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Bing Cherry Study
Materials and Methods:
This trial was conducted on 8-year-old Bing cherry orchard propagated on
Gisela six dwarfing rootstock trained to multi-leader design located in
Parkdale, Oregon. Orchard is planted at 303 trees per acre to a row width
of 16 feet and in-row length of 9 feet. Irrigation is provided in every
row by micro-sprinklers. Split application of Calcium Nitrate was applied
at late March, pre-bloom and again in late April, shortly after bloom
period, at a rate of 175 pounds product per acre per application. Harvest
assessment yield was 15 tons per acre. Good size distribution was recorded
at commercial packing house with 44% 10 row, 10% 10.5 row, 34% 11 row box
size throughout entire orchard. “Monty’s” plant food was applied to a one
acre plot at 1 pint per 100 gallons of water by air-blast sprayer
equipment calibrated to 100 gallons per acre. Applications of “Monty’s”
plant food were made on May 2, 2004, “shuck fall”, and again as cover
sprays on June 8 and June 24, 2004.
Results and Discussions:
Observation of leaf color, fruit yield and harvest maturity was made
between treatments mid season and again at harvest on July 15, 2004
without a noticeable difference to record. However, prior to harvest, 25
indiscriminately selected limbs were measured and recorded for total
season growth. Shoots were also observed whether the terminal bud had
“checked off”.
A 13 percent increase of average shoot length is observed in the “Monty’s”
treated plot compared to the untreated plot. Of the twenty-five limbs per
treatment, only 40 percent of the terminal bud had “checked off”. 72% of
the terminal bud had “checked off” in untreated check. No phytotoxicity was observed during this field trial. Monty’s plant food appears to be a good foliar nutrient additive where
additional nutrients are wanted. Furthermore, direct responses from foliar
nutrients can be difficult to assess during the current seasons use.
Additive effects towards fruit bud development, winter hardiness, and tree
vigor are often be documented after multiple seasons.
Monty’s plant food tank mixed well with BASF fungicide, Pristine.
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Monty's Plant Food Applied 1 pt/A to 8
Year Old Bing Cherries.
Length of 25 Shoots and Record of Terminal Shoot Growth.
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Treated
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Untreated Control
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Shoot length (cm)
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"checked off" (*)
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Shoot length (cm)
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"checked off" (*)
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75
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56
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*
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81
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82
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*
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75
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58
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*
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74
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*
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62
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48
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*
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49
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*
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50
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*
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64
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*
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75
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49
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*
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77
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|
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51
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*
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53
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*
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57
|
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*
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|
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51
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*
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63
|
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*
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87
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62
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*
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78
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52
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*
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67
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42
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*
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75
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|
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51
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*
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55
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*
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66
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51
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*
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45
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63
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74
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61
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|
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74
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|
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|
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57
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*
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58
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*
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48
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*
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55
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*
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|
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59
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*
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54
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*
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69
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|
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|
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72
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|
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73
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34
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*
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|
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70
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|
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60
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|
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81
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54
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*
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AVG
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66.12
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cm
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40% "Checked off"
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AVG
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57.76
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cm
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72% "Checked off"
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MIN
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48
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cm
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MIN
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34
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cm
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MAX
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87
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cm
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MAX
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82
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cm
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