A new independent study from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has shown positive effects of SILVIVO® on the establishment and growth of Scots pine seedlings. The findings provide further support for Cropcision’s technology under practical forest conditions, while also contributing new insights into how the product interacts with the biological environment around the roots.

The study was carried out as a Master’s thesis by Alexander Martin at SLU, supervised by Sajeevan Radha Sivarajan and Stefan Hupperts. Cropcision provided practical support and technical input during the project.

– It is very encouraging to see the results from another independent study of SILVIVO®, the first commercial application of Cropcision’s precision plant nutrition technology. A warm thank you to Alexander for a thorough and interesting Master’s thesis, and to Sajeevan and Stefan for many valuable discussions throughout the project, says Jonathan Love.

In the study, SILVIVO® increased total seedling biomass, root biomass and root collar diameter on both site-prepared and unprepared sites. On sites that had not been mechanically prepared, seedling survival also improved.

– It is encouraging to see improved establishment and growth under real field conditions. Particularly interesting is that we see positive effects on both site-prepared and unprepared sites, says Jonathan Love.

The study also used metagenomic DNA sequencing techniques to examine the composition of the naturally occurring mycorrhizal community associated with the roots. Mycorrhizal fungi play an important role in processes including nutrient uptake and root health. The researchers found no statistically significant changes in the structure of the mycorrhizal community.

– For us, it is particularly interesting that the seedlings performed better while the study showed no clear restructuring of the naturally occurring mycorrhizal community. This gives us a broader understanding of how the technology performs and what happens in the root zone, says Jonathan Love.

The findings are especially relevant as Cropcision continues to develop its technology platform for further applications in forestry and agriculture.

– Our ambition is to develop solutions that help growers and forest owners get more value from every input. Every independent study that improves our understanding of how the technology performs under field conditions is therefore important, both for SILVIVO® today and for the continued development of Cropcision’s technology. We look forward to exploring these findings further in collaboration with SLU, says Jonathan Love.

The study was conducted over one growing season and does not answer all questions regarding long-term effects. However, the results strengthen the evidence for SILVIVO® as a tool to support early seedling establishment and provide an important basis for continued research and field monitoring.

Read the study:
https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/22546/