Plant ROOT Injector Performance & Efficacy TESTS!

Originally posted on July 2, 2011  UpdatedJuly 25, 2011

 

ThePlant ROOT Injector (PRI) was specifically designed to ensure the survival& good health of our farm’s 2 to 3+ year old (young) fruit trees if anotherlong, hot & dry season occurred this year (as it did last year.) Seeingthat the PRI was effective based on leaf color improvements in the young fruittrees, the tests described below were initiated to get quick confirmations onthe PRI’s efficacy.

 

Knowingthe performance & efficacy of PRI’s will help determine their usefulnessfor other plants. While they may not be ideal for large-scale farming, they mayprove to be particularly useful in intensive small-scale farms & gardenslike those in greenhouses equipped with modern technologies like dripirrigation, hydrophonics, etc. 

 

AsPlant ROOT Injectors function like drip irrigators & hydrophonic systemsbut without the inherent high-costs, they can be used intensively by poorfarmers to make small farms and gardens productive & profitable. The PRI isusable anywhere in the world in lieu of drip irrigation and hydrophonicsespecially in water-deprived & drought-stricken areas to help in vital foodproduction efforts – worldwide.

 

Poorfarmers can even make the PRI’s by themselves for their own use or for-sale toothers using commonly available materials and by recycling plastic sodabottles. See http://www.biofuelswork.com/INJECTOR/Injector.htm for descriptions and links to videos on How-to-make and How-to-use PRI’s.    

 

Asseen from the pictures below, early indications & test results look veryfavorable.

 

Test Description:

 

1.    The following tests wereperformed to obtain quick performance indications on using the PRI.  Arrangements have been made for thesetests to be repeated, validated and reported by institutional researchers. ThePampanga Agricultural College (PAC) is one of the first institutions to respondto our request for these formal tests and we are excited to work with them.

 

2.    These early tests wereperformed on corn as they are an easy plant to observe. Measurable changes inheight, trunk diameters, leaf characteristics (color and length) and fruitingperformance (date of flowering, size, weight and appearance of cobs) can bemeasured weekly and the plants mature in just about 75 days.

 

3.    These tests were alsoperformed on a simplified basis (without multiple fertilizer treatments andreplications) as early indications are only expected from them.

 

4.    Test protocol:

-Conventional or control plants were watered & fertilized based on recommended quantities.

 

-Test plants were watered and fertilized at equivalent to 50% of recommended quantities.
These were delivered to root systems using PRI’s in diluted solutions at frequent intervals.
For example: Instead of a one-time 50 % application, fertilization was performed twice at 1 week intervals using 25 % solutions.

 

-Plastic Mulch was used to minimize watering effect as these tests were performed during the wet or rain season.

 

5.    Expected and measurableresults:

 

-Since plants with PRI’s received only 50% of recommended water & fertilizer treatments, we want to see if they can produce the same, equal or comparable growth & yield  rates as conventionally 100% fertilized plants.

 

-Early indications on 2 tests initiated 2 weeks apart and at 2 different locations show that PRI plants have slight visually observable advantages over control plants. See for yourself in the following pictures.

 

-Test 1 contact person: Dra. Cecilia Sy, Municipal Agriculture Officer, Magdalena, Laguna, Philippines

 

-Test 2 contact person: Gerardo P Baron, Email: biofuelswork@gmail.com

 

Test 1: Magdalena, Laguna, Philippines, Municipal AgricultureDemo Farm

 

Picturestaken: May 13, 2011

  

 

Picturestaken: May 25, 2011

  

 

Picturestaken: June 15, 2011

  

 

Picturestaken: June 21, 2011 (or 68 days after planting.)

  

 

Test Protocol:	Conventional 100 % Fertilization	1x1 Root Injected 50 % Fertilization
Yield Performance:
No. of Hills:	29	23
No. of Ears:	16+21=37	18+12=30
Weight:	4.5+4.5=9.0 Kg	5.0+2.5=7.5 Kg
Ave. Yield:	1.276 Ears/Hill	1.304 Ears/Hill
Ave. Weight:	0.243 Kg/Ear	0.250 Kg/Ear

 

As seen in the above pictures, the earswere full & robust indicating the Plant ROOT Injectors performed as-well-asconventionally watered & fertilized plants although they only received 50%water & fertilization.

 

Test 2: Brgy. Atingay, Magdalena, Laguna

 

Picturestaken: May 13, 2011

  

 

Picturestaken: May 25, 2011

    

 

Picturestaken: June 15, 2011

    

 

Test2 Results (Pictures taken: July 14, 2011)

       

 

       

 

Test Protocol:	1x2 Root Injected 25 % Fertilization	Conventional 100 % Fertilization	1x1 Root Injected 50 % Fertilization
Yield Performance:
No. of Hills:	91	91+115=206	103
No. of Ears:	43+62=105	(48+59)+(68+80)=255	54+72=126
Weight:	11.5+17.6=29.1 Kg	(11.6+14.2)+(16.4+18.8)=61.0 Kg	14.0+19.7=33.7 Kg
Ave. Yield:	1.154 Ears/Hill	1.238 Ears/Hill	1.233 Ears/Hill
Ave. Weight:	0.277 Kg/Ear	0.239 Kg/Ear	0.267 Kg/Ear

 

Conclusions:

 

-As in Test 1, best results were obtained with 1x1 Root Injected Plants that received 50 % fertilization.

 

-The objective of the tests was to determine performance of Root Injected plants with 50 % fertilization.
The results in Tests 1 & 2 show Root Injected plants with 50 % fertilization can get slightly better yields than conventionally 100 % fertilized plants.

 

-1x2 Root Injected plants which received 25% (or less fertilization as the Injectors were situated farther) produced lower Ave. Yields but higher Ave. Weights. More tests to determine best Plant Root Injector set-ups (length or depth of penetration, proximity or placement, fertilization strength & frequency, etc.) are recommended.

 

Notes:

 

-The tests were performed on corn (Hybrid Bright Jean) because corn is easy to observe for growth rates and other features like leaf size & color, stalk height & diameter, etc. They are easy to grow, require heavy fertilization & are harvestable in 10-12 weeks.
Corn as test plants allow the production of early efficacy and performance results that can be replicated, repeated and scrutinized. 

 

-If Plant ROOT Injectors work effectively for corn, they should also work effectively for other plants and for fruit trees.

 

-The Plant ROOT Injector is not recommended for large corn plantations. Rather, they are recommended for small intensive farms of hybrid sweet corn, long-yielding vegetables and high-value crops like papaya.

 

Brief farm description:

 

Theupland farm in these pictures is located in Brgy. Atingay, Magdalena, Laguna,Philippines. It is situated about 500 meters from Balanac River (the closestdry-season water source) and about 50 meters above said river in terms ofelevation.

 

Thefarm has an area of about 4 hectares. It contains 300+ very old coconut trees(that will be culled in 1 or 2 yrs.); 1,000+ young coconut trees (2+ yrs old);300+ cocoa trees (4+ yrs old); 70+ rambutan trees (3+ yrs old); 70+ lanzonestrees (1+ yr old) and 100+ assorted fruit trees consisting of coffee, langka,guyabano, chico, avocado and mango. There are 500+ banana colonies and 100+“red lady” papayas are planted annually as cash crops. About 100 graftedkalamansi were recently planted and 200+ paminta (black peppercorn) vines willplanted before year-end 2011. Peanuts, okra, eggplants and corn are alternatelyplanted on a 1,000+ square meter flat & clear area. The peanuts werespecifically chosen to restore nitrogen into the soil as peanuts are legumes(that restore nutrients naturally into the ground & minimize fertilizerusage).

 

ThePlant ROOT Injector will be used regularly on papayas and pamintas as theyremain productive over long periods compared to short-term plants like corn,okra and eggplants.

 

Jatrophaand malunggay (Moringa) trees have been planted in the area but are not beingattended-to as they have poor economic value. Instead, bamboo and madre-cacaoor kakawate (Gliceria Sepium) trees are being propagated around the property asperimeter fencing & for their valuable lumber.

 

Tibigtrees, an indigenous tree, believed to store water in their roots are beingpropagated either by transplanting or protection from being cut-down duringclearing & grass-cutting operations. Tibig trees are a major aspect ofstudies & experiments at the farm to collect & store rainwater and helpprevent erosion, landslides & flooding in lowlands. See http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Storing.htm for more information.

 

Please check out these relevant topics also:

 

OvercomingDROUGHT with the Plant ROOT Injector at http://www.biofuelswork.com/INJECTOR/Injector.htm (March 24, 2011)

Mitigating DROUGHT at http://www.biofuelswork.com/DROUGHT/Drought.htm (May 1, 2011)

Harvesting RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Harvesting.htm (June 18, 2011)

Storing RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Storing.htm (July 2, 2011)

 

Orvisit our homepage at http://www.biofuelswork.com for other interesting topics. Thank you.