What can beneficial microbes do for hydroponic growers? A lot, the team at Concert Bio is convinced — which is why the company uses data science to identify and deliver the most relevant microbes to create the ideal microbiome for greenhouse crops to thrive. Last year, the effects of their Overture™ A and B beneficial microbe products on tomato crops were evaluated by researchers.
A cultivation trial at Dutch research center Vertify was conducted to assess the effects of Concert Bio's beneficial microbes in high-wire tomato production. The results, documented in a recent report, provide insight into crop performance and root development. The trial was carried out in a rockwool-grown tomato crop (EZ Sjaleza), with climate, irrigation, and nutrient strategies aligned with commercial practice. The microbe treatment was applied during the nursery phase and monthly after transplanting. A reference without treatment was maintained under identical technical conditions.
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Start of the trial in May
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Total yield
The first question a grower might ask concerns total yield. Fruit counts in the plants treated with Overture™ A were +1% higher (251.8) and with Overture™ B +2.5% higher (255.5) than untreated plants (249.4). Total harvested yield increased from 24.82 in untreated plants by +1.6% for Overture™ A (25.15) and +3.4% for Overture™ B (25.54). So most of the extra yield came from more tomatoes, with a small improvement also in tomato size. In their report, Vertify researchers said the effect was due mostly to "improved and/or earlier fruit set".
But there is more to observe on the plants themselves — or rather, beneath them. According to the research, plants receiving the microbial treatment showed differences in root development compared to the control. Root observations indicated greater root mass and more active root tips in the treated plots at several assessment moments. These effects were already visible in the nursery phase, where rooting density at transplant was higher with both Overture™ A and Overture™ B compared to the untreated plots.
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Trial by September
"This was the first time the effect of these microbes on tomatoes was studied so closely and by Dutch growers. It was very useful to see that the benefit of the microbes begins so early on and affects both the fruit set and the roots. And of course it's exciting to see that even for plants grown by experts, the microbes can still improve yield by more than 3%," says Paul Rutten, founder of Concert Bio.
The research follows earlier trials in lettuce and cucumber, which also showed increased yields after applying Overture™. For Concert Bio, it validates both their expectations and their internal research results, Paul explains. Results from independent cucumber trials are expected in the near future as well.
The full trial report from Vertify is available at this link.
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For more information:
Concert Bio
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James Watson
Head of Commercial
[email protected]
www.concert.bio
