The full report can be found here
“ThermoMax (previously known as Garuda Warmth Spray) has provided a better than 50% increase in fruit set over the control at –2 degrees of frost.”
NZCEL (Climate Lab) Study – Hort Research Hawkes Bay, New
Zealand Effects of various sprays, applied 36 hours before a freezing event, on crop density of ‘Royal Gala’/M9 apple trees. Trees were in full bloom at the time of the frost. |
The 2003 Spring frosts in Bay of Plenty showed good resultson kiwifruit with ThermoMax up to -2C, especially where ThermoMax was sprayed twice at 7 day intervals at first followed by 2-3 week follow up sprays. In line with the HortResearch study -3.5C frosts appear to have left a 30% crop loading.
These results support videoed evidence of growers of tamarillos and passionfruit who believe their crops would have been killed by the –3deg C frosts experienced this year and in the previous season.
Earlier flowering was produced on these two fruits (tamarillos and passionfruit) as well as increased flowering and fruit set. This is supported by experiences on kiwifruit which show increased flowering after subsequent years of spraying BdMax and flowering products.
ThermoMax Testimonials – transcripts from the video
Graham
Reid - Orchardist, Te Puke
Graham: Without Glen’s warmth essence, these tamarillos
wouldn’t have been here. They’d have been naked. We had a minus
3 degree frost. The worst I’ve seen for 5 or 6 years. When I came out
into the orchard, we hadn’t been touched. It stopped a minus 3. Lynette:
So were you spraying them automatically Graham: I was doing
it anyway at about fortnightly intervals. We got 2 tickles of frost….
That’s when I’d stopped spraying for a while………..
……They’re looking a little bit tacky, but all the new growth’s
fine. It’s just the older growth where they got a bit of a frost blast.
The fruit are coming on now. Glen: They are setting well. Graham:
They are all setting fruit, they seem slow, but every flower that is dying has
fruit in it. There’s a lot of fruit on there. The only leaf damage you
can see is from the two frosts I got caught with. But without Glen’s warmth
essence, it would be a hell of a lot worse. It would be wiped out in here ,
there would be nothing, They’d be naked, they’d be dead probably.
Passionfruit grower, Kati Kati
Glen: So what we have here is a new planting of passionfruit which went in in February of 2002. So they grew here through the winter and you’ve been applying the warmth spray from the month of March 2002 Grower: Yes since we have been having frosts. Glen: So how many frosts would you have had? Grower: about half a dozen. Glen: Did you see any kind of frost damage? Grower: Not really, no. Oh, just a little bit, very very minor compared to on, I mean this was all white some mornings. I came down before the sun got up and sprayed them with the warmth spray Glen: So what would you do. This has probably had 5 warmth sprays anyway Grower: – Yeah. Glen: So when there was a frost, you also looked around and sprayed the whole lot again. Grower: At one stage I did it three mornings in a row – I wasn’t going to take any chances – Glen: Yeah, this is it, it nots worth that hassle is it. There’s obviously no frost damage on any of these.
Gill
Cole / Independant Researcher
“The main use of biodynamic preparations is to balance the various growth
processes to produce more healthy plants … the BdMax sprays live up to
their designated purpose. … in a trial set up to observe the effects of
various BdMax sprays on plant growth and development … The different treatments
had measurable effects on plant growth, rate of growth, form of leaves and roots,
flower and seed development.
… For example, Maximiser provided fast, vigorous growth with shallow roots. BdMax Root Growth Formula and Silica Max sprays encouraged deeper root development … The Thermo Max assisted the plant to grow in cold weather … The combination of sprays affected flowering date and number of flowers and thus timing and size of harvest.”
Where certification standards prevent the use of chemical growth regulators and pesticides: “Application of BdMax sprays have been found to have similar effects to those from Hi-Cane.”
James Croskery. Gracewood Organics. Katikati.
“The control of Phytophthora root rot in avocados is a major issue especially
for organic growers. Biological control is our only option for retaining our
organic status.
In search of a breakthrough we have conducted a number of field trials. In one
of these trials 5 trees showing severe decline in health and vigour were
sprayed with BdMax Phytophthora formula. A number of applications were applied
over a 3 months. Tree response on 4 of the 5 trees showed improved feeder root
heath and canopy regrowth.”
Tim Oliver. Kiwi Fruit Orchardist. Waikato
“An investment of $5000 in peppers earned an extra $100,000 from our orchard.”
Geoff Gibbs. Kiwi Fruit Orchardist and Spray Contractor.
Bay of Plenty
“I have followed the basic BdMax soils and spray program for the
past 4 years. This entails a maintenance remineralisation and compost program
as well as the use of monthly applications of Maximiser and Passion Vine Hopper
peppers. Last season I included Crop Max sprayed twice in spring just before
flowering at a rate of 500 mls per hectare. This resulted in the most crop we
have ever had and fruit just above average industry size.
This year I extended the flowering trials to include BdMax Ripening Formula
for bud set and Thermo Max for the winter chill factor. Overall the total cost
for the program is around $350 per hectare. On present data this suggests an
average increase of 1000 trays per hectare, which represents a further $6000
per hectare income.”
Andola Orchard Management (Crop monitoring company)
“You might like to know that Geoff Gibbs orchard had one of the
highest bud burst rates (42.3%) for organic orchards. His orchard was the only
one to exceed previous years flowers per shoot, whereas every other orchard
where we have previous year data were at least half a flower down (per shoot
– average between 2.2 & 3.5).”
