EMNZ Cereal Trial | 2020/2021

Introduction

This field trial was designed to determine the effectiveness of EM treatment variations against competitor products and an untreated control on Wheat in Aylesbury.

Method and Materials

Cereal type and cultivar: Wheat, Discovery
Basal Fertilizers applied to paddock: Pre-plant =2.5 t/ha Lime
Drilling kg/ha = P, K, S (22,22,20) plus Ca, Na, Mg, B, Zn, Mo (33, 5, 9, 2.4, 1.75, 0.008) plus humate 10kg/ha
N Post emergence = 100kgs Amidas (40 units) and 2 x applications of 23 units of Liquid N.
Sowing date: 14th August
Sowing Rate: 160 kg/ha
Paddock History: Ex Chard
Date of treatment application: Application A on 20/11/20 and Application B on 03/12/20.
Harvest date: 24/2/2021
Treatments = 8 (See Table 1), Replicates = 5, Plot size = 2 x 8 m2 = 16 m2

Sampling technique/measurements:
Cropmark have independently harvested the trials using a precision plot harvester. This was performed blindly, just numbers, no treatment description. They provide plot weights and grain weights.
Data was then analyzed statistically by UC student, Brennan Fayen.

Table 1: Treatment Details

Results:

Table 2: Average Plot Height and Vigor measured on 17/12/20.

In mid-December the plots were assessed for growth, by doing a vigor score (1-10) and measuring plant height. This data has not been statistically analyzed, but clearly demonstrated that EM plant stimulant was the best looking treatment with corresponding height advantage (Table 2).
Table 3: Comparing a range of foliar products on the yield of wheat (t/ha) Grain Yield

All of the foliar treatments which included five EM based foliar products and two micronutrient based foliar products, recorded significantly higher yields than the control (LSD5) (Table 3).
Table 4: Comparing a range of foliar products, on the Grain Weight by volume (kg/HL) .