Agrocelhone NE® en la Floricultura Moderna: Eficiencia Sanitaria, Repoblación Microbiana Exponencial y su Impacto en la Productividad del Suelo

1. Physiological and Agroecological Context in Intensive Floriculture

Intensive cut-flower production in Ecuador—including greenhouse-grown roses and summer flowers such as Gypsophila, Hypericum, Delphinium, Limonium, and Stock—requires plants with high metabolic activity and vigorous root systems capable of sustaining the continuous removal of biomass through harvesting.

In untreated soils, or in soils subject to inadequate sanitation practices, plants are exposed to ongoing stress caused by nematode pressure (Meloidogyne spp., Nacobbus spp., Pratylenchus spp.), soilborne fungal complexes (Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora spp.), and bacterial pathogens such as Agrobacterium spp. and Erwinia spp.

Under this constant pressure, plants are forced to divert key energy resources—including ATP, photoassimilates, and nitrogen—toward phytoalexin production, reinforcement of defensive cell walls, and the continuous regeneration of damaged root tissue.

The direct result is reduced plant vigor, uneven crop development across production beds, and a significant decline in export-grade quality.

2. Mode of Action and Chemical Dynamics within the Soil Profile

Agrocelhone NE® is a technical formulation based on the synergistic action of two complementary active ingredients: 1,3-Dichloropropene, a highly volatile nematicidal and insecticidal compound, and Chloropicrin, a broad-spectrum fungicide, bactericide, and nematicide.

2.1. Soil Diffusion and Residue Degradation

Unlike older fumigants characterized by greater environmental persistence, the 1,3-Dichloropropene + Chloropicrin combination is highly mobile within the soil environment, allowing effective diffusion through both macro- and micropores across the active soil profile, typically from 0 to 40 cm in depth.

Chromatographic dissipation studies conducted by AQL / Laboratorio Munuera show that between 8 and 12 days after application, concentrations of both active ingredients fall below analytical detection limits (LOD).

The compounds subsequently break down into simpler inorganic forms, releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and plant-available forms of nitrogen such as nitrate (NO₃⁻).

Rather than leaving the soil biologically sterile over the long term, the degradation process associated with Agrocelhone NE® contributes carbon dioxide and soluble mineral forms that can support the subsequent recovery and activity of beneficial soil microorganisms.

3. The “Beneficial Rebound Effect”: Soil Microbial Dynamics after Treatment

A common misconception surrounding chemical soil fumigation is that it produces permanent biological sterility. With Agrocelhone NE®, however, the sanitation process is followed by a microbiological restructuring phase that can favor rapid recolonization of the rhizosphere once pathogen pressure has been reduced.

This process can be understood as a vacant ecological niche effect, in which the removal of dominant pathogens creates favorable conditions for beneficial native or reintroduced microorganisms.

• Release of Ecological Niches: The suppression of aggressive plant pathogens such as Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora spp., and Meloidogyne spp. reduces competition for space and nutrients within the rhizosphere.

• Greater Availability of Metabolic Substrates: Carbon compounds generated during fumigant degradation, together with organic residues associated with inactivated microorganisms, contribute to the pool of substrates available to recolonizing microbial populations.

• Accelerated Population Growth: Once competitive pathogen pressure has been reduced, beneficial native or intentionally introduced microorganisms can colonize available niches rapidly. Antagonistic fungi such as Trichoderma spp. and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), including Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, may therefore establish more efficiently and enter a phase of accelerated logarithmic growth.

The figure illustrates changes in soil microbial populations over time following disinfection with Agrocelhone NE® (1,3-Dichloropropene + Chloropicrin):

• Day 0 – Application / Injection: During chemical soil disinfection, the overall microbial population decreases sharply as part of the sanitation process.

• Day 0 to Day 15 – Degradation Phase: The product dissipates and breaks down into simpler compounds, with the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and mineral nitrogen forms such as nitrate (NO₃⁻). This process prepares the soil for subsequent biological recolonization while active fumigant residues decline.

• Day 15 – Planting and Biological Inoculation: With pathogen populations substantially reduced and ecological niches newly available, the soil is positioned for planting and the establishment of beneficial microbial inoculants.

• Day 30 to Day 60 – Establishment and Production: Beneficial microorganisms such as Trichoderma spp., Bacillus spp., and other PGPR can expand rapidly within the rhizosphere, contributing to root health, nutrient dynamics, and overall crop productivity.

4. Energy Reallocation: From Plant Defense to Productive Growth

One of the key physiological advantages of preventive soil disinfection with Agrocelhone NE® is the reduction of chronic root-zone stress associated with soilborne pathogens.

By significantly reducing the pathogen load within the upper 40 cm of the active soil profile, plants can allocate fewer metabolic resources to defensive processes and tissue repair.

Instead of continuously directing carbon and energy toward passive and active defense mechanisms, a greater share of photosynthetically derived resources can be redirected toward root development, vegetative growth, flowering, and commercially valuable biomass.

4.1. Rose Production

• Root Health and Vigor: Development of abundant secondary and tertiary roots with reduced incidence of galls, lesions, and necrotic tissue.

• Basal Shoot Production: Improved induction of vigorous, high-diameter basal shoots, increasing the potential number of harvestable stems per plant per year.

• Stem-Length Distribution: Lower incidence of short stems in the 40–50 cm categories and a greater proportion of stems within higher-value commercial lengths of 70–90+ cm.

• Nutrient-Use Efficiency: A biologically active soil environment following treatment can favor the establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), supporting phosphorus availability and uptake in Ecuador’s phosphorus-fixing volcanic soils.

4.2. Summer Flowers

• Greater Crop Uniformity: In determinate-cycle crops, reduced pathogen pressure during early rooting promotes more uniform establishment and development across production blocks.

• Inflorescence Quality and Bunch Weight: Greater root volume can improve the uptake of key nutrients such as calcium and boron, contributing to stronger stems, increased fresh bunch weight, and reduced flower-bud abortion.

5. Field Evaluations: Productive Performance

Table 1. Comparative Agronomic Response Matrix vs. Conventionally Managed Soils

6. Regulatory Framework, Environmental Responsibility, and International Registration

Agrocelhone NE® supports the environmental and social compliance requirements of Ecuador’s export-oriented flower farms through adherence to the applicable regulatory framework and established standards for agricultural use.

• Andean Regulatory Compliance: Agrocelhone NE® holds official registration as an Agricultural Chemical Pesticide (PQUA – Plaguicida Químico de Uso Agrícola), in accordance with regulatory requirements for biological efficacy and risk assessment.

• Environmental Management Plans (EMP): Its use is incorporated into Environmental Management Plans approved and audited under the guidelines of Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition. Application through closed drip-irrigation systems, combined with high-barrier plastic films for soil sealing, is designed to maximize operational safety and minimize the risk of off-target environmental emissions.

• International Experience and Research: Agrocelhone NE® has been manufactured since 1996 by Agroquímicos de Levante (AQL) at its production facility in Spain, under a continuous research, development, and innovation framework. The technology is currently present and authorized in more than 35 countries across five continents.

7. Conclusions

• 1. Biological and Energy Efficiency: Soil disinfection with Agrocelhone NE® not only reduces populations of damaging soilborne pathogens; it also reduces the physiological burden associated with continuous root defense, allowing the plant to allocate more of its resources toward growth, yield, and export-quality flower production.

• 2. Soil Biological Recovery: The rapid dissipation of the active ingredients, followed by the availability of ecological niches for recolonization, creates favorable conditions for the re-establishment of beneficial microbial communities within the rhizosphere.

• 3. Profitability per Square Meter: A greater proportion of commercially valuable long stems, combined with lower plant mortality and improved crop uniformity, can significantly enhance productivity per unit area, positioning Agrocelhone NE® as a high-value agronomic tool for modern floriculture in Ecuador.