Introduction
This trial was designed to determine the effectiveness of 8 Foliar EM treatment variations, against a control on Fodder beet, at Ashcroft Farm at Carew.
Method and Materials
- History of paddock: ex FB
- Fodder beet variety: Jamon
- Plot size and layout: See table 1
- Sowing date: 26/10/15
- Sowing rate: 80,000 seeds/ha
- Fertilisers: Pre sow. 200kg Crop 15, 5kg kieserite, 3kg Na Cl, 3 g Pot. Chloride, 1 kg Borate 46
- Post emerge applications: Urea 100kg on 16/12, Urea 100 kg + 75 Pot. Chloride 29/1
- Date of product applications; All products, 08/12/15 (5 true leaf) and repeated on 12/01/16
- Harvest Date: 12/5/2016
- Treatments= 8 (see Table 1),
- Replicates= 5
- Plot Size – 10 metres long by 0.5 metres wide (1 row) equalling 5 m2,
- 2 subsamples per plot were harvested at 2 metre each, the beets were counted. Fresh weights were recorded for each plot. DM was assessed by drying a subsample of tops and bulbs and drying (Individual plot DM’s were not measured.
- The plots were harvested as numbered plots with no reference to treatments (blind approach).
Table1: Treatment details
Table 2: Graph demonstrating all treatments
Table 3: Graph demonstrating mean yield DM T/ha of Fodder beet yield data, EM application against control (non-treated)
Summary
- This trial was planned and conducted by Mike Daly and focussed more on the effect of EM and additions to EM, such as molasses and Comcat and N enhanced EM.
- The overall clear results showed that EM significantly increased fresh crop yield. Adding molasses or using the N enhanced EM did not improve yield. Adding Comcat did not improve the activity of EM.
- Dry matter was not assessed on this trial, just fresh weights and beet numbers from each plot.
- This trial indicated a clear advantage in using EM as a foliar input.
