A new plant supplement, which the manufacturers are claiming increases yield by as much as 30 per cent, has entered the Jamaican market.

The product, which is manufactured by Agro Nanotechnology Corporation out of the United States and distributed by NG Caribbean, uses nanotechnology to boost the nutrition uptake of plants even during adverse weather conditions such as drought.

The revolutionary product, as it is being touted, pushes plants to optimise nutrient absorption from the soil to promote growth by sending chemical signals that trigger resource optimising mechanisms. According to a brochure about the new organic supplement referred to as Nano Gro, "using this unique information, based technology, plants can grow bigger, healthier with more of the important nutrients that make them desirable".

President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Senator Norman Grant, in endorsing the new plant enhancer that will be distributed through the farmers' organisation network across the island, said the product will allow farmers to become more competitive and earn more profits through increased growth and yields. "We have no doubt that this product ... is going to result in Jamaica surging forward to take back its pride of place in the market," he said.

Affordable

"Based on the numbers that I have seen and what I have read of Nano Gro, it is a product that the average farmer can afford and is able to apply," Senator Grant noted.

"You don't have to hire any technicians to come from abroad; once we apply basic technology the farmers can use that and they will see the increase in their profit," he added.

The manufacturers say it can be applied to most varieties of fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, legumes and succulents, and that it is safe to be used by organic growers as it has been certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute.

Senator Grant said the JAS, which has the exclusive distribution rights, was currently in discussions with major retailers of agricultural goods to have the product available in their stores.

The plant enhancer comes in pellet form, with a concentration of one pellet per pound of seeds and will be sold for the equivalent of US$2 per pellet.

john.myers@gleanerjm.com