By Dr. Thomas T. Yamashita
In May of 2017, we assisted a customer in Turlock, California, who was having difficulties cultivating seedlings in white pine sawdust. While checking the sawdust for contaminants—which ultimately showed low levels of Fusarium and Alternaria—our laboratory technicians decided to conduct a heat stress test using the sawdust as growth medium for mustard seeds.
Our goal was to demonstrate how the use of Fusion 360 Soil in conjunction with Fusion 360 Iota –which increase the presence and activity of beneficial microbes and provide plants with additional resistance to pathogens—could not only greatly expedite seed germination by controlling inhibitory factors such as fungal pathogens, but also protect fragile seedlings from the intense high temperatures that are common in California’s Central Valley.
Our test would compare two factors:
- The germination time and percentage
- The percentage of plants surviving 3 days of exposure to a temperature of 100 degree Fahrenheit
On May 9th, the technicians filled pots with the sawdust and divided them into two groups, control and treatment. The sawdust in the treatment pots was treated with our Fusion 360 Soil and Iota products, and allowed to sit for 6 days to ensure microbial activation.
Improvements in Seed Germination Speed and Percentage
On May 12th, mustard seeds were sown into the control pots. On May 15th, the same was done with the treatment group. By May 18th, seedlings in both groups had germinated, as shown below. The pot on the left is a sample from the control group, while the pot on the right is from the treatment (Fusion 360 Soil + Iota) group.
Note that, despite the 3 day lead time given to the control plants, the seedlings in the two groups demonstrated a similar amount of growth. This is indicative of the rapid germination typically seen in soils treated with our Fusion 360 Soil and Iota products. Increased beneficial microbial populations and activity suppresses the presence of undesirable pathogens, such as the Fusarium and Alternaria we had previously detected in the white pine sawdust growth medium, yielding improved growing conditions.
In the control group, roughly 70% of the seeds germinated after 5 days. In the treatment group, 80% had germinated after only 3 days. Our researchers observed that the seedlings in the treatment group had longer root and shoot lengths, compared to the control group.
Greatly Increased Tolerance of Hot Weather
On May 20th, we started a three day heat stress test in which the two groups of seedlings were placed into a cultivation area kept at a constant temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the pots were retrieved on May 22nd, we found that 100% of the plants in the control group had wilted, and subsequently died by the next day. However, more than 95% of the seedlings in the treatment group survived with no ill effects.
Summary of Observations from Germination Process and Heat Stress Test
First, we believe that the presence of the Fusarium and Alternaria fungi in the sawdust medium had an inhibitory impact on mustard seed germination. The treatment regimen utilizing Fusion 360 Soil and Iota increased beneficial microbe populations in the sawdust used in the treatment group. This reduced the presence of fungi and their inhibitory effect, allowing the treatment group seedlings to germinate faster than the seedlings in control conditions.
Secondly, the heat stress test had a profound impact on the control group: 100% of untreated seedlings died. Meanwhile, more than 95% of the seedlings in the treatment group demonstrated no negative effects from the heat. This was likely due to the increased root and shoot development noted prior to the heat test, as well as improved access to nutrition.
This experiment demonstrated how improving soil conditions with the aid of Fusion 360 Soil, Iota, and other such products helps to inoculate crops against both pathogenic and meteorological stressors.