The 2021 growing season is now finally upon us, albeit with a somewhat chilly introduction! In our previous Latest News page, Engage have highlighted the benefits of adopting a regenerative approach to nutrition. Supporting strong soil biodiversity is a key ethos of ours as it has the potential to reduce reliance on traditional chemistries. The introduction of organic compounds, bio stimulants and biological approaches will invigorate soils and vines – whilst providing a greater level of inherent support to a grapevines’ establishment and growth processes throughout the season, especially during times of stress.

As highlighted in previous articles, having an increased understanding and knowledge of crop nutrients and the application in the way that each specific nutrient behaves is crucial, as a deficiency is a signal given to us by the plant to help us ‘bring it back’ to its normal photosynthetic equilibrium from its state of obvious stress – which diminishes the vines’ ability to work optimally from budburst through to leaf senescence.

Therefore, we should never underestimate a deficiency – as the vines’ resistance to disease and longevity will be compromised.

We know annual soil analysis helps identify potential “hidden hungers” as early as possible and provide the greatest opportunity to take corrective action – However some deficiencies are alterations that are not easy to see or identify at all, but which equally limit the potential qualitative development of the grapes. I am referring to the fundamental macro-element of all plant life…phosphorus. The deficiency of this essential element is rarely encountered: only in very acid and or poor soils – yet it is frequently found to be deficient both in leaf analyses during flowering and in those of the petiole during grape ripening – even when not deficient, limited availability of phosphorus can significantly affect inflorescence development and fruit set. Phosphorus is a difficult element to integrate into soil because it reacts with clay, iron and aluminium compounds in the soil and is converted readily to less available forms by the process of fixation and also retrograded by calcium into calcium phosphate.

Phosphorous is an essential constituent of all plant metabolism requiring ATP energy (adenosinetriphosphate) and also structural functions (phospholipids) – It is therefore involved in all the metabolic and catabolic functions of the vine. Working along Nitrogen and Potassium it regulates the primary equilibrium of the plant between vegetative and reproductive growth. The most characteristic deficiency symptom is a vivid reddening of the leaf edge and is always found on the oldest leaves and is often accompanied by a distinct lack of growth with new shoots that struggle to become lignified.

From soil to shoot’s – ‘Sufficiency avoids Deficiency’ attributes to maximising the full potential and quality of the vine crop. To support vine growers, new or the 2021 season Engage Europe the innovators in plant nutrition have developed MAS-Power Active Bud a super concentrated soluble foliar fertiliser (7-33-7+4.2MgO+1%B) supported by a full package of micronutrients in balance for early development and a unique organic bio-pack to aid penetration of the spray and assimilation of the nutrients contained within it. The pack contains a proprietary blend of soluble plant extracts and amino acids at a level of 1kg in every bag naturally inducing developing buds to perform to their physiological processes with greater efficiency with lower energy expenditure. Application of MAS-Power Active Bud is ideally applied from the bud burst through to early grape development to ensure the important processes of inflorescence and fruit set are covered.