Agrizest FAQ

Agrizest is a unique Kiwi technology proven to increase plant health and orchard gate returns (OGR) in New Zealand orchards for over 10 years.

Agrizest is an elicitor (or a trigger) of the phenylpropanoid pathway, it increases plant health and productivity by evoking and strengthening the plant’s immune system.

Agrizest helps plants naturally resist stress and damage and improves growth, resilience, fruit quality and yield.

In green kiwifruit orchards, for example, just four sprays result in a minimum increase in orchard gate returns of $5000 per hectare.

Agrizest is manufactured from plant extracts, fatty acids, phospholipids, plant compatible organic acids & wetting agents.

Agrizest is not a seaweed fertiliser, microbial brew or fermented product.

Agrizest works indirectly to elicit phenylpropanoids to reduce stress and increase plant perfomance.

All plants have receptors on their surfaces so, rather than directly feeding the plant or targeting a specific pest or disease, Agrizest is designed to be registered by these receptors which then elicits, or triggers, a plant response.

Agrizest is manufactured from various plant derived materials. Proteins, fats and phospholipids are extracted and re-formed so that, when applied to plants, they mimic the attack of pest, disease and environmental stress without causing any actual damage to the plant. The plant reacts to Agrizest applications by producing Phenylpropanoids.

Phenylpropanoids are a range of bioactive molecules, naturally produced by all plants, responsible for important plant and fruit quality characteristics. They also support the repair, growth and defence systems (immune systems) of plants.

Examples include lignin and suberin to harden cells and produce crunchier fruit, flavanoids for improved flavour, anthocyanins for high colour and coumestrol and other oils to repair damage. When Agrizest is applied to plants it triggers and elicits the production of these molecules, ultimately enabling optimal plant health and fruit quality.

Agrizest is not a hormone spray, fortified seaweed or fertiliser and does not leave any residue.

• Improved plant and vine health & resilience,

• Reduced damage and stress caused by pest, disease & environmental factors,

• Improved fruit quality (dry matter, colour, flavour, reduced damage and rejects) and increased yield

Ultimately leading to: Increased Orchard gate returns 

For example: trials in green kiwifruit demonstrate that Agrizest will result in a minimum increase of $5000 per hectare. In gold kiwifruit increases of up $20000 per hectare can be achieved.

In apples, for example, Agrizest improves colour and fruit finish as well as yield to significantly increase returns.

The 4 sprays will cost a total of $368+gst per hectare.

We also recommend Primazest for early season kiwifruit growth and new grafts ($39.50 per litre).

You can order Agrizest directly from us. You can order by phone or email but the best way to order is online – you don’t need a credit card or Paypal account (although these are both options). We will send you an invoice and our payment terms are 20th of the month following your order.

Please get your orders in early so you can apply Agrizest on time to ensure the best results.

No.

Merchants may say they have a product that is the same but we advise you to check their claims, data and the cost of these products in their country of manufacture (Agrizest is manufactured by us here in NZ).

No.

Agrizest does not directly feed the plant. Seaplant extract is just one of the plant extracts we use but it is a small percentage of the product.

We have heard of a number of merchants selling products as “just like Agrizest”. We have tested some of these fertilisers against Agrizest. Agrizest has significantly outperformed the other products in trials.

Agrizest is a unique product, developed by us here in NZ, manufactured by us in NZ and tested and proven on Kiwi orchards.

No, in fact Agrizest reduces physiological problems e.g. misshapen fruit and improves fruit finish.

In an apple trial damage from mites was reduced by 80% while fruit quality measures (colour, firmness and fruit weight) all increased. The result was a 30% increase in production and increased OGR.

Agrizest leaves no residue.

Kiwifruit, Avocados, Blueberries and other berry fruit, Grapes, Apples & other fruit trees: Agrizest is specifically designed for woody crops and vines.

4 times per season.

Kiwifruit: Twice 2-3 weeks before flowering. Twice immediately after flowering.

Primazest can be applied early in the growing season (from the 2-leaf stage) or on new orchards/grafts to reduce stress from copper application or weather conditions such as frost or high winds and to support energy production during early growth stages.

The application rate is 1 litre per hectare.

All 4 sprays of Agrizest are necessary to maximise improvements in yield & quality. This programme follows years of research and development and field trials to ensure the programme optimises results.

Water rate: Typical rates are 1 litre of product to 500-1500 litres of water per hectare. The water rate you use depends on your sprayers and the canopy but always ensure the application rate of Agrizest is 1 litre per hectare.

No.

Agrizest should be applied when the leaves are as dry as possible. Agrizest is effective on contact so it is not a problem if it rains immediately after application.

Yes.

Both Agrizest and Primazest are compatible with most commonly used orchard sprays. We recommend you test compatibility with additional products prior to application.

Do not mix with copper, hormones such as Actigard and CPPU or spraying oil.

Wetting agents are not required.

Yes.

Agrizest (and Primazest) has been classified by the Ministry of Primary Industries – MPI – (ACVM Group) and is exempt from registration.

For kiwifruit: Agrizest (and Primazest) is included in the Zespri Allowed Other Compounds (AOC) list and can be added to your spray calendar.

All of our products are approved by BioGro as inputs for organic production.

Yes you can – however Agrizest has been used on NZ orchards for 14 years. A large number of trials have been carried out over nearly 20 years – on different fruit, varieties, different seasons and districts. The benefits are well proven.

However, if you still feel you would like to spend the time and effort carrying out a trial, you can do so. One key error that has been made in the past is that the trial blocks have been thinned to the extent that it is impossible for the yield to increase (either compared to previous years or the control block). You must allow the Agrizest treated block to carry more fruit: Agrizest will enable the vines to carry a higher crop of good quality fruit. You must carry out cosmetic thinning only – to both the treated and control blocks.

Please contact us for the trial protocol – we can help with trial design.

Yes.

Multiple commercial scale trials in different orchards, in different districts and over several production seasons have been carried out -beginning before Agrizest was available for sale and continuing (as recently as last season).

Trials have been scientifically designed, carried out on kiwifruit orchards at a commercial scale to establish the effect of Agrizest treatments and the commercial benefits.

To reduce experimental errors, the trials have been carried out using split block design, large blocks and total crop analysis rather than using conventional small plot replicate design. Where sampling has been employed statistical analyses are applied.
The commercial scale orchard trial design accounts for the following: large block trials were carried out to eliminate random errors (it is difficult to find truly identical blocks to accommodate replicates at scale), the total crop was evaluated to eliminate sampling errors, and quality and yield aspects were electronically measured and recorded to avoid human subjective assessment errors.

Post-harvest, industry standard harvest clearance test results reports were used. At harvest, the total crop from the test blocks was graded and packed by independent packhouses. The electronically captured yield and quality data were generated by grading and packing machines at the growers’ nominated packhouses.

The electronically recorded quality and yield reports were obtained from the packhouses and were converted to per hectare basis for comparison. The New Zealand kiwifruit industry standardised forecast payment schedules published by Zespri International Limited were used to calculate the financial returns.

The following is an outline of trial protocol:

• Large block trials are required to eliminate random errors,

• The total crop is evaluated to reduce sampling errors

• Quality and yield aspects are electronically detected or measured to avoid human subjective assessment errors.

• While statistical analyses are employed where appropriate, our final measure of product success is that the results, quantitative or qualitative, must be obviously different. We expect the increase in returns to be large so that a farmer perusing the data will readily accept that Agrizest has delivered beneficial results.

• The farm gate return per hectare is the true measure of success.

Independent Application, Monitoring, Harvest and Packing:

• Agrizest is to be applied by farmers or their contractors.

• Pre harvest testing for harvest clearance is to be carried out by independent laboratories approved by the industry.

• The crop, pest and disease monitoring during the production season are carried out by independent contractors.

• At harvest, the total crop from the test blocks must be graded and packed by an independent pack-house.

• Yield and quality data is to be electronically assessed (generated by the grading and packing machines at the growers’ nominated pack-house).

Yes.

Throughout the development of Agrizest, the technology and benefits have been subjected to various peer review processes.

Our paper, Cell signalling compound improves pasture and livestock productivity and the environment, has been published by the respected publisher, Springer.

This paper primarily focuses on our product Biozest, for pastoral farming, but, because Agrizest and Biozest are derived from the same technology platform, the plant response mechanisms and scientific detail apply to Agrizest too. The introduction section of the paper will be of particular interest to growers.

The technology was submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for examination. Our claims under novelty, inventive steps and industrial applicability were accepted. Therefore, there is no other comparable technological product in the market, we have full freedom to operate.

The Research and Development arm of Zest (Indigo Limited) was also a finalist in the PricewaterhouseCoopers New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards 2007.

Our efforts were also recognised in 2013 when chief scientist and founder Nathan Balasingham was nominated by scientific peers from over 60 countries for the biotechnology individual section of the World Technology Awards.

We have presented at several International Science Conferences for example:

• 1st International Symposium on Bacterial Canker of Kiwifruit (Psa), Mt Mauganui, 2013

• ISHS XII International Symposium on Plant Bioregulators in Fruit Production, Orlando, Florida 2013.

• 2nd World Congress on the use of Biostimulants in Agriculture, Florence, Italy, 2015

The science that enabled us to develop this unique technology is well established.

As this is established science, a literature search on any aspects of the science will reveal numerous scientific references some going back decades.

Our paper, Cell signalling compound improves pasture and livestock productivity and the environment, has been published by the respected publisher, Springer.

This paper primarily focuses on our product Biozest, for pastoral farming, but, because Agrizest and Biozest are derived from the same technology platform, the plant response mechanisms and scientific detail apply to Agrizest too. The introduction section of the paper will be of particular interest to growers.

Summary of the Science of Agrizest:

Farmers are often seeking to increase the overall productivity of their operation, and the quality of their produce. There is a need to improve tolerance of crops to environmental stressors such as frost, drought, nutrient and mineral deficiencies, salinity and toxicity to ensure sustainably high yields and consistently high quality crops. Plants, have an innate repair, growth and defence system: the immune system (Vallad and Goodman, 2004; Dixon and Paiva, 1995; Nejat and Mantri, 2017). Strengthening the immune system against abiotic stress will reduce the impact of Psa disease on productivity of kiwifruit vines (Ferrante et al., 2012; Ferrante and Scortichini, 2014; Scortichini et al., 2014). Development of copper resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) in kiwifruit orchards (Colombi et al., 2017; Petriccione et al., 2017) has increased the need to strengthen the immune system of kiwifruit vines to reduce the impact of the disease and sustain productivity. All organisms have membrane-bound receptors that can recognize foreign molecules and ligands (Tuteja, 2009; Tö R et al., 2009). The membrane bound receptors are also sensitive to environmental changes (Osakabe et al., 2013). Organisms can thus interact with other organisms, co-habit with other organisms in their environment, respond to pests and pathogens and interact with symbionts, the soil and the environment. Signal molecules from the pathogen, or from the host that are able to trigger defence responses are known as effectors or elicitors (Maffei, 2012). Elicitors vary in their chemical nature and many protein, lipid, glycoprotein, and carbohydrate elicitors have been characterized and identified (Bektas and Eulgem, 2014). Effectors are pathogen associated proteins. By sensing the biochemical composition of organic molecules or change in environment, the innate immune system activates the appropriate defense response.
There are three groups of ligands (Panstruga et al., 2009) that can bring about two types of plant immune responses. Firstly, protein effector molecules from the pathogen that attach to effector recognition receptors and elicit the phenolic hormone salicylic acid mediated immune response. Salicylic acid mediated derivatives that are elicited by pathogen effectors are important for resistance to biotrophic pathogens that rely on living plant cells for nutrients. The second group, hormones, potassium and phosphate (Reuveni and Reuveni, 1998), are also salicylic acid modulated system elicitors. The third group are ligands that attach to molecular pattern recognition receptors. The ligands that attach to molecular pattern recognition receptors induce the octadeconoid pathway (Schaller, 2001). Basic molecules like peroxides are produced as the first line of defence and the phytohormones, jasmonic acid and ethylene, are biosynthesised. Jasmonic acid interacts with ethylene to up regulate resistance to necrotrophic pathogens. The molecular pattern recognition receptors are also sensitive to environmental changes (Osakabe et al., 2013). If the signaling at the molecular pattern recognition receptors persists, the hormones jasmonic acid and ethylene, through a yet to be defined mechanism, are able to upregulate phenylalanine ammonia lyase (Zhang and Liu, 2015; Jalapour et al., 2014) resulting in the production of a cascade of phenylpropanoids. The next level of defence reactions is activated.
Phenylpropanoids play important roles in plant structure, plant growth and development, as well as in plant defences against biotic and abiotic stresses (Dixon and Paiva, 1995). Phenylpropanoids have many functions such as: determining the colours in flowers, fruits, seeds and leaves; determining flavours in fruit and vegetables; strengthening cell walls; determining male fertility in some species; involvement in defence as antimicrobial agents; involvement as feeding deterrents; production of esters for fruit and wine bouquet and scent for pollination and defence; and UV protection. Phenylpropanoids also play a key role in signalling between plants and microbes, the repair of physical or physiological damage and in cold tolerance (Dixon and Paiva, 1995; Harrison and Baldwin, 2004; Hassan and Mathesius, 2012). The knowledge that membrane bound receptor cells can detect the molecular pattern of foreign molecules and signal to cells within to produce a cascade of phenylpropanoids that strengthen the plants immune system has enabled the invention of an agricultural compound: Agrizest. Data and observations from several crops support the hypothesis that the membrane bound receptors on plants recognize and react to Agrizest applications: inducing and sustaining the innate production of phenylpropanoid cascades.