve fertility.
Or, step up to PHC® Complete® Plus, which adds our six rhizosphere Bacillus strains along with the actinomycete Streptomyces, as well as beneficial soil fungi of the genus Trichoderma, along with additional microbial nutrients and humic acids. Complete Plus is a comprehensive microbial treatment used to enrich soils that are deficient in biological activity that promotes plant growth and establishment.
With top-of-the-line PHC® Colonize™ AG, in addition to six rhizosphere Bacillus strains, the actinomycete Streptomyces, and Trichodermafungi, the development of a high level of mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis with plant roots is accelerated through the addition of Myconate® (formononetin), a naturally occurring plant flavonoid that stimulates VA mycorrhizal activity.
Regardless of which inoculant best fits your soil conditions, plant stress challenges, and crop needs, PHC inoculants and nutrients are the first steps toward a healthy and robust crop, improved quality and yield.
Colonize™ AG Promotes Beneficial Microbial Activity
PHC® Colonize™ AG is a dry mix biological inoculant designed to promote the establishment of beneficial plant-microbe soil interactions in the root zone.
PHC Colonize AG contains numerous strains of rhizosphere bacteria that fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphorus, and recycle mineral nutrients through the breakdown of organic matter.
PHC Colonize AG also contains the actinomycete Streptomyces griseoviridis, and Trichoderma fungi to provide a versatile mix of beneficial microbes. Very importantly, PHC Colonize AG also contains Myconate® (formononetin), a naturally occurring plant flavonoid that increases root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. Working together, the beneficial bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and mycorrhizal fungi promote plant health and improve soil fertility and plant nutrition in a natural way.
PHC Colonize AG is mixed with water and may be applied as a plant water treatment, through drip irrigation, or an injection wheel. With PHC Colonize AG, results to expect include:
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Improved water uptake and absorption of mineral nutrients
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Less root system decline
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Faster recovery from stress and root damage
PHC® Complete® Plus Promotes Healthy Roots
PHC® Complete® Plus is a dry, dispersible rhizosphere inoculant that contains numerous strains of beneficial soil microbes. Rhizobacteria increase the solubility of mineral elements, such as phosphorus, fix atmospheric nitrogen, and increase nutrient availability. Plus, certain rhizobacteria help increase mycorrhizal development.
The microbes in PHC Complete Plus are live proprietary strains selected to promote soil fertility and plant health. These microbes are added in the form of microbial spores numbering in the hundreds of millions of CFUs per gram. They include several species of Bacillus, the actinomycete Streptomyces, as well as beneficial soil fungi of the genus Trichoderma. These microbes are formulated in a proprietary nutrient blend of vitamins, soluble humic acids, and seaweed extract to maximize product performance.
High microbial activity is characteristic of rich forest soil, to which plants respond favorably. PHC Complete Plus can be applied by soil injection or as a soil drench. Results to expect:
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Soil conditions favorable to root development
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Root zone colonized with beneficial microbial populations
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Soil organic matter broken down for improved nutrient uptake
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Increased nitrogen fixation
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Improved plant health and vigor
PHC BioPak® Enriches the Soil Profile
PHC BioPak® is a dry dispersible formulation of beneficial rhizosphere bacteria that act as a sustainable fertility “system” and enrich the soil profile. Once the microbes are in place in the root zone, they solubilize phosphorus, fix atmospheric nitrogen, and can gradually improve soil tilth. These processes encourage healthy root growth and plant health.
PHC BioPak also contains humic acids, sea kelp extract, and yeast extract that also contribute to improved microbial action in the soil. PHC BioPak can be applied to soil by spray, drench, fertigation, or soil injection. Results to expect with PHC BioPak include:
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Increased organic content of the soil
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Increased natural bioactivity in sterile or depleted soils
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Improved fertility in the root zone
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Increased root growth and plant health
PHC® Yuccah® Helps Foliar Products Do Their Job Better
PHC® Yuccah® is a performance-enhanced wetting agent and soil penetrant derived from the Yucca schidigera plant. This unique desert plant produces natural surfactants to help it use water more efficiently. These surfactant compounds can help other plants survive extreme heat, drought, and sol salinity found in some harsh climates.
Yucca schidigera extracts also contain natural saponins that promote beneficial microbial activity in the soil. Although pure yucca extracts are highly effective surfactants, PHC Yuccah is a liquid formulation modified to enhance wetting and penetrant properties for outstanding performance.
PHC Yuccah is an ideal choice as an adjuvant for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. It is not phytotoxic, even when applied in hot, dry conditions. PHC Yuccah also may be used as a non-ionic surfactant with many crop protection chemicals and fertilizers.
PHC Yuccah is highly recommended as a preferred tank mix partner to enhance results with PHC BioPak, PHC Complete Plus, and PHC Colonize AG. By adding PHC Yuccah to a comprehensive soil profile management program, expected results include:
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More uniform movement of water within the soil profile
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Fewer and less severe dry spots
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Increased water penetration with drench, injection, and fertigation treatments
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Increased spreadability of wettable pesticides or fertilizers