Economic Benefits of Using GrowGreen Products Berriwillock

Organic GrowGreen Products

GrowGreen’s organic AminoElite Bio-fertilizer is produced using a proprietary manufacturing process combining amino acids and kelp.  This results in a balanced product that optimizes the plant’s ability to uptake nutrients, improves the soils ability to make nutrients available to the plant and increases both quality and yield of the plant.

This increase is a result of several factors: 1) Bio-stimulants are incorporated in the form of amino plant hormones, beneficial acids and microorganisms 2) Both macro and micronutrients are combined which result in plant growth stimulation and 3) Plant beneficial microbes, bacteria (PGPR), and fungi, are incorporated to aid the plant in dealing with the stresses brought on by drought, diseases and insect attack.

Bio-stimulants, or “metabolic enhancers”, as they are sometimes called, are biologically derived substances that have been shown to enhance overall plant growth and health, resulting in higher quality and yield. They contain nutrients, like traditional fertilizers, however, they function by promoting a plants natural processes, thereby enabling more energy to be shunted directly towards plant growth. By increasing plant vigor, thus health, plants are more resistant to drought, pests and diseases.

This balanced and optimized product results in the plant reaching its maximum genetic potential while improving soil health through an increase in plant available nutrients, and a healthy rhizosphere in the form of beneficial plant microbes; bacteria, and Fungi.

Wheat StudyMethods and Environmental Conditions

A randomized complete block trial was conducted to compare how Scout wheat, a Hard-Red Spring variety, responded to applications of GrowGreen AminoElite bio-fertilizer treatments at 2 timings and 4 rates. The trial was conducted 1 km north of  Berriwillock, Victoria , AU.  The sowing rate was targeted at 150 plants/m², sowing data, fertilizer, and herbicide/pesticide applications are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Sowing, Fertilizing, and Herbicide/Pesticide Data

Rainfall was well below average for the 2015 season (Table x; Figure x), which had a significant effect on crops throughout the region. The trial site at Berriwillock received excellent rainfall early in the season. The second half of the growing season,however, was very dry,leading to a 38% decrease from the long-term average in cumulative rainfall by the end of the growing season.Unfortunately, this occurred during grain filling and resulted in yields of approximately 33% of the long-term averages.

Table 2: Seasonal Rainfall and Long Term Averages

Wheat Study Results and Discussion

Table 3 displays the results of the trial as well as the statistical analysis.The statistical analysis, Table 3, demonstrated that there were no significant, p=0.05, differences between the GrowGreen treatments or timing applications. The yield and quality data trends, however, are obvious. They show clearly that the GrowGreen Treatments produced results that all trended towards higher yields and optimized quality.  Prices for hard wheat are $290AUD/tonne for wheat with a minimum protein % of 11.5 and $340AUD/tonnefor wheat with a minimum protein % of 13.  GrowGreen treatments guaranteed that in a year characterized by a disastrous drought, wheat growers who use GrowGreen AminoElite could expect to still produce a crop that commanded premium prices for a high protein product.

Figures 2 and 3 show the yield trend by treatment of the 2 timing applications, respectively.  As mentioned previously, rainfall was only 62% of normal, and in the run up to planting, soils were most likely in a water deficit status.

Table # 3: Trial and Data Analysis Results

A 4% yield increase,(Table 3; Figure 2.) compared to the control, was achieved using 3l/ha GG treatment at GS 25-29, mid to late tillering. GG applied at 3 l/ha led to optimized Protein %, optimized Test weight and a trend towards reduced Screening %, for both application timings, compared to the control (Table 3; Figures 2-3).

Table 4: Cost and Price Data

Table 4 displays the application cost and value of the yield. Of particular note is that Treatment A-3 represented a gain in profit of $13.51 per ha over the control.

Figures 4-9 display the trends of the quality factors, Protein %, Screening% and Test Weight

Figures 4 and 5 demonstrate that while Protein % may not have been significantly different between the 2 GrowGreen treatments, protein % trended higher despite the lack of rainfall compared to the control. Since protein is an important quality trait to growers of Hard Red wheats like Scout, this demonstrates that in a compromised environment such as was encountered in this study, treatment with GrowGreen AminoElite at either GS should insure the grower maintains the premium he was expecting despite a significant decrease in rainfall.

Figures 6 and 7, display screening %.  Wheat screenings consist of thin, broken, and shrunken wheat kernels, weed seeds, and other contaminants, including straw, chaff, and dust. Commercial products should have at least 35% grain, less than 8% small weed seeds (for example, wild and domestic mustard, flax, rapeseed), and not have more than 8% wild oats. The average across this trial was 12.7%.  This indicates that the samples in general had a high percentage of fully developed grains.  The impact of the GrowGreen AminoElite treatments were most visible in Figure 6, where when applied at 3 l/ha during GS 25-29 Screening percentage was 11.7%.  This demonstrates that the grower can expect his price to be minimally docked after using the highest level of GrowGreen AminoElite applied at GS 25-29. This is a surprising, and welcome, result given the extreme drought experience during grain filling.

Figures 8 and 9, display Protein % trends across treatments for both applications, respectively. There is very little practical difference due to the GG treatments or the timing applications. Hard Red wheats like Scout typically deliver high enough protein levels such that the grower can receive the premium for high protein wheat. Figures 8 and 9 indicate, however that protein will be optimized, even in extremely dry conditions, with GG treatments.

Conclusion

GrowGreen’s products are much more than just biofertilizers that provide all necessary macro and micronutrients needed to achieve maximum yield. Because bio stimulants are incorporated, in the form of beneficial microbes, amino acids and plant hormones, and due to the careful manufacturing process, which does not use any inorganic hazardous chemicals, the crop receives all it needs to reach maximum genetic potential in terms of both yield and quality.

Application of GrowGreen fertilizers enhances the plants innate protection response to drought and diseases, resulting in healthier crops and fewer inorganic and toxic treatments for disease control.GrowGreen fertilizers also function to enhance and increase the natural soil microbial population, which not only results in more vigorous and healthy crops, but a healthier and sustainable soil for future generations of farmers.

GrowGreen AminoElite treatments had a positive impact on yield and quality under the intense yield-limiting drought conditions that occurred during this study. This quality improvement proves the value of the treatments in producing a wheat crop that stillcommands premium prices regardless of the yield and quality limitations brought about by such intense late season drought. Interestingly, research into the use of organic green and manure regimens to provide the fertility necessary for a healthy, high yielding and quality wheat harvest have been discouraging at best.

In high yield conditions, based on the preponderance of evidence in the literature using similar amendments across a variety of crops, GrowGreen Bio-Fertilizer will increase yield, and improve grain quality, resulting in the grower realizing premium prices for his crop.In low yield conditions wheat growers can be sure that by using organic GrowGreen Bio-Fertilizer they can maintain yield and the quality of their crop.

Severe mid to late season drought conditions, as were encountered in this study, is known to cause decreased 1000-seed weight, seed number per ear and final seed yield.  This study proves that the addition of GrowGreen Bio-fertilizer can mitigate the impacts of severe drought and ensure that the grower harvests a crop that has increased yield, acceptable test weight, and maintains the protein levels necessary to still command a premium price.

References:

https://www.aegic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/AEGIC-Grain-Note-wheat_LR.pdf

https://thewheatfarmer.com/wheat-varieties/

https://articles.extension.org/pages/68430/feeding-wheat-to-poultry

U.A. Abd El-Razek and A.A. El-Sheshtawy, 2013. Response of Some Wheat Varieties to Bio and Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizers. Asian Journal of Crop Science, 5: 200-208

Singh NK, Chaudhary FK, Patel DB, 2013. Effectiveness of Azotobacter bio-inoculant for wheat grown under dryland condition. Environ Biol. 34(5):927-32.

Drew J. Lyon and Gary W. Hergert, 2012. Nitrogen fertility in semiarid dryland wheat production is challenging for beginning organic farmers. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems: 29(1); 42–47

Aghanejad, Masoud &Mahfoozi, Siroos&Sharghi, Younes. 2015. Effects of Late-Season Drought Stress on some Physiological Traits, Yield and Yield Components of Wheat Genotypes. Biological Forum.7(1): 1426-1431