Trial at a Glance
- Farmer
- Mr Chawasarira
- Location
- Mvurwi
- Planted
- 21 November 2025
- Trial Rows
- 3 treatment rows + control
Trial Overview
The Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco packs were used throughout this farmer’s fields. The trial set three rows against the standard programme to answer three questions — how the crop’s roots develop, whether nematodes and insects take hold, and how the treated rows compare with the control.
- Fluopyram + Kyno-Humate — 23 mL Fluopyram + 125 mL Kyno-Humate in 10 L of water; the primary nematicide paired with our root bio-stimulant
- Fluopyram — 23 mL in 10 L of water; the primary nematicide on its own, understudy
- Plesiva Star — 0.6 g in 10 L of water, substituting the primary insecticide Imidacloprid
Each row carried 80 plants, with a 30 mL cup of the relevant solution added to every planting hole.
The Season, Step by Step
The rows were followed from planting in November 2025 through four visits to a field day in late February.
21 November 2025
Planting day
The last rain before planting was minimal. Old maize stalks were left in the lands, but insect presence was low. Soil moisture was low, so moisture-enhancing practices were implemented at planting. A 30 mL cup of each row’s solution was added to every planting hole, with 80 plants per row.
12 December 2025
First visit — the treatments marked out
There is a visible difference between the control row and the trial rows. All the plants in the trial rows have taken and are looking healthy, while there have been plant deaths in the control area, where the plants appear stressed and less established. Weeds were visible in both. The three treatment rows — Fluopyram, Fluopyram + Kyno-Humate, and Plesiva Star — were marked out with signs.
8 January 2026
Second visit — the trial area
All the plants in the trial area are looking healthy and well established, with fewer weeds noticed — an average of 11 leaves and an average length of 55 cm.
8 January 2026
Aphids across the whole field
The whole trial and control area was infested with aphids at this visit. The control plants have improved but are less established and uniform, with signs of sun scorching.
27 January 2026
Third visit — growing strongly
By late January the crop is growing strongly, holding good colour and vigour through the trial rows.
19 February 2026
Fourth visit — a full, even crop
By mid February the trial has grown out into a full, even crop across the treated rows, well ahead towards the end of the season.
Root development
The reason for the root bio-stimulant
Lifting a plant shows the strong, fibrous root system the Fluopyram and Kyno-Humate combination is built to encourage — the root development that is the whole point of the trial.
26 February 2026
Field day
A field day was held on the farm to walk growers through the trial rows and show the difference the treatments had made across the season.
Aphid Pressure
The whole field — trial and control alike — came under aphid pressure in early January. Counting affected plant stations across the three treatment rows showed how evenly the aphids had spread, with Plesiva Star carrying the fewest.
| Treatment row | Plant stations affected | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Fluopyram | 39 | 80 |
| Fluopyram + Kyno-Humate | 36 | 80 |
| Plesiva Star | 33 | 80 |
Conclusion
The chemical combinations — especially the treatments involving Fluopyram and Kyno-Humate — showed clear early benefits:
- Improved early crop growth
- Stronger plant establishment
- Healthy foliage
- Whole trial and control infested with aphids in early January
These results indicate positive early trial performance and justify continued monitoring. Samples have been taken and submitted to Kutsaga for root and soil nematode analysis.
Key Finding
The trial rows established stronger and more evenly than the control from the first visit — and even through a field-wide aphid flush, the Fluopyram and Kyno-Humate crop held its vigour and its roots.