How to Test

It is oftentimes advantageous to conduct field trials with Vitazyme — as with any agri -cultural product or program — to determine how well this biostimulant performs under local soil and climatic conditions. Such trials are fairly simple to conduct, but require a certain amount of knowledge and dedication to do well. This short guide is designed to help you plan, set up, and complete field trials specially designed to prove the efficacy of Vitazyme in actual production field situations.

STEP 1. Determine what you are trying to prove. For example, you might wish to test the claim that Vitazyme will maintain or increase corn yields even though nitro -gen fertilizer is reduced significantly. To test this claim, obtain a small notebook and write down your objective for performing this field test.

STEP 2. Identify the treatments. Using the example from Step 1, the treatments might be as follows: (a) Regular program, 100% nitrogen; (b) Vitazyme, 100% nitro -gen; (c) Vitazyme, 50% nitrogen. Write down in some detail in your notebook the planned treatments.

STEP 3. Determine if the test should be a side-by-side comparison or replicated. A replicated study will give more reliable information, since it will help take into account natural soil variations.

STEP 4. Select a field site for the study. Make sure that the entire area is big enough and has uniform soils and past management. Each plot should be the same size, side-by-side, and at least one acre or up to 10 acres or more. The plots should be in the same field, on soils having a similar slope.

STEP 5. Mark the plot boundaries. The boundaries can be a certain number of rows for row crops like corn, soybeans, sunflowers, or cotton. For grains, use a measur -ing tape or wheel to mark off the plot boundaries. Mark the corners with flags or stakes, and draw the design in the notebook.


STEP 6. Take a representative soil test of the test area. Using a soil probe, shovel, or trowel, collect 10 random subsamples of the upper six inches of the soil over the entire test area. Mix them in a clean plastic pail; a steel or galvanized pail will contaminate the sample with iron or zinc. Have the sample analyzed at a reputable laboratory, get expert advice on fertility adjust -ments, fertilize as needed (taking into account possible nitrogen reductions with Vitazyme), and place the results in the notebook.

STEP 7. Apply the treatments to the crop. Apply Vitazyme at the recommended rates and times to an already established crop, or at planting or after planting for a newly seeded crop. Record details of all dates, amounts of fertilizers and pesticides applied, varieties of crops plant -ed, and so forth.

STEP 8. Carefully monitor the crop periodically during the growing season. Note differences between the treatments in leaf growth, root growth (after carefully digging up plants), pathogen and insect damage, fruit set, maturation time, and other useful observations. Record this in the notebook.

STEP 9. Carefully gather yield and other data at harvest. Weigh the grain, forage, leaf, or other yield components carefully. Usually the moisture percentage of the sample is important to mea -sure. Quality components such as protein, minerals, test weight, sugars, and soil structural strength are oftentimes valuable to determine. Use a reputable soils, crop, and forage labora -tory.

STEP 10. Report the data and conclusions of the study. Briefly summarize in the notebook the information gathered, and indicate how well the data support or refute the claim you wrote in Step 1. It does little good to expend a lot of effort on a test and not carry it to completion.