Trial at a Glance
- Farmer
- Alfred Marazanye
- Grower Number
- V178406
- Area
- Karoi
- Planted
- 25 November 2020
Fertilizers & Chemicals on Trial
Ten trial rows, each with its own treatment programme applied at planting, at 6 and 7 weeks, at topping and at 9 weeks.
| Row | Fertilizer | At Planting | 6 Weeks | 7 Weeks | At Topping | 9 Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional High C 6.28.23 | Calsap · Orizon · Bullet | Orizon | — | N’Decanol | — |
| 2 | Conventional High C 6.28.23 | Calsap · Orizon · Bullet | Orizon | Bion | N’Decanol | — |
| 3 | Conventional High C 6.28.23 | Ezyflow Lime · Orizon · Bullet | Orizon | Bion | Flumetralin Duo | — |
| 4 | Conventional High C 6.28.23 | Ezyflow Lime · Orizon · Cyantraniliprole | Orizon | Bion | Flumetralin Duo | — |
| 5 | Conventional High C 6.28.23 | Orizon · Cyantraniliprole | Magmectin | — | Flumetralin Duo | — |
| 6 | Lime Blend 5.28.23 | Calsap · Cyantraniliprole | Magmectin | — | Flumetralin Duo | — |
| 7 | Lime Blend 5.28.23 | Calsap · Cyantraniliprole | Magmectin | — | Flumetralin Duo | — |
| 8 | Lime Blend 5.28.23 | Ezyflow Lime · Cyantraniliprole | Belt | Azoxy Duo | N’Decanol | Azoxy Duo |
| 9 | Lime Blend 5.28.23 | Ezyflow Lime · Bullet · Imidacloprid | Belt | Azoxy Duo | N’Decanol | Azoxy Duo |
| 10 | Lime Blend 5.28.23 | Bullet · Imidacloprid | Belt | Azoxy Duo | N’Decanol | — |
The Season, Step by Step
The trial was inspected and photographed through the season — from planting, through the January hailstorm, to the first reaping.
25 November 2020
At planting
There was a lot of old maize stalks left in the lands, which had a fair amount of insects living inside of them.
November 2020
Applying the trial chemicals
Mr Marazanye and Mr Maponga applying chemicals in the lands.
December 2020
Signs for the trial area
Alfred’s signs marking out each row of the trial area.
26 December 2020
Aphid-free
All plants were aphid free with very few insects in the lands. No insect damage had been caused.
5 January 2021
Stems checked
Stems were checked and no damage was visible by any insects.
7 January 2021
Hail and windstorm
Hail and windstorm hit the entire crop.
December — January
One plant, three visits
The same tobacco plant from row 8, photographed on 26 December, 5 January — and 7 January, after the hail.
January 2021
Nematode analysis
A sample from row 2 (with Orizon) and row 9 (without Orizon) were both sent to Kutsaga for nematode analysis.
26 January 2021
Recovering after the hail
After the hail, Bion was applied to the trial area. After nearly three weeks there is no disease in the tobacco.
3 February 2021
Disease-free everywhere
The tobacco is still disease free — all of the tobacco is disease free, including the tobacco that is not in the trial area.
February 2021
Minor leaf damage
A few of the leaves are damaged but the majority are looking healthy. The insects don’t appear to be a problem in any of Alfred’s tobacco, including the trial area.
February 2021
Talking topping heights
Sean Price and Alfred discussing the ideal topping heights after a heavy hailstorm.
February 2021
Reaping begins
Alfred has started reaping the tobacco from the trial area. After the hail it has recovered nicely, but topping the plant a little bit lower would have helped the leaves fill out a little bit more.
2 March 2021
First reaping
First reaping from the trial area. The tobacco has no disease after the hail.
The Weights & Recordings of the Four Reapings
Every reaping was counted and weighed by row.
| Row | Leaves | Weight (kg) | Avg Leaf Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65 | 0.55 | 0.008 |
| 2 | 72 | 0.75 | 0.010 |
| 3 | 62 | 0.70 | 0.011 |
| 4 | 60 | 0.70 | 0.012 |
| 5 | 58 | 0.55 | 0.009 |
| 6 | 63 | 0.65 | 0.010 |
| 7 | 64 | 0.60 | 0.009 |
| 8 | 66 | 0.60 | 0.009 |
| 9 | 58 | 0.60 | 0.010 |
| 10 | 62 | 0.55 | 0.009 |
| Row | Leaves | Weight (kg) | Avg Leaf Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75 | 0.75 | 0.010 |
| 2 | 75 | 0.80 | 0.011 |
| 3 | 75 | 0.90 | 0.012 |
| 4 | 78 | 0.90 | 0.012 |
| 5 | 69 | 0.70 | 0.010 |
| 6 | 81 | 0.80 | 0.010 |
| 7 | 75 | 0.80 | 0.011 |
| 8 | 71 | 0.85 | 0.012 |
| 9 | 75 | 0.75 | 0.010 |
| 10 | 80 | 0.65 | 0.008 |
| Row | Leaves | Weight (kg) | Avg Leaf Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 78 | 0.75 | 0.009 |
| 2 | 75 | 0.95 | 0.013 |
| 3 | 84 | 0.85 | 0.010 |
| 4 | 79 | 0.85 | 0.011 |
| 5 | 84 | 0.65 | 0.008 |
| 6 | 87 | 0.85 | 0.010 |
| 7 | 75 | 0.80 | 0.011 |
| 8 | 75 | 0.80 | 0.011 |
| 9 | 84 | 0.75 | 0.009 |
| 10 | 81 | 0.65 | 0.008 |
| Row | Leaves | Weight (kg) | Avg Leaf Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 69 | 0.60 | 0.009 |
| 2 | 54 | 0.85 | 0.015 |
| 3 | 78 | 0.80 | 0.010 |
| 4 | 67 | 0.80 | 0.012 |
| 5 | 72 | 0.50 | 0.007 |
| 6 | 51 | 0.65 | 0.013 |
| 7 | 51 | 0.60 | 0.012 |
| 8 | 56 | 0.75 | 0.013 |
| 9 | 81 | 0.60 | 0.007 |
| 10 | 72 | 0.45 | 0.006 |
Combined Totals by Row
The combined total of each row — and the chemicals believed to have helped each row.
| Row | Total Leaves | Total Weight (kg) | Avg Leaf Weight (kg) | Chemicals Used | After Hail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 287 | 2.65 | 0.009 | Calsap · Orizon · Bullet · N’Decanol | Bion |
| 2 | 276 | 3.35 | 0.012 | Calsap · Orizon · Bullet · Bion · N’Decanol | Bion |
| 3 | 299 | 3.25 | 0.011 | Ezyflow Lime · Orizon · Bullet · Bion · Flumetralin Duo | Bion |
| 4 | 284 | 3.25 | 0.011 | Ezyflow Lime · Orizon · Cyantraniliprole · Bion · Flumetralin Duo | Bion |
| 5 | 283 | 2.40 | 0.008 | Orizon · Cyantraniliprole · Magmectin · Flumetralin Duo | Bion |
| 6 | 282 | 2.95 | 0.010 | Calsap · Cyantraniliprole · Magmectin · Flumetralin Duo | Bion |
| 7 | 265 | 2.80 | 0.011 | Calsap · Cyantraniliprole · Magmectin · Flumetralin Duo | Bion |
| 8 | 268 | 3.00 | 0.011 | Ezyflow Lime · Cyantraniliprole · Belt · Azoxy Duo | Bion |
| 9 | 298 | 2.70 | 0.009 | Ezyflow Lime · Bullet · Belt · Azoxy Duo · N’Decanol | Bion |
| 10 | 295 | 2.30 | 0.008 | Bullet · Belt · Azoxy Duo · N’Decanol | Bion |
Summary
Bion after the hail
All rows had at least one Bion application after the hailstorm hit the trial area — however the rows where two Bion applications were applied show a better recorded weight.
Calsap & Ezyflow Lime
Rows where Calsap or Ezyflow Lime was applied had a better recorded weight over rows without. Rows 5 and 10 recorded the worst weights — and those are the two rows where neither was applied.
Disease & insect control
The trialled area had no disease before or after the hail, and the insect control was good throughout the trial area.
Key Finding
Rows treated with Calsap or Ezyflow Lime recorded better weights than rows without — rows 5 and 10, the only rows where neither was applied, recorded the worst weights of the trial.