- Author: Zheng Wang
This is a challenging year. Due to the COVID-19, we only implemented one biostimulant trial. We collaborated with BioWorks, Inc. to evaluate the use of a biofungicide (Root Shield Plus) and biofertilizer (On-Gard) alone or in combination to impact watermelon growth and yield production. Three application treatments plus a nontreated control was arranged in a commercial watermelon field in Turlock. All application followed manufacturer recommended rates at the following timings as a foliar spray. Each treatment row is 40 feet long containing 7 seedless plants and 2 pollenizers. Watermelon plants were placed in single rows of 80-inch wide beds with 6 feet apart.
| Treatments | Timings |
| RootShield Plus and On-Gard (RSP and OG) |
Rootshield: 2 and 6 weeks after transplanting; On-Gard: 2 weeks after transplanting and then every other week until before the first harvest |
| RootShield alone (RSP) | 2 and 6 weeks after transplanting |
| On-Gard alone (OG) | 2 weeks after transplanting and then every other week until before the first harvest |
| Non-treated control | Same volume of water was applied at each product application. |
Two harvests were conducted on July 15 and 29, 2020. Fruit were weighed, counted, and fruit from the first harvest were brought to the lab for quality analysis, including Brix, rind thickness, fruit length and width, and hollow heart rating. Also, leaf chlorophyll concentration and NDVI were measured throughout the season. The data are included in the following tables except for NDVI readings.
Fruit yield from the first and second harvest on July 15 and 29, 2020.
|
Treatment |
Total number per plot |
Total weight (lbs. per plot) |
Avg. fruit wt. (lbs.) |
|||
|
|
1st harvest |
2nd harvest |
1st harvest |
2nd harvest |
1st harvest |
2nd harvest |
|
RSP and OG |
17 |
9 |
336 |
183 |
20.2 |
21.3 |
|
RSP |
16 |
9 |
300 |
186 |
18.8 |
20.9 |
|
OG |
16 |
13 |
338 |
292 |
20.7 |
22.9 |
|
Non-treated control |
11 |
6 |
228 |
135 |
20.1 |
22.2 |
|
P value |
0.38 |
0.04 |
0.30 |
0.05 |
0.02 |
0.63 |
|
LSD0.05 |
7 |
5 |
145 |
111 |
1.5 |
3.1 |
Fruit quality measured using the fruit from the first harvest.
|
Treatment |
Brix |
Rind thickness (mm) |
Width (in.) |
Length (in.) |
Hollow heart |
Chlorophyll conc. (umol/m2) |
|
RSP and OG |
12.3 |
14.6 |
10.6 |
11.4 |
2.0 |
593 |
|
RSP |
12.2 |
16.3 |
10.6 |
11.3 |
2.2 |
637 |
|
OG |
12.2 |
15.2 |
10.8 |
11.3 |
2.0 |
632 |
|
Non-treated control |
12.0 |
12.7 |
10.7 |
11.5 |
1.2 |
659 |
|
P value |
0.82 |
0.01 |
0.55 |
0.86 |
0.17 |
0.43 |
|
LSD0.05 |
0.60 |
1.70 |
0.41 |
0.63 |
1.01 |
93 |
Yield from the combination of the two harvests.
|
Treatment |
Total number per plot |
Total weight (lbs. per plot) |
Avg. fruit wt. (lbs.) |
|
RSP and OG |
25 |
519 |
20.4 |
|
RSP |
25 |
485 |
29.5 |
|
OG |
29 |
631 |
21.7 |
|
Non-treated control |
17 |
362 |
20.8 |
|
P value |
0.05 |
0.02 |
0.08 |
|
LSD0.05 |
7 |
135 |
1.6 |
- Author: Zheng Wang
The biostimulant trials were conducted during the summer of 2019 with the collaborations of two companies. Study results have been reported to the California tomato growers and industry. Please check the attached file for the access to the results.
biostimulant summer trials 2019
- Author: Zheng Wang
Recently, two evaluation trials of crop biostimulants in Patterson were harvested. These two trials involved a Calcium-based and fungi-containing products, aiming to maintain yield and plant health, and protect crop quality. Ten and eight plants were hand harvested from the respective trial. Fruit were then sorted by their quality, placed in designated buckets, and weighed separately. Plant aboveground biomass was measured after fruit were picked. Red/marketable fruit were subsampled, brought to quality station in Modesto, and measured for pH, Brix, Color reading, and titratable acidity. All results are being analyzed, and final reports will be synthesized soon.
- Author: Zheng Wang
How crop growth responds to biostimulant application is important for growers to know the product efficacy. Besides fruit yield, other parameters are equally important as indicators to show the effects. Herein, we use NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) meter to assess the live green vegetation of processing tomatoes. The NDVI values range from 0-1. The higher the value, the more green canopies are observed.
- Author: Zheng Wang
Our crop biostimulant evaluation trial on processing tomato started on early May 2019. Two biostimulant products aiming to enhance plant nutrient content will be applied as a foliar spray at different tomato growth stage. Recently, the first application was completed at the flower stage on June 4, 2019. More applications will be conducted soon. Eventually, we will do side-by-side comparisons between treated and non-treated control on tomato fruit yield, sugar content, and other quality indices.
