(O’Fallon, IL, Aug. 20, 2014) – Dr. Fanson Kidwaro, Professor of Agronomy at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) , Warrensburg, MO, along with UCM graduate student Duncan Rotich, have concluded through a recent soy bean crop and greenhouse study that soy bean plants treated with Brookside Agra’s natural water conservation agent H2OExcel™ exhibit significantly increased root mass and number of mature pods than untreated plants.
“According to our data, plants treated with H2OExcel™ exhibit a significant increase in root mass compared with untreated plants,” concluded Kidwaro. “The treated plants matured sooner and started to set pods sooner than untreated plants. Treated plants had more pods per plant compared to untreated plants. Increased root mass associated with H2OExcel™ allowed plants to explore the soil and absorb water and nutrients efficiently, which contributed to the differences we observed.”
The principal components of H2OExcel™ are plant and vegetable extracts. This gives H2OExcel™ superior surfactant qualities and more importantly bioactivity. As the product is introduced to the water molecule, the surface tension is reduced allowing water to penetrate much quicker, this allows the nutrients to reach the plant. Also, the bioactivity helps condition the soils by introducing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which helps break the tightness of the soils and allows for faster root growth. Helping soils absorb water more quickly and efficiently, H2OExcel™ helps businesses reduce time, money and energy needed to maintain healthy turf, landscaping and vegetation. Once embedded in the soil, H2OExcel™ will not harm plants, animals or humans. H2OExcel™ is recommended for crops, vegetable gardens, landscapes and other uses.
Water use and conservation for plant growth and development has become a big issue the past two years due to droughts,” according to Kidwaro. “Maintenance of plant growth and development and ultimately yield will require irrigation should a drought occur during growing season. Droughts bring about unseasonably high temperatures which result in excessive water loss due to evapotranspiration.
“Water will always take the path of least resistance and will simply run off,” stated Kidwaro. “This common occurrence leads to the over-watering of plants, crops and yards because water cannot reach the root system. The use of H2OExcel™, an natural bio-degradable solution that functions as a catalyst for water conservation will help alleviate this. H2OExcel™ creates soils that absorb water quicker than it traditionally could.”
Kidwaro established a greenhouse study on March 4, 2014 at the University of Central Missouri to study the effect of H2OExcel™ on soybean root mass, crop growth and yield components. Soybean seeds were planted in 12 soil pots. After germination, Kidwaro and his team selected healthy seedlings and transplanted individual plants in 24 pots. Twelve pots with one plant per pot were treated with H2OExcel™ and the other twelve were not treated with H2OExcel™. Plant heights were recorded weekly.
Once the plants were established in the pots, Kidwaro and his team started to pull one plant from each treatment to measure root length and root mass. Roots were washed off carefully in water to remove the growth media. Once the soil media was washed off, the roots were rinsed in clean water to remove any remaining soil particles. The roots were then placed on a paper towel for 20 minutes to remove excess water and measure root mass and length. Root weight (mass) was recorded using an ACCULAB Sartorius Group electronic balance in grams. The roots were then dried for a week and weighed. Yield components (pods per plant and seeds per pod) were collected.
Soybean root samples were collected every week to determine and record wet and dry matter data. A graph depicting the data collected shows a consistent higher dry root mass in cases where the soybeans were treated with H2OExcel™. Wet root mass data exhibited similar results.
To determine the effect of H2OExcel™ on crop yield, yield component data such as plants per acre, pods per plant, seeds per pod and seed weight were taken. Since the study is still ongoing, Kidwaro and his team counted the number of pods per plant. According to the team’s data, plants treated with H2OExcel™ exhibited more pods per plant compared to untreated plants. Since soybean plants exhibit indeterminate growth patterns, the team sampled three times and averaged the number across treatments. The team continued to sample until the pods filled with seed.
A tomato plant study was conducted last year by Dr. Mark Goodwin, Associate Professor of Agriculture-Horticulture at the University of Central Missouri, to measure the effects of H2OExcel™ on the amount of water needed to grow healthy tomato plants.
Dr. Goodwin conducted the tomato plant study at the university’s research facility from April 2013 through July 2013. The research plot consisted of 28 tomato plants, with the first 14 plants applied with H2OExcel™ and the remaining 14 left untreated. All plants were watered and fertilized only when the moisture levels dropped below optimal levels for growth.
The results of Dr. Goodwin’s study proved that the tomato plants grown using H2OExcel™ required 24% less gallons of water, 21% less electrical power and 7% less fertilizer than the control group of tomato plants. Dr. Goodwin also concluded that with the use of H2OExcel™, “There were no statistical differences in plant heights between the control and treated plants, but the treated plants, on average, produced larger fruit counts than the control plants.”
H2OExcel™, which can be blended with fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, is safe for use on crops, vegetable gardens, landscapes and turf. H2O Excel’s™ product ingredients are on the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) list, which is approved by both the FDA and AAFCO.
About Brookside Agra
Brookside Agra is a global fifth-generation, family-owned business based in O’Fallon, IL that manufactures and distributes specially formulated all-natural feed ingredients and all-natural environmental products for the world. Brookside Agra offers a complete line of high-quality, research-proven and cost-effective, all-natural products, which when used properly will help improve the performance of all groups of livestock, poultry, companion animals, aquaculture and plants. For more information about Brookside Agra, visit www.brookside-agra.com or contact Tony Arro – Director of Sales – North America at 618-628-8300 Ext. 24 or tony.arro@brookside-agra.com.
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