Bacterial inoculant for tubers

Aug 21, 2023

Published: May 11, 2023

Crops

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Application of XiteBio Tuber+ inoculant on potatoes showed a return on investment of $155.19 per acre last year in McCains Food trials in southern Manitoba.

XiteBio Technologies received Canadian Food Inspection Agency registration earlier this year.

XiteBio spokesperson Richard Clement said commercial trials at Shilo, Manitoba have increased potato production by an average of 10 to 44 bags per acre in the last few years.

“As a living organism, it doesn’t get used up by the crop. A commercial fertilizer is consumed by the plant. A soil bacteria is not consumed,” Clement said.

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“The McCain trial with a per-acre benefit of $155 is significant, but we’ve had (American) growers reporting ROI even better than that in plot trials.”

The inoculant can be applied in-furrow during planting or at early post-emergence. It’s compatible with commonly used liquid fertilizers and pesticides. It is not an alternative to phosphate fertilizer, rather it increases the efficiency of phosphate fertilizer.

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The new product is based on XiteBio’s P-solubilizing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) technology. The active ingredient is a strain of a bacteria called Bacillus firmus. This bacterium was originally identified and isolated in Manitoba soils. It’s proven adaptable to different soil types and climatic conditions with tuber trials conducted in Ontario, North Dakota, Wisconsin, as well as Carberry, Brandon and Winkler in Manitoba and Taber, Alta.

Clement said XiteBio Tuber+ enhances phosphate availability so cost of production per unit decreases, and helps produce more potatoes on the same number of acres while increasing profitability.

The inoculant will be available in spring.

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