GREEN PATH

Green Path is Agriges' practical response to the challenges of modern agriculture. The focus of the Green Path project is to provide technical means for abundant, environmentally sustainable and food-safe production: produce more, produce healthy. The project involves Agriges working with research institutes, experimental centres, universities, cooperatives and farms to develop products that maximise yields, thereby reducing the use of potentially polluting chemical substances

+safety
+production
+sustainability
+quality
-pollution
-chemical

Azo Smart

A unique microbial consortium

Azo Smart is a concentrate of exclusive microbial strains from the Agriges Research and Developement, registered in an international reference microbial collection and selected for their high capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen and promote plant photosynthesis.

The goal is increased nitrogen availability for the crop and improved fertiliser use efficiency. This is achieved through the 'multi-site' synergy between the unique Azo Smart consortium and the crop, which is stimulated to photosynthesise more efficiently and maximise production performance.

Objective

An innovative approach to nitrogen fertilisation

With the 'Farm to Fork' strategy at the heart of the Green Deal, the European Union has embarked on a course of action that aims, among other measures, to reduce by 2030 the nutrient losses occurring in the environment due to the excessive use of chemical fertilisers by at least 50%; this will involve reducing the use of fertilisers by at least 20%. In this context, worsened, moreover, by strong climate change and unstable commodity prices, it is more necessary than ever to review the fertilisation of agricultural crops with an innovative and sustainable approach with the aim of maximising the plant's ability to assimilate nutrients, especially nitrogen.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, due to the high amount used, and is the most abundant gas in the earth's atmosphere, of which it makes up about 78%. In gaseous form, nitrogen cannot be absorbed directly by the plant, which in nature must instead make use of the nitrogen present in the soil. Within the soil, the plant's ability to assimilate nitrogen varies depending on its availability in the circulating solution; the share of absorbable nitrogen is limited and subject to loss or immobilisation of various kinds: percolation and/or leaching, adsorption to the surfaces of clays and organic matter, volatilisation, etc

- chemical + sustainability + production

Exclusive Production Technology

The microorganisms contained in Azo Smart were isolated, identified and characterised following the intensive collaborations of Agriges with Italian and international research institutes and universities. The best microorganisms capable of performing intensive atmospheric nitrogen fixation and Plant Growth Promotion activities were chosen for Azo Smart.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Microorganism

  • Glomus spp.

Action

  • A fungus that forms a symbiotic association with the roots of most crops, which helps in phosphorus supply and protects them from stress.

Effect on the plant

  • Stimulation of root growth
  • Increased water and nutrient interception

Agronomic Advantage

  • Increased resistance to stress
  • Reduced chemical fertiliser inputs

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria

Microorganism

  • Azotobacter chrococcum
    LS132*
  • Azospirillum brasilense
    AGS608*
  • Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
    AGS282*

Action

  • Nitrogen-fixing bacterium capable of producing a durable and sustainable source of ammonia nitrogen for the plant,with both foliar and root action. It is also capable of stimulating plant photosynthetic activity
  • Bacterium capable of spreading within the plant parenchyma, fixing atmospheric nitrogen and making it readily available to the crop. It also produces phytohormones (IAA) that stimulate root growth and functionality
  • Bacterium capable of settling and multiplying very quickly on all plant organs, behaving as a 'substrate competitor'. It also produces natural hormones (especially auxins) by stimulating plant growth and stress resistance mechanisms.

Effect on the plant

  • Biological nitrogen fixation
  • Increased photosynthetic activity
  • Biological nitrogen fixation
  • Photosynthetic accelerator
  • Plant growth stimulation
  • Plant well-being stimulator

Agronomic Advantage

  • Reduction of chemical fertiliser input
  • Stimulating plant growth
  • Reduction of chemical fertiliser input
  • Stimulating plant growth
  • Increased resistance to stress
  • More rational input of technical means

Selected fungal isolates

Microorganism

  • Trichoderma
    longibrachiatum AGS799*

Action

  • Fungus characterised by a strong ability to adapt to all surfaces (roots, stem and leaves) and with very rapid growth. The symbiosis with this microorganism stimulates the root system exponentially. It is also capable of producing siderophores and indolacetic acid (IAA)

Effect on the plant

  • Increased water and nutrient uptake
  • Photosynthetic accelerator

Agronomic Advantage

  • Increased resistance to stress
  • Stimulation of plant growth

Experimental Results

Identification and characterisation of micro-organisms Plant Growth Promotion

During the Research and Development activities conducted by Agriges in collaboration with Italian universities, microbiological research laboratories and foreign research institutes, the microorganisms contained in AZO SMART were identified and characterised for their Plant Growth Promotion, resistance to environmental stresses and ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen assimilating nutrients, especially nitrogen.

The results showed that, in a microbial collection of bacteria belonging to different genera (Bacillus, Azotobacter, Pseudomonas) characterised by strong PGP action, the micro-organism Agriges Azotobacter chrococcum strain LS132 was the one releasing the highest amount of ammoniacal nitrogen, an indicator of nitrogen fixation activity,compared to the other strains analysed

Company

  • ----
  • ----
  • Agriges

Code

  • RHF6
  • RHFS10
  • LS132

Species

  • Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
  • Bacillus vallismortis
  • Azotobacter chrococcum

Thesis

  • RHF6
  • RHF10
  • LS132
Bacterial activity/ammonia production
ROOT GROWTH STIMULATION

Further results also highlighted the synergistic effect of the microorganisms chosen by Agriges for the product Azo Smart in the biostimulation of the root system. Indeed, it was seen that the association of Azotobacter chrococcum strain LS132 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain AGS282:
• produces seedlings with longer primary roots on average;
• influences the number of lateral rootlets;
• improves resistance to environmental stresses (especially drought)

Composition

Rhizosphere bacteria (selected bacterial isolates) including

Azotobacter chrococcum LS132 *
1.0 x108 CFU/g
Azospirillum brasilense AGS608*
1.0 x108 CFU/g
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LS132 *
1.0 x108 CFU/g

Organic soil improver: simple, non-composted vegetable soil improver

Mycorhizes (Glomus spp.)
5%

Selected fungal isolates including:

Trichoderma longibrachiatum AGS799*
1.0 x107 CFU/g

* Exclusive strain isolated and deposited by Agriges in an international reference microbial collection.

Dosage

Crops
Foliar application
Dose g/ha
Reduction of Fertilzer Units(Nitrogen)

TREE CROPS

During
the growth phase

350

30 - 35 units*

HORTICULTURAL CROPS

During
the growth phase

350

30 - 35 units*

INDUSTRIAL CROPS

Throughout the entire
vegetative cycle

350

30 - 35 units*

CEREALS

End of tillering
beginning of shoot emergence

350

30 - 35 units*

The aforementioned doses have a purely indicative value and can therefore vary in relation to the soil and climate features of each area.
*Indicative values, they may vary according to the soil and climate characteristics of each area and the overall state of well-being of the crop

WARNINGS

The product contains living microorganisms, present in spore-forming form, resistant to temperatures down to -20°C. With temperatures between 8 and 30 °C, the growth of the microbial consortium increases exponentially. Avoid inhaling dust. Agriges declines all responsibility for incorrect storage and/or handling.

Formulation

Wettable powder

Packages

0,7 - 1,4 - 2,8 - 5,6 kg

pH

approx. 6.8

Conducibility

approx. 18,2 dS/m

Exclusive Agriges production technology

Foliar Application

Allowed in Organic Farming