MAINCROP POTATOES – POT TRIALS
- Microbials significantly outperformed Standard Fungicide
- Consortium-Plus slightly outperformed Consortium-Z
- Consortium-Plus 353% increase in tuber weight at Tuber Initiation
- Significant increase in rooting and tuber set
These Pot trials are part of series of trials taking place between 2018 and 2022 to determine performance of new formulation OptiYield microbial mix – now named Consortium-PLUS – with respect to the established and popular commercial OptiYield microbial mix Consortium-Z + BugBoost.
Both of these mixtures are being compared to the other and to the “conventional standard” a fungicide-based seed dressing (Azoxystrobin).
Pot trials were conducted on chitted main crop potato seed (Desiree) of equal sizes placed in 25L pots at a depth of 15cm and receiving one of three treatments applied directly to the seed at planting at standard dilution and full wetting of seed:
- Azoxystrobin Fungicide treatment (Standard control)
- Consortium-Z + BugBoost (OptiYield commercial microbial mix)
- Consortium-Plus (New OptiYield formulation microbial mix)
Treatments were applied on 10/11/2021 and placed under LST “white light” set to a 14 hour “day” setting in a temperature averaging 19C. Pots were watered evenly every 5 days to maintain an adequate soil moisture level.
A John Innes, soil-based potting medium was used provided with an adequate amount of nutrients to fertilise the crop.
Significantly earlier and more vigorous emergence of microbial treated potatoes compared to fungicide treated (14 Days After Planting):
Rate of development continued and increased, with clear differences between the Treatments (26 Days after Planting):
Rate of development continued to increase, with clear differences between the Treatments (33 Days after Planting):
The pots were harvested early, during mid-tuber Initiation, as potrestrictions would preclude full yield development, especially in the moreadvanced pots. It was felt that harvest at this time would better reflectdevelopment and allow useful extrapolation of likely full-yield outcomes.
