5 More Food with Less Water, with Mychorrizha Replacing Fertilizers

More food with less water - episode 5 Be a GREEN MUSKETEER, reforest the world with us! Elsenhout (The Netherlands) April 2013 This is episode 5 of the series 'More food, less water, with Groasis'. Groasis did these vegetable trials with the Groasis Waterboxx during 2013 in The Netherlands. The experiment has 2 objectives: Can we grow vegetables with 90% less use of water and keep the product equal? Can we replace artificial fertilizers through adding mycorrhizae (funguses) to the roots? There are so many plants in one place, of course we'll get problems with insects. We want to scout the insects. which insects are in the greenhouse. That's why we use this yellow plate with glue on it. The yellow collor attracts the insects and it is sticky. So we can look on the yellow plate and count the insects and see which insects are in the greenhouse. Afits and trips are one of the main problems, it can bring over viruses and other bacterial diseases. So that's why we don't want trips, it can destroy your complete harvest. These tomato plants are now seven weeks old. They were not treated with mycorrhizae fungi and bacteria, but it received with the usual fertilizer treatment. As you can see the plant grows well and we think it's an okay plant. But if you'll compare it to the plants who were treated with mycorrhizae fungi and bacteria we will see differents. These tomato plants have also been planted at march 12. These tomato plants have not received any fertilizers. But they have received mycorrhizae fungi and bacteria. This plant received at least 50% - 60% less water that usual. So the mycorrhizae and the bacteria help the plant not only to take up nutritions, But they also help the plant to take up water This plant looks healty and vital. And they already formed buts. This means that there are going to be flowers on it soon, and to set the first fruits. And that's happend after seven weeks already. Now we are doing this big trial with the Waterboxx. Of course it's always very interesting to make a comparison between a normal system and the Waterboxx system. That's why here we planted the plants directly into the soil and gave them water, like a normal grower does. And then we look what is best. These tomato plants have received an unique mix of a high quality mycorrhizae fungi. In fact the producer has a quality label on his mycorrhizae fungi. You can see that if you use a high quality mycorrhizae fungest, it is more effective. Than if you use a mycorrhizae fungi that has not a quality control label, and it is of more low quality. These plants have already received mycorrhizae fungi, but this is not an unique mix. This mycorrhizae fungi that is of a high quality and have a quality control label. The plants are stil bigger than the plants who were treated with fertilizers. In fact they are twice as big. But they haven't formed buts yet. And we see that they are a little bit less vigourous. Maybe they will develop okay over time. But still, they are behind the plants that have received the unique high quality mycorrhizae fungi. Next time, Ton looks back over the last two months. Next time: Jacqueline shows the plants in the rhizotrons These boxes are called rhizotrons. Be a Green Musketeer with Groasis, reforest the world with us! Buy the Waterboxx at www.groasis.com/shop Go and see the next Episode of ‘More food, less water, with Groasis’ on YouTube Groasis wants to thank you for subscribing and commenting. We really appreciate it when you send this video to your friends! Subscribe to our news bulletin at www.groasis.com