As a company over the years we have done many test plots to provide growers with useful information to help them make decisions. The results of these demonstration plots are sometimes met with skepticism. Many growers have opted to do strip plots on their own farms. Most of these plots are carefully planned and marked out either manually or by GPS. Sometimes the best plots occur by accident. Improper equipment setup, operator error such as forgetting to turn the pump on, forgetting to open a valve, or running the tank dry. We have all done it at one time or another.
These” accidental test plots” are sometimes the very best tools we have of re-assuring ourselves that we are doing the best that we can. Remember the little triangle at the end of the field that the sprayer missed? The herbicides really are working!
Once again this spring I stumbled across an accidental test plot. A 35 acre field of barley underseeded with an alfalfa mix.
The grower had bought a used 15ft John Deere 1590 drill with an in furrow liquid kit installed on it. This unit is able to plant small grains or soybeans in 71/2 inch rows or front gang can be locked up and fertilizer can be turned off on the front and soybeans can now be planted in 15 inch rows.
The first field planted this spring with the “new” drill was the barley field underseeded. And you guessed it, the last field planted by the previous owner was soybeans. The grower put down the front gang and planted, not turning on the fertilizer. Only every other row was getting ALPINE G24 and thus the “accidental test plot” was established.
On May 14th when I first visited the field the rows with ALPINE G24 had an extra leaf and a much more vigorous root system.
May 14, ALPINE G24 on the right
On June 4th the plants fertilized with ALPINE G24 were several inches taller and much more vigorous all around. On June 4th the plants fertilized with ALPINE G24 were several inches taller and much more vigorous all around.
June 4th ALPINE G24 on left
June 11th, Alpine G24 on the left
The grower wasn’t happy that this happened but, in his own words—–“it shows that we are doing things right by using Alpine”
On a different topic; on July 22nd we sprayed 8 Litres of ALPINE SRN on tasseling corn. We really maxxed out the height of this machine.
Look at the coverage of the ALPINE SRN on leave ear in the canopy. WOW!
– Brad K
