b'In Life and in Potato Hormones, Balance is EverythingBRODIE WORKMANTerritory managerStoller Enterprisesstollerenterprises.caUNIVERSITY OF MANITOBAplantproducing uniform rows and, ultimately,can expect results fastwithin a week scientist, Mark Belmonte, has spentincreasing the likelihood of higheror two of applicationsbut the plant his career studying the mechanics andyielding, more consistent harvest.needs regular applications to maintain the hormones of plant growth. Over the pastBM: And hormone-treated plantsgrowth momentum.handful of years, Stoller has contractedfair better after stress, correct? BM: How do you recommend Mark to conduct independent andMB: Correct. If you have a hail event, coldgrowers get the most benefit from unbiased research trials to assess thesoil or other kind of stress, the energyan application?impact of Stollers Fortified Stimulatea plant would usually put into growthMB: Hormones can only work effectively Yield Enhancer growth hormonegets diverted into making sure the plantwhen a crop has access to the necessary supplement on various crops. Heres whatdoesnt die. One of the ways a grower canbuilding blocks of plant life. Applying hes found: overcome growth losses is by applyingthe hormones and then not applying Brodie Workman (BM): What cana balanced growth hormone product.adequate nutrition and water would be growers expect when they treatWhere straight gibberellic acid can helplike running a marathon without having potato plants with Stimulate? with germination in the spring, it aloneeaten for a week. Ideally, apply fertilizer Mark Belmonte (MB): Plants treatedcant overcome abiotic, environmentaland Stimulate simultaneously. Anytime with additional hormones consistentlystresses.you can apply nutrition alongside the produce more robust roots and anBM: When should growers usehormone product, youre going to see a increased number of shoots. A study I didStollers Fortified Stimulate Yieldbigger return. in 2019 showed treated tubers producedEnhancer? BM: Finally, who would you an average increase of one shoot/eye perMB: Growth hormones can be appliedrecommend should consider adding tuber, or a 30 per cent improvement overas a seed treatment, in furrow, as a foliarsupplemental hormones to their untreated tubers. In addition to fastertreatment, or via irrigation. For bestpotato crops? growth, producers can expect plants thatresults, apply the hormones multipleMB: Everyone. I can confidently say receive a boost of hormones to germinatetimes throughout the growing seasonadding supplemental hormones could and grow much more consistently,to continue giving the crop boosts. Youbenefit 100 per cent of growers. Come Grow With UsJOSH JORDANSenior manager of global communications and public relationsSimplotsimplot.comJ.R. SIMPLOT WAShardly moreCanadian fertilizer plant in Brandon. are a delicious option. than a teenager when he started theBecause were uniquely tied to both sidesWeve also grown significantly on J.R. Simplot Company in 1929. What heof productionproviding inputs andour fertilizer side, increasing fertilizer lacked in experience, however, he madeadvice to maximize producers yields,distribution capacity across Canada. up for in things agricultural producersand an avenue for them to distribute theirIn 2019, we added both dry and liquid everywhere understand: work ethic,produce for processing and distribution capacity at our Chin, Alta. distribution vision, and commitment to the land andwere able to better understand and besthub. We also added distribution points in the people who farm it. Today, the J.R.meet producers needs.Cardston and Pincher Creek. Simplot Company has grown into anWe built our processing plant in PortageWere expanding our grower services, international leader in potato processingla Prairie in 2003 with the intention that, ifoffering solutions on everything from and crop inputs because we hold true topotato producers showed us support andvaried crop inputs to digital agronomy. those values. Our formula for growth isworldwide demand stayed strong, wedOur growth is only possible because simple: we know one of the best ways forexpand. Barely 15 years later, we moreof the governments overarching our company to be successful is to helpthan doubled our processing capacity.commitment to agriculture, andmost growers be successful.We see much more opportunity ahead.importantlythe support of potato Simplots roots in Canada run deep. J.R.As cultures around the world share moregrowers. Enormous thanks to the farming built his first Canadian potato processingideas and foods, more people fromfamilies who have partnered with us over plant in 1962 in Carberry, Man. thenaround the globe will discover frozenthe past 100 years. Lets see what we can followed three years later with his firstpotato productsespecially french friesdo together over the next 100! SPUDSMART.COM Spring 202247'