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Abiotic stress resistance technology

Our biostimulant technology, branded under the name AletheaTM, improves crop quality and yield by helping to mitigate the effects of common abiotic stresses such as heat, drought and salinity.

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Key benefits of Alethea
  • Increases antioxidant production in crops.
  • Improves resilience against abiotic stress.
  • Improves crop quality and yield.
  • Compatible with other agrochemical foliar sprays.
Why is control of abiotic stress important?

Under normal, stress-free conditions, plants contain low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxides (O2-) and hydrogen peroxides (H2O2) which are controlled by the plants own antioxidants. However, abiotic stresses often create more ROS than the plant can cope with. These ROS can cause cell damage to the plant, compromising crop yield and quality.

Alethea mode of action

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How does Alethea work?

Alethea contains a novel combination of plant signalling analogues that can cause plants to increase their antioxidant production. This helps them deal with elevated ROS levels and therefore mitigate the effects of abiotic stress.

Watch this animation to learn more.
Photo of abiotic stress experiment. Plant sprayed with just paraquat is pale and withered. Plant sprayed with Alethea and then paraquat is lush

Alethea experimental data

Plant Impact collaborated with Lancaster University while developing Alethea technology. As part of this research programme we sprayed Alethea on dwarf bean plants before applying the active ingredient of paraquat, a well-known herbicide. Paraquat application causes plants to produce large amounts of ROS, resulting in severe cell damage. It therefore provides a very useful model stress to enable demonstration of the stress mitigation effects of Alethea.
Both plants in this photograph were treated equally with paraquat. The plant on the right had been pre-treated 24 hours earlier with Alethea, and demonstrates much less cell damage than the plant on the left with no Alethea treatment.
 
Products that contain Alethea technology
Interested in learning more about our abiotic stress resistance technology?