Plumbo's newsletter

[pejay]

Seeing good results with an aussie product called growgreen in bulgaria assisting plants against fungal attacks

 

[York]

I think the food source and the fact you would do 3-4 applications at T0, T1, T2 etc would give you plenty of them?

Yes, as long as it fits in your T1 to T... programs all is good....
Sorry folks, who did do some leaf testing before and 2 weeks after the application, besides the combine?
Over here the 1st 150 ha of home saved OSR is approaching harvest without any fungi & Insecti.....
And guess what, NO fancy other input!!!
That is what we need. Healthy plants from the source, bugs which keep the insect larvae in control.
Got a call from a potatoes grower yesterday: no insecticides. some Potatoes beetle larvae, which seem not happy, no other insect detectable.
He has just fun and now he has faith that we can work on getting rid of the Fungi sprays as well.
over here the "Magic" bullets are sprouting like weeds. As long as the plants get green within 2 days it's all good and they will find a market and every one is happy. Big margins are in it, but also needed as every farmer needs freebies, baby sitting.
guess what? My most profitable product has a cost - sales ratio of 1.2 €/piece buying, 7.5 € sales price. Unfortunately a very limited market as it is only a solution for a particular tool. I have already a coverage of 80+% of the market. ;-(
York-Th.

 

[Andy Howard]

Yes, as long as it fits in your T1 to T... programs all is good....
Sorry folks, who did do some leaf testing before and 2 weeks after the application, besides the combine?
Over here the 1st 150 ha of home saved OSR is approaching harvest without any fungi & Insecti.....
And guess what, NO fancy other input!!!
. ;-(
York-Th.

Is he using boron, kieserite and elemental sulphur to get to this stage?

 

[York]

Andy,

Is he using boron, kieserite and elemental sulphur to get to this stage?

Andy,
he is using what is needed.....
I would say: Nice but let's talk in 2 years if he was able to get this result consistently over the years.
Generally I can say that our tissue samples show us this year that S - B - Mg are the major "challenges". Even with 150+ S/ha we have tooo many cases with a N:S ratio 13+:1, which is admittedly tooo wide. Now the 150+S where all applied as sulphates.
I wonder how many of the users of this "Magic mixes" are using tissue samples to verify the effectiveness of the application. OK, tissue samples cost money but don't this mixes & the application not cost money?
York-Th.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Is there a way on analysing tissue samples cheaply yourself?

 

[York]

Is there a way on analysing tissue samples cheaply yourself?

Will,
sure, there are kits for the trunk. cost: several K.
Don't know if the electronic unit, which is used in Africa, is already as accurate as a lab test.
Point of all measuring is: consistency. How consistent are your readings. Now what I mean is: how variable is the human factor. If you have a set up in the trunk, how good is your routine? Because if you alter the steps of doing a bit you have already a influence on the result. Until we have a system where you use a "hand held" electronic which is absolutely automated I prefer a lab which is doing a lot of tissue samples every day so the personal has enough routine to keep the human factor of low influence.
Now, what are the cost's? Over here a full analysis, including all major & minor nutrients, as far as Mo & Co, is costing between 43 to 55,- € & VAT. A lot of "magic sprays" are costing more per ha.
So I know where my interest lies.
Why not make a deal with the suppliers? 2 free samples need to be included in the purchase?
York-Th.

 

[Hartwig]

Regarding low influence of human factor, good routine etc. : last year was my first (and maybe my last) year I did a serie of tissue samples, always 3 or so of different crops every 3 weeks or so. One of this 3 came back with horrible low readings, plants must have been nearly dead. I asked them about it because 3 weeks ago all crops where close to perfect and after a while I became really serious about this, so they promised me to check their numbers and came back a few hours, telling me that all numbers must be multiplied by 10, that`s the real result. It was "just" a human mistake, and it was a professional lab.
So, if there happens such obvious and unbelievable things, how many may happen that aren`t obvious can`t be checked by the customer and makes you spray expensive fertilizer when not needed really or other way round ???

 

[Andy Howard]

Here are some photos from our trials from last week. Changing daily at the moment with this hot weather. Not sure how well photos will show the differences we are seeing in the field. Below is no fungicide with full bio and nutrition. Disease is now onto leaf two and leaf four is gone. More lateral growth habit indicating lower stress.

Next one is fungicide only. Cleaner but leaf four is gone and growth habit is more vertical indicating higher stress levels. Small flag leaves.

The last one is full fungicide, bio and nutrition. Cleanest, leaf four still green, good growth habit, largest leaves and will be surprised if does not yield highest by a margin.

All the ones with nutrition have better growth habit, colour and bigger leaf size but what is important is which gives the best return. This field is light and struggling for moisture so no bumper yields expected unlike trial plots last year. All interesting stuff but a huge learning curve. Variety is solstice.

 

[Andy Howard]

Sorry writing not corresponding with pictures but pictures are in the right order just correct writing not next to each one.

 

[Honest john]

Dear Andy. Are you being Coy. Or can you tell us what has gone on these plots. In the way of Fungicides, Bio N, Foli N, Mega Phos.
Many thanks in advance.
Very good photos.

 

[Andy Howard]

No, it will just take ages. I can give a brief outline later

 

[Andy Howard]

Sorry for confusion but last two photos are the wrong way around.

 

[York]

Sorry for confusion but last two photos are the wrong way around.

so, part of human error

Andy, do you mind in posting detailed pictures of the ears?
York-Th.

 

[Andy Howard]

so, part of human error

Andy, do you mind in posting detailed pictures of the ears?
York-Th.

Yes, not perfect. Will try to get some pictures when I am over that part of the farm.

 

[Feldspar]

Regarding low influence of human factor, good routine etc. : last year was my first (and maybe my last) year I did a serie of tissue samples, always 3 or so of different crops every 3 weeks or so. One of this 3 came back with horrible low readings, plants must have been nearly dead. I asked them about it because 3 weeks ago all crops where close to perfect and after a while I became really serious about this, so they promised me to check their numbers and came back a few hours, telling me that all numbers must be multiplied by 10, that`s the real result. It was "just" a human mistake, and it was a professional lab.
So, if there happens such obvious and unbelievable things, how many may happen that aren`t obvious can`t be checked by the customer and makes you spray expensive fertilizer when not needed really or other way round ???

Same thing happened to me. A forgotten 'dilution factor' suddenly made everything look much better. Perhaps why it is recommended to look at the balance of different different nutrients rather than absolute amounts.

 

[Andy Howard]

Ten team points for anyone who can tell me which plots these each came from. One from each trestment.

 

[Simon C]

The one on the right has more grains, so that will be the full fung, bio and nutrition.

 

[Andy Howard]

The one on the right has more grains, so that will be the full fung, bio and nutrition.

0 points

 

[Richard III]

One on the left is full fung, bio and nutrition?

 

[JNG]

Is the one second from the right non bio/nutrition. Lower grains a bit light, is Boron part of your programme and not applied to this one??