In-pacta has been the representative in Chile for 10 years of Hello Nature, a leading company in the development of biostimulants in the world, and from the beginning the vocation of both companies has been to innovate with solutions that add value. One of these innovations is related to peptides of plant origin, and how these small molecules have such a powerful stimulating capacity, and go far beyond the mere supply of free amino acids. But to start, what are plant peptides? They are short chains of amino acids that have functional effects on plants, improving their physiological, nutritional and productive processes.
Peptides induce important biological responses at very low concentrations, acting on specific receptors in the cell membrane. Thus, this receptor in the cell is stimulated by a peptide signal and produces metabolic responses in the plant. In the genetic material of plants, scientists have identified hundreds of peptides with hormonal stimulation action and are involved in the control of growth, flowering, nutrition and adaptation to the environment (both biotic and abiotic stress).
Understanding bioactive peptides is a complex task and has required a lot of research. Thanks to this work, it has been deduced that it is the most effective way to make significant improvements with biostimulants, involving changes at the level of phytohormones and secondary metabolites (Lucini et al. 2020).
PEPTAMIN®, A NEXT-GENERATION PRODUCT
Thanks to this research, Peptamin® was developed, a product developed by Hello Nature, which belongs to cutting-edge research and technology. Peptamin® includes 2 formulations, liquid (Plus) and soluble powder (Forte), with 31% and 62% -respectively- of plant peptides.
The raw material comes from various sources of legume seeds, and is the result of many investigations published in prestigious scientific journals worldwide. Its peptides come from a Hello Nature project called PSP ('Plant stimulating peptides'), and are the result of an enzymatic hydrolysis, a process called Lisiveg®, patented by Hello Nature. Among the main functions of Peptamin® in plants:
• Improves photosynthesis: This product improves carbon assimilation and increases water use efficiency by stimulating key enzymes (Colla et al., 2017).
• Improve efficiency, nutrient availability and root development. It improves the activity of the enzymes responsible for nitrogen assimilation, and increases nutrient absorption due to the ability of peptides to form complexes with elements so that they enter the plant more easily and quickly (Colla et al., 2017). The LRPP peptide (Lateral Root Promoting Peptide) stimulates key genes for root growth and increased root hair length (Matsumiya and Kubo 2011).
• Stress response. Regulation of phytohormones and antioxidants that develop a defense against biotic and abiotic stress. The prolonged application of Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (PHV) causes a conditioning effect on the plant, so that it has a rapid response to adverse events (Colla et al., 2014).
SUCCESS STORY IN CHILE WITH PEPTAMIN®
A research carried out by Avium, whose technical director is the agricultural engineer Carlos Tapia, on the use of a product based on PHV concentrated at 31% of peptides and amino acids of plant origin in order to improve the general condition of the fruit, was carried out in the 2020/21 season, in Teno, Maule Region, in an orchard of the Regina variety. PHV was applied at a dose of 200 and 400 cc/hL in 5 phenological states: jacket fall (CCh); 6 days after CCh; 12 days after CCh; 18 days after CCh; and veraison. The response of the plants was higher with respect to the increase in weight and diameter of the fruits, as well as in the percentage of accumulated caliber over 28 mm, as seen in Table 1. The results in these parameters were statistically significant and when comparing T0 with T2, the fruit larger than 28 mm shows an increase of 113%.
| Table 1. Treatment with Peptamin®. | |||
| Treatment | Diameter (mm) | Weight (g) | ∑ > 28 mm (S. Jumbo) |
| T0 Field Prog. | 25.8 a | 9.6 a | 24.8 a |
| T1 HPV 200cc/Hl | 26.3 b | 10.2 b | 37.6 a |
| T2 PVH 400cc/Hl | 26.9 c | 10.8 c | 52.8 b |
| Tukey p 0.05 | |||
In addition, a significant difference was observed in other parameters in fruit at harvest, such as bound calcium, magnesium and zinc. There was no significant difference in the other parameters, but there was a tendency to increase the levels of dry matter, soluble solids, potassium, phosphorus, iron and boron.
There were no differences in harvest with regard to colour and penetration resistance (durofel).
How to obtain this innovative product? In-pacta develops a consultative sales with its clients, distributing its products directly.
In Chile, Hello Nature PHV is distributed under the name Peptamin®, and in other countries under the name Trainer® or Aquamin®.
