Building crop resilience with Kelpak

• Written by Paul Hills, Head of Research, Development and Innovation at Kelpak

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What is abiotic stress?

Abiotic stress refers to non-living, environmental pressures that limit plant growth and yield, including water scarcity, temperature extremes, salinity and nutrient limitations. These conditions disrupt plant metabolism, reduce photosynthesis and ultimately compromise yield potential.

Plants cannot escape these pressures and instead rely on complex internal processes to retain water, stabilise cells and limit oxidative damage.

From stress response to stress readiness

Modern crop solutions are shifting from helping plants respond to stress, to preparing them in advance. This concept, known as priming, supports the plant’s natural ability to better withstand environmental pressure while maintaining productivity.

Kelpak® is derived from Ecklonia maxima, a kelp species adapted to the highly dynamic conditions of South Africa’s west coast. Through a cold Cellburst™ extraction process, naturally occurring compounds are preserved during the extraction process and introduced to the plant, where they stimulate root development and activate key physiological pathways associated with stress tolerance.

Building resilience through plant physiology

Kelpak’s impact under stress conditions is well documented. Under drought, applications have been shown to increase root and shoot biomass, supporting improved water uptake and plant stability. In saline environments, Kelpak helps reduce oxidative stress while supporting chlorophyll content and nutrient balance.

A recent greenhouse rose trial conducted in Colombia provides a clear example of how these physiological benefits translate into measurable performance under stress conditions. Kelpak-treated plants developed up to 4.5 times greater root biomass, alongside up to 5.4 times higher water and nutrient extraction capacity compared to untreated plants. This enhanced root system supports improved resilience by enabling more efficient resource uptake.

In addition, treated plants demonstrated improved photosynthetic efficiency, including more effective electron transport and reduced energy loss through heat dissipation. Plants maintained more stable leaf temperatures and showed reduced oxidative stress, contributing to more consistent physiological performance under variable conditions.