Fairking Ltd and Itaka Crop Solution partner on biological programme for high value medicinal crop

An innovative seed treatment of beneficial microorganisms is being applied to borage for the first time, following collaboration between Itaka Crop Solution, leaders in the use of biorationals, and Fairking Ltd, a speciality grower and producer of natural plant oils. KONCIA Borage was launched (on 12 March 2019) at a Fairking Ltd growers meeting.

KONCIA Borage provides a ‘starter pack' of microorganisms that would naturally be found in undisturbed soil around the roots of established plants. This area, known as the Rhizosphere, supports the resilience and growth of the plant by creating a similar environment from the outset. KONCIA Borage provides bio-stimulation, supporting rapid emergence, strong root development and vigorous development of the plant.

Borage (Borago officinalis) is a valuable herb that provides an excellent plant source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA). This valuable fatty acid is an anti-inflammatory and an important medication for conditions such as arthritis and nerve pain caused by diabetes, and also for skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis.

Working with Dutch company De Wit Speciality Oils, Fairking Ltd is one of the biggest producers of borage seeds in the world and has specialist knowledge of its cultivation. It works closely with its growers to ensure a premium product. To support this, it has partnered with Itaka to develop the first microbial seed enhancement for borage.

KONCIA Borage is approved by the Soil Association for use in organic farming. The product is completely natural, and safe for both the environment and the operators.

Itaka Crop Solution is an international leader in the use of beneficial microorganisms and naturally occurring products to boost crop resilience and performance. It has recently established its head office in the UK and KONCIA Borage is the first in a range of seed treatments under development.

Stephen Beal, leading Seed Treatment Strategy and Development at Itaka, comments:

"KONCIA Borage is a revolutionary seed treatment containing beneficial organisms which we believe will provide the very best start for the borage crop. A unique combination of microbes will enhance the seed in all conditions producing a more vigorous and healthy crop. . By partnering with Fairking Ltd we have created a programme of treatments specifically for this high value crop, boosting its performance.

Andrew Fairs, CEO of Fairking Ltd, explains: "Borage is the richest plant source of GLA. It is therefore a high value crop. This novel seed treatment will allow rapid establishment of a crop, enhancing its resilience to adverse environmental conditions.

The Rhizosphere is a region of the soil directly around the roots; here sugars and proteins from the roots provide food for beneficial microorganisms including bacteria and fungi, which in return make nutrients from the soil more available to the plant. An important element of this is the creation of a strong root system and it has been found that microorganisms occurring naturally in undisturbed soil stimulate root development.

KONCIA Borage offers the same benefit to plants grown in cultivated soil, where the population of microorganisms have been depleted.

It is a novel treatment that coats the seed with a unique formula of beneficial microorganisms including mycorrhizae (glomus intraradices, glomus), and bacteria such as Bacillus sp. and Azotobacter sp. responsible for nitrogen fixation. With a shelf life of many months, it allows sowing to be performed under optimum conditions.

Itaka recommend completing the programme on Borage by stimulating the presence of microorganisms during entire plant cycle using specific solutions. By adhering to this programme the presence of beneficial microorganisms are increased around the roots and leaves, enhancing plant vigour and resilience.

About Itaka Crop Solution (www.itakasolution.com)

Itaka Crop Solution is an international leader in the use of beneficial microorganisms and naturally occurring products to boost crop resilience and performance.

By working closely with growers Itaka has developed a programme of natural solutions to enhance the development of a healthy plant.

Its products are certified by the Soil Association for use on organic farms but can equally be used by conventional farmers, who want to improve soil health and the vitality of crops.


About Fairking Limited (www.fairking.co.uk)

Fairking Ltd is an independent, family run Farming and Seed Merchanting Business based on the Essex/Suffolk border, with a focus on the development of niche crops to bring local variety back to the UK consumer and grower.

Having grown, cleaned and traded many of these crops for over 30 years on their own farm, they can offer farmers an opportunity to expand the diversity of their businesses through close links with a number of buyers, providing back-to-back contracts and reducing the volatility in an ever