Methodology & Design for GMX Trials – Greenamax – Agronamax – GMX Technology – Kgs Agro Group

OVERVIEW

Following are methodologies and design considerations for crop trials using KGS Agro product – Greenamax (GMX) – in order to determine impacts and efficacy of the products on various crops using typical farming practices. In order to reduce confounding variables, controls and multiple replications of the same treatment will be used. Replication can also be achieved through sampling within control and treatment fields. Local conditions will dictate the exact layout and size of the research trial fields, but the methods and data collection, recording, and reporting should be followed regardless of the size, configuration, or design of the trials.

All trial crops will receive a minimum of a seed treatment and two foliar sprays except for the control, which will receive no GMX treatments. For crops that are transplanted into the field as seedlings, the seeds should be treated when planted in the nursery.

In addition to the trials determining efficacy, other trials can be designed and conducted to determine the impacts of GMX on plant use of nutrients, as observed in conditions of decreased fertilizer applications. Other trials may include combining GMX with other agriculture inputs such as foliar fertilizer or compost tea, but only as additional treatments after conducting efficacy testing using various GMX dilutions. KGS Agro professional can assist in designing additional trials if desired.

FIELD TRIAL METHODOLOGIES

General Greenamax (GMX) Field Trial Recommendations

For the design of the trials, all Control plots, fields, or rows should be upwind from the treatment plots/fields/rows (T1, T2, T3, etc.) to avoid any drift during foliar spray. Since such small quantities of the product trigger a response, there may be an accidental bias in the trials if drifting occurs. The Control could receive applications. Likewise, for the layout of the treatments; lower dilutions should be upwind of higher concentration treatments for the trials.
It is important to have a buffer between the Control and the various treatment plots/fields – much more than is typically employed for most crop trials. Air drift during foliar spray is to be avoided, which is why keeping the Control fields upwind in recommended. The buffer is also critical to control communication through the plant roots and via the soil. Minimum buffer of 3m for the small trial plots is recommended, but if possible, up to 10m or separate testing areas is preferred. For large fields, windbreaks or roads can serve as buffers.
For the trials only, do the foliar applications separate from other chemical applications or treatments to reduce any confounding influences during testing, since other applications may vary from field to field, and farm to farm.
Record and report when all applications of inputs, treatments, and other cultivation were done, as part of the data reporting.
Record and report all the varieties used in the trials and include whether the seeds were pre-treated from the seed companies. Report the chemicals in the seed coating or pre-treatment. If seeds are pre-treated they will need to be sprayed and not dipped.

GMX should not come in contact with any kind of metal during storage or during the mixing process. A metal spray tank can be used once the product is thoroughly mixed and in solution, or at proper dilution.
GMX should be kept out of direct sunlight, at room temperature or below. Treatments should be done out of direct sun if possible.
All GMX treatments should be applied at recommended times for best results.
Seed Treatment – GREENAMAX
General notes:

Make enough working solution to completely immerse the seeds. Amount of working solution will vary with the crop and seed application rate
Seed treatment should be done in a shaded area, away from direct sunlight if possible
Seeds should be air dried prior to planting
Seed Treatment and Preparation
For Un-treated Seeds:

Dilute 1, 2 or 4 pellets per liter of tap or rain water, depending on the treatment rate, in a non-metal container to prepare a working solution
Drop pellets in water and then shake or stir the solution until the pellets are completely dissolved
Seeds are soaked or dipped in the plastic or glass container with the working solution
For small quantities of seeds, the working solution can be poured over the seeds in a small container and
then drained off
Let the seeds stand in solution for approximately 30 minutes for good absorption
Remove the seeds from the solution and air dry
Once the working solution has been used for soaking a batch of seeds, it should be discarded and new
working solution should be prepared for each new batch of seeds
Wait at least 2hrs after treatment before planting the seeds but seeds should be planted within 2 days and
can be held if dried properly
For Treated Seeds:

Dilute 1, 2 or 4 pellets per liter of water, depending on the treatment rate, in a non-metal container to prepare the working solution
Dilute pellets in water and then shake or stir the solution until the pellets are completely dissolved
Lay the seeds out on tarps or other protected flat surface (NOT directly on the ground) and spray the
seeds until they are coated with the solution but there is no pooling of water or puddles on the tarp
For small quantities of seeds a hand held spray bottle can be used and the seeds sprayed in a small
container
Let the seeds air dry, and wait at least 2hrs before planting
Seeds can be held and planted within 2 days of treatment if needed
Seed treatment should be done in a shaded area, away from direct sunlight
For large quantities of Seeds:

• A mixer or seed coating machinery can be used to treat large field quantities of seed. The exact application amount will be calculated based on the capacity of the equipment, type and quantity of seed being treated.

Foliar Application of GREENAMAX (GMX)

General notes:

Apply foliar spray ONLY on a calm day – this is generally advisable anyway to avoid drift and loss of the product. Plants have better uptake with foliar sprays in calm conditions – less stress and more uptake.
Spray in the morning or evening hours when there is not extreme heat to try and avoid hot sun at the time of application
Do NOT apply foliar spray if rain is expected within next 6 hours
Spraying can be done using spray bottle, backpack spray, boom sprayer attachment to tractor, or other
equipment depending on the size and scale of the trial.
Note: for rice, a surfactant (sticking agent) can be used along with the Greenamax (GMX) solution if
there are problems getting the spray to stay on the plant and/or wet the foliage
Step 2: Foliar Application 1 – GREENAMAX
Application Rate and Method:

The first foliar application is done when the plants have 3-4 full leaves. In most crops, this stage will be achieved at approximately 5-10 days after transplanting or 15-20 days after sowing (for crops sown directly in the field). Time to reach the right stage may vary based on crop and local conditions.
Dilute 1 or 2 pellets per liter of water, depending on the treatment, to prepare the working solution
Dilute pellets in water and then agitate the solution until the pellets are completely dissolved
Spray appropriate amount of water to make sure all leaves are completely wet. Amount of water will
vary with crop, equipment used, and local cultural practices.
Step 3: Foliar Application 2 – GREENAMAX
Application Rate and Method:

The Second foliar application should be done soon before flowering stage This stage will be achieved at approximately 30-35 days after transplanting or 40-45 days after sowing (when crop is sown directly in the field)
Dilute 1 or 2 pellets per liter of water, depending on the treatment, to prepare the working solution
Dilute pellets in water and then agitate the solution until the pellets are completely dissolved
Spray appropriate amount of water to make sure all leaves are completely wet. Amount of water will
vary with crop, equipment used, and local cultural practices.
FIELD TRIAL DESIGN and TREATMENT DETAILS General considerations:

If crop trials will be in separate fields, then each field should be divided into the number of sections
corresponding to the number of treatments for that crop and run the entire length of the field, to take in the variations of conditions throughout the field. If the field is relatively uniform, then block of treatment plantings can also be used. Buffers, as described above, between treatments should be established and maintained throughout the trials.
The treatment sections should be perpendicular to the predominant wind direction (if possible and appropriate for the contour of the field). The trial can be laid out as rows or in blocks. If rows, there should be a minimum of 8 rows of each treatment. If using a tractor and planter/implements for the trials the width of the trial rows should be a multiple of the planter width but at least 8 rows.
If all the crops are in one field, then all the Control blocks or rows should be upwind of all the other Treatments rows or blocks.

• Sampling for data collection and analysis within the rows and/or blocks can be done using either random or representative method – but the same method should be used throughout the entire trial for the crop being tested. The actual layout of the fields is at the discretion of the researcher and subject to local conditions, as long as the parameters for avoiding drift and buffers are maintained. The methods and data collection, recording, and reporting should be followed regardless of the size, configuration, or design of the trials

Recommended Treatments

Control – farming as usual. The seeds, planting, cultivation will be conducted as in any other year. T1 – Seed treatment with GMX at 1p/L, and 2 foliar sprays at 1p/L during the growing season

T2 – Seed treatment with GMX at 2p/L, and 2 foliar sprays at 2p/L during the growing season

T3 – Seed treatment with GMX at 4p/L, and 2 foliar sprays at 1p/L during the growing season

T4 – Seed treatment with GMX at 4p/L, and 2 foliar sprays at 2p/L during the growing season Note: the foliar sprays will be at no more than 2p/L dilution for any application.

Other trials, such as varying fertilizer amounts, will be T6, T7, . . . Tn, depending on the complexity of the additional trials.

DATA REPORTING and RECORDING

Overview

The information collected and reported from the trials will help inform future product use, sales, product development, marketing, and further research, so it is important that accurate and transparent data be recorded and shared between UPL and KGS.

The following data collection protocol is being created as an app for populating a testing database, and feedback as well as data additions are welcomed.

General notes:

Record all the varieties used in the trials and include whether the seeds were pre-treated from the seed companies. Report the chemicals in the seed-coating or any seed pre-treatment.
Record when applications, such as pesticides and other cultivation, were done as part of the data reporting.
Record date of first harvest for each treatment, including controls.
For indeterminate crops with long harvest periods, the total yield, average yield per plant, as
well as the length of viable yield will be measured for each treatment type.
The more information recorded and reported accurately, the better the information for product development, registration, and for future sales.

Data Collection

1. Controlling Data and Reference information

Date of data entry
Location – Farm & Field
Field or plot conditions
Coordinates (Lat-Long or UTM)
Treatment # or Control
Crop type
Seed variety and source
Planting date
2. Seed Treatment Type
A. Seed
It is recommended to conduct a simple germination test prior to the seed treatment to determine the impact of GMX on germination and emergence rate. Data to be collected:
Seed germination test results – % germination
Stated germination rate (on seed bag) – % germination
Difference in % germination rate
These results will be compared later with field germination rates for control and treatment groups.
Seed Data

Varieties and source of Seed – varietal name and seed company or local saved seed
Date of seed treatment
Treated or untreated seeds
Treatment type – spray, mix, dip, coating, etc.
Additional seed coating agent after GMX applied
Seed Coating Agent brand and active ingredient(s)
Date of planting
Germination/Emergence
Date of transplanting
Date of 1st Foliar Spray
Seed Treatment Data – (data for each treatment – T1 through Tn)

Seed soaking date
Dilution – Pellets per liter
Amount mixed (# of liters)
Time of soaking (# sec)
Photos of seeds, planting, etc.
B. Transplants

Seed treatment in nursery (Y/N)
Date of seed treatment (if done)
Treatment type – spray, mix, dip, drench, etc.
Date of planting original seeds
Germination/Emergence
Date of transplant treatment
Date of transplanting
Date of 1st Foliar Spray for each treatment (T1, T2, T3. . . etc.)

Transplant Treatment Data – (data for each treatment – T1 through Tn)

Transplant treatment date
Dilution – Pellets per liter
Amount mixed (# of liters)
Photos of plants, process used, transplanting, etc.
3. Foliar Treatment

Foliar spray dates for each treatment group (will vary crop to crop, and might vary treatment group to treatment group if the plants in each grow at different rates – should be monitored and recorded)
Dates for Foliar spray #1 and for Foliar spray #2
Dilution – Pellets per liter
Amount mixed (# of liters)
Method of spraying (hand spray, backpack sprayer, boom spray)
Photo upload
Surfactant used?
Nozzle size and pressure of sprayer
4. Other treatments of applications

Fertilizer Application dates and nutrient values of fertilizer for each application
Herbicide application dates and chemicals used
Insecticide application dates and chemicals used
Fungicide application dates and chemicals used
Other applications or cultivations – dates and description of materials used
5. Other data as appropriate for the crop

Determine whether there are attributes specific to a crop that should reported. For example tiller counts in rice or tasseling time in maize.
Create data field for any crop specific recordings
Record-keeping and Reporting
All of the information from the trials will be reported and accessible by the team for review and data analysis.
Plant Analysis – as appropriate for each crop (appropriate measure to be determined prior to trials for each crop):

Measure pre-1st foliar spray – Control; Treatments (T1. . . . Tn)
Measure pre 2nd foliar spray – Control; Treatments (T1. . . . Tn)
Pre-harvest – Control; Treatments (T1. . . . Tn)
Post-harvest– Control; Treatments (T1. . . . Tn)
Lab analysis (DM basis) – Control; Treatments (T1. . . . Tn)
Yield measurements – per crop as appropriate to the harvesting schedule and typeData collection and sampling for lab analysis can occur on the same day as the next subsequent treatment for efficiency. For example, sampling and plant measurements of plants that are ready for a foliar treatment can be done for each treatment group on the same day, prior to the foliar spray treatments. Since the treatments are growth stage dependent, monitoring of the trials should be done on a very regular basis.