In South Africa, Kenya and Zambia, Eco-T is proving to be a top-performing seed dressing on wheat
Being an organism that occurs naturally in most healthy
soils, Trichoderma is an
environmentally-friendly way of controlling root diseases on wheat. In recent
wheat trials carried out by an independent company at three locations in the Free
State in South Africa,
the results indicated an increase in yield with the use of Eco-T and
particularly with the combined use of Eco-T and carboxin/thiram. The same trend
was evident in a trial conducted in KwaZulu-Natal,
with an increased root mass in the plots that were treated with carboxin/thiram
plus Eco-T (Graphs of results presented under
Eco-T trial results: wheat)
In Kenya
and Zambia,
many wheat farmers have been using Eco-T as a seed dressing on the advice of Lachlan
and Aldiba Agriculture respectively.
“Wheat seed dressed
with Eco-T germinated two days earlier than the non Eco-T treated seed,” said
Canisius Malambo, field manager for ETC (Export Trading Company Ltd) in Zambia.
“Seedling vigour and root density of the Eco-T treated plants were better than in
the non Eco-T treated plot.”
Canisius Malambo applied the Eco-T powder to seed while it
was still damp after on-farm treatment with imidacloprid. He allowed the seed
to dry and then planted as usual. He left an area untreated for comparison.
“We will be recommending a seed treatment of Eco-T to wheat
farmers for the coming season based on the good results we saw last season,”
said George Allison
of Aldiba Agriculture. “Whenever we dug up roots of treated and untreated
plants, we could see a difference in the size of the root system.”
Graeme Rae, Manager of Zambezi Ranching and Cropping in Zambia, said that he was "greatly impressed with the
enhanced root growth” in his maize, and on account of this experience he was
committed to treating his entire wheat crop with Eco-T.
A wheat farmer in Kenya,
Paul Berthelsen treats 3,200 ha of wheat with Eco-T as he has seen a huge yield
response versus the standard fungicide seed dressing, with a much bigger root
system which results in improved drought tolerance and yield increase. He will
use Eco-T as a standard seed dressing next year on wheat for the fifth
consecutive year.
Angus Ker of Lachlan
Kenya is a strong
believer in the benefits of Eco-T. A trial carried out in 2008 by one of Kenya’s
top wheat growers in Timau with Lachlan’s recommended
seed dressing gave excellent yield increases. “Our farmers have been amazed by
the Eco-T effects,” he said.
