Clare wheat trial

One small plot replicated field trial was conducted from June to December 2011 to evaluate various BioAg biostimulants for improving crop growth and yield in wheat. The trial was conducted near Clare in South Australia, Australia. This report contains the experimental methods used and presents the results obtained. The trial was conducted under Agrisearch project BIOAG/11/02.

Results

Agrisearch concluded that: ‘All treatments applied except BIOAG 2730652900 appeared to slightly increase the numbers of tillers per metre of row; however the increase observed was not statistically significant when compared to the standard conventional control treatment’.

All treatments applied appeared to provide greater grain yield than the untreated control. The effects observed were not significant, however the greatest increase in yield was observed in the treatments where BioAg Balance & Grow was applied by foliar application at the mid-tillering growth stage.

“The additional late application of BioAg Fruit & Balance applied by foliar application at the 2nd internode elongation growth stage did not result in any additional grain yield above that observed where the BioAg Balance & Grow was applied.”

In considering this conclusion, it should be noted that the reason for the lack of statistical significance is the wide coefficient of variation between the sampling sites brought about by waterlogging in areas of the plot.

Notwithstanding the significance issue, there is a similar trend to that occurring in the Balaklava wheat trial conducted at the same time. The Soil & Seed application produce an increase in mean grain yield of 7.4%, and that of the Soil & Seed plus Balance & Grow an increase of 18.3%. As was the case in the Balaklava trial, the later application of Fruit & Balance produced no noticeable increase in yield for the same reasons.

By the time Fruit & Balance application occurred in late September, the plants were under significant moisture stress and could not or translocate nutrients effectively. Had this not been a trial with a program pre-set in Autumn, the correct agronomic decision at the 2nd inter-note elongation stage would have been not to apply Fruit & Balance in this situation, as there would be little or no expectation of economic gain from the application.

Conclusion

All treatments applied except BIOAG 2730652900 appeared to slightly increase the numbers of tillers per metre of row; however, the increase observed was not statistically significant when compared to the standard conventional control treatment.

All treatments applied appeared to provide greater grain yield than the untreated control. The effects observed were not significant, however, the greatest increase in yield was observed in the treatments where BioAg Balance & Grow were applied by foliar application at the mid tillering growth stage.