Potato Biology Trial with Covenant Pastures
At Regenerative Land Solutions, we are always learning from our network of partners across the country. There are more and more biological products coming on the market every year. Testing them helps us ensure we are providing the best solutions for our clients and learning along the way.
Here is a trial on potatoes from our friends at Covenant Pastures near Bakersfield, CA:
Each treatment also received the same baseline biologically friendly fertility programs:
Fertilizer applications (all treatments):
5/9/22, Foliar Spray: 5 lbs./acre Grower’s Secret (GS) 14-0-0; 1 lbs./ac GS Calcium; 1 lbs./ac GS Magnesium; 1 lbs/ac GS Iron; 1 lbs./ac GS Manganese; 5 lbs./ac Powdered Seaweed 0-0-16; 1 gal/ac Primary Ocean Organikelp.
6/5/22, Foliar Spray: 5 lbs./acre Grower’s Secret (GS) 14-0-0; 1 lbs./ac GS Calcium; 1 lbs./ac GS Magnesium; 1 lbs/ac GS Iron; 1 lbs./ac GS Manganese.
6/19/22, Foliar Spray: 1 lbs/ac GS Iron; 5 lbs./ac GS Seaweed 0-0-16; 1 gal/ac Primary Ocean Organikelp.
7/3/22, Foliar Spray: 5 lbs./acre Grower’s Secret (GS) 14-0-0; 1 lbs./ac GS Calcium; 1 lbs./ac GS Magnesium; 1 lbs/ac GS Iron; 1 lbs./ac GS Manganese.
7/19/22, Foliar Spray: 5 lbs./ac GS Seaweed 0-0-16; 1 gal/ac Primary Ocean Organikelp.
Provide and Revive yield in the two baskets on the left and Metagrow F in the one basket on the right.
What is interesting from the growing season observations is, the MF treated plants were significantly faster to emerge than the PR treated plants. Also, the MF treated plants appeared to be more vigorous and robust during the growing season than the PR treated plants. That said, upon harvest the MF treated plants appeared to have set a similar number of tubers per plant and these tubers were significantly smaller than PR tubers. If anyone has any ideas on why this might be or wants to do further research, we would love to hear from you!
