Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

1997

Kerman, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless, for raisins

Maturity:  mature vines

Soil type:  sandy loam

Vine spacing:  12 ft x 7 ft

Irrigation:  all rows were drip irrigated

Vitazyme application: 

Modoc Farm:  Vitazyme at 13 oz/acre on the root zone on April 7;  at 13 oz/acre, applied foliar on May 14;  again at 13 oz/acre, applied foliar on July 28

Church Farm:  Vitazyme applied to the root zone at 13 oz/acre on April 6, and again at 13 oz/acre applied foliar on May 14

Floyd Farm:  Vitazyme at 13 oz/acre applied foliar on July 28

Modoc Farm

Grape yield:

Control: 3.35 tons/acre
Vitazyme: 4.43 tons/acre (+32%)
 

Increase in grade:

+1.2 points

Increase in Brix (sugar):

+1.5 percentage points

Income increase:

+$972/acre
 

Church Farm

Estimated yield increase*:
+1,500 lb/acre

*Based on bin filling

Increase in Brix (sugar):

+0.9 percentage points

Reduction in substandard fruit*:

Control: 4.1%
Vitazyme: 2.6% (+1.5 percentage points)

*Mostly from immature grapes

Estimated income increase:

+$675.00/acre

Floyd Farm

Estimated yield increase*:
+500 lb/acre

*Based on bin filling

Increase in Brix (sugar):

+0.5 percentage point

Estimated income increase:

+$225.00/acre

Fertilization: 

Modoc Farm:  Nitrogen (75 lb/acre UN 32), and Tracite (1 qt/acre 0-0-15) applied to the root zone on April 7;  Bayfolan (2 pt/acre), and wettable S (3 lb/acre) appled foliar on May 14;  Tracite (1 qt/acre 6% Ca), applied foliar on July 28

Church Farm:  Bayfolan (2 pt/acre), and wettable S (3 lb/acre) appled foliar on May 14

Floyd Farm:  none

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

1997

Kerman, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless, for raisins

Maturity:  mature vines

Soil type:  sandy loam

Planting date:  12 x 7 ft

Irrigation:  all rows were drip irrigated

Vitazyme application:  (1) Vitazyme at 13 oz/acre on March 28, with a 12-inch-wide band sprayed alongside the row berm.  (2) Vitazyme at 13 oz/acre on May 24, 1997, to the foliage.

Test 1

Raisin yield:

Control: 3,788 lb/acre
Vitazyme: 4,323/acre (+14%)
 

Raisin grade:

Control: 55.600
Vitazyme: 59.475 (+3.875 points)

Reduction in substandards:

+1.4 points

Income increase:

+$284.74/acre
 

Test 2

Raisin yield:

Control: 3,685 lb/acre
Vitazyme: 3,813/acre (+3.4%)
 

Reduction in substandards:

+3.05 points

Income increase:

+$109.93/acre

Fertilization:  Both the Vitazyme and control treatments were fertilized the same for each field.

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

1998

Kerman, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless (for raisins)

Maturity:  mature vines (about ten years old)

Soil type:  sandy loam

Vine spacing:  12 ft x 7 ft

Irrigation:  all rows were drip irrigated

Harvest:  All grapes were harvested by hand and placed on trays between the rows for drying.

Vitazyme application:  (1) 13 oz/acre were sprayed on the vines at match-head size, about a week after bloom the first part of June.  (2) 13 oz/acre were sprayed on the vines at berry softening, in early July.

Raisin yield:

Control: 3,735 lb/acre
Vitazyme: 4,302 lb/acre (+15%)

Income increase:

+$364.01/acre

Fertilization:  All areas received 20 gal/acre of CAN-17 (calcium ammonium nitrate with 17% N, giving about 37 lb/acre N) and "liquid potassium" (amount unknown) injected into the root zone about June 8, 1998.  No other fertilizers were applied.

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

1999

Snelling, California

Variety:  unknown (wine grapes)

Irrigation:  all rows were drip irrigated

Vitazyme application:  13 oz/acre through the drip system three times during the growing season

Comments:

The Vitazyme treated block was ready for harvest before the other blocks.

Vitazyme built Brix (sugar content) 30 days sooner than the untreated block.  Unfortunately, no yield data were kept.

Fertilization:  unknown

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

1999

Kerman, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless (for raisins)

Maturity:  mature vines (about ten years old)

Soil type:  sandy loam

Vine spacing:  12 ft x 7 ft

Irrigation:  all rows were drip irrigated

Harvest:  All grapes were harvested by hand and placed on trays between the rows for drying.

Vitazyme application:  (1) 13 oz/acre were sprayed on the vines at match-head size, about two weeks after bloom the first part of June.  (2) 13 oz/acre were sprayed on the vines at softening, in early July.

Raisin yield:

Control: 4,504 lb/acre
Vitazyme: 4,762 lb/acre (+6%)

Income increase:

+$157.38/acre

Fertilization:  All areas received 20 gal/acre of CAN-17 (calcium ammonium nitrate with 17% N, giving about 37 lb/acre N) and "liquid potassium" (amount unknown) injected into the root zone in early June.  No other fertilizers were applied.

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

1999

Kerman, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless (for raisins)

Maturity:  mature vines (about ten years old)

Soil type:  sandy loam

Vine spacing:  12 ft x 7 ft

Irrigation:  all rows were drip irrigated

Harvest:  All grapes were harvested by hand and placed on trays between the rows for drying.

Vitazyme application:  (1) 13 oz/acre were sprayed on the vines at match-head size, about two weeks after bloom the first part of June.  (2) 13 oz/acre were sprayed on the vines at softening, in early July.

Raisin yield:

Control: 4,742 lb/acre
Vitazyme: 5,174 lb/acre (+9%)

Income increase:

+$263.52/acre

Fertilization:  All areas received 20 gal/acre of CAN-17 (calcium ammonium nitrate with 17% N, giving about 37 lb/acre N) and "liquid potassium" (amount unknown) injected into the root zone in early June.  No other fertilizers were applied.

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2000

Kerman, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless (new planting)

Planting date:  new canes the winter of 1999/2000

Irrigation:  all rows were drip irrigated

Vitazyme application:  0.15 oz per gallon of water;  about July 15 and August 10, along with the fulvic acid;  one gallon per vine

Leaf chlorophyll:

Control: 35.8 SPAD units
Vitazyme: 38.7 SPAD units (+2.9 SPAD units)

Branch length:

Control: 69.3 cm
Vitazyme: 153.8 cm* (+122%)

*Significantly greater than the control at P=0.11 (Bartlett's Test).

Number of new branches:

Control: 3.25
Vitazyme: 9.75* (+200%)

*Significantly greater than the control at P=0.10 (Tukey's Test).

Fertilization:  0.15 oz of fulvic acid per gallon of water, along with Vitazyme, about July 15 and August 10; one gallon per vine

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2000

Fowler, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless (for raisins)

Vine age:  mature vines

Soil type:  sandy loam

Vine spacing:  12 ft  between rows, 7 ft in the rows

Trellis system:  overhead

Irrigation:  drip system, at 12 gal/plant three times weekly

Vitazyme application:  (1) 13 oz/acre foliar 10 days after blossom;  (2) 13 oz/acre foliar at berry softening

Grape yield:

Control: 9.97 tons/acre
Vitazyme: 13.56 tons/acre (+36%)

Grape density:

Control: 1,069 average lb/bin
Vitazyme: 1,101.6 average lb/bin (+3%)

Gross income:

Control: $797.60/acre
Vitazyme: $1,084.80/acre (+$287.20/acre)

Fertilization:  40 lb/acre N/acre (as UN-32) through the drip system early in the season, and 20 lb N/acre (as Ca-NH₄NO₃) and soluble K through the drip system at berry softening

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2001

Reedley, California

Variety:  Ruby seedless

Vine age:  established

Soil type:  clay loam

Vine spacing:  12 ft  between rows, 8 ft in the rows

Trellis system:  standard T-bar

Vitazyme application:  The end of the drip line was disconnected and attached to a hose from a sprayer tank.  The 100 gallons of Vitazyme solution were applied in the row under 50 psi.  A 13 oz/acre rate was applied, or 1.6 oz in the 100 gallons, on April 23, 2001.

[All organism determinations were made at the Soil Foodweb Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon. Sampling date: June 18, 2001.]

Active bacterial biomass:

Control: 14.4 µg/g
Vitazyme: 17.7 µg/g (+23%)

Total bacterial biomass:

Control: 193 µg/g
Vitazyme: 176 µg/g

Active fungal biomass:

Control: 22.1 µg/g
Vitazyme: 61.5 µg/g (+178%)

Total fungal biomass:

Control: 25 µg/g
Vitazyme: 128 µg/g (+412%)

Hyphal diameter:

Control: 2.5 µm
Vitazyme: 2.5 µm

Nematodes per gram:

Control: 0.07/gram
Vitazyme: 0.21/gram

Ratio of total fungal to total bacterial biomass

Control: 0.13
Vitazyme: 0.73 (good improvement)

Ratio of active fungal to active bacterial biomass

Control: 0.89
Vitazyme: 0.48 (good improvement)

Ratio of active to total bacterial biomass

Control: 0.07
Vitazyme: 0.10 (good improvement)

Fertilization:  unknown

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2001

Reedley, California

Variety:  Ruby seedless

Vine age:  established

Soil type:  clay loam

Vine spacing:  12 ft  between rows, 8 ft in the rows

Trellis system:  standard T-bar

Vitazyme application:  The end of the drip line was disconnected and attached to a hose from a sprayer tank.  The 100 gallons of Vitazyme solution were applied in the row under 50 psi.  A 13 oz/acre rate was applied, or 1.6 oz in the 100 gallons, on April 23, 2001.

[All organism determinations were made at BBC Laboratories, Inc., Tempe, Arizona.  Sampling date: June 18, 2001.]

Aerobic heterophobic plate count* (colony forming units):

Control: 25.0/gram of dry sample x 10⁶
Vitazyme: 6.6/gram of dry sample x 10⁶ (-74%)

*A modified version from Methods of Soil Analysis, Second Edition, ASA and SSSA; 37-5.2

Anaerobic bacteria* (colony forming units):

Control: 1.0/gram of dry sample x 10⁷
Vitazyme: 1.5/gram of dry sample x 10⁷ (+50%)

*A modified version from Methods of Soil Analysis, Second Edition, ASA and SSSA; 37-5.2

Yeasts and molds* (colony forming units):

Control: 4.5/gram of dry sample x 10⁴
Vitazyme: 4.1/gram of dry sample x 10⁴ (-9%)

*A modified version from Methods of Soil Analysis, Second Edition, ASA and SSSA; 37-8.1.2

Actinomycetes* (colony forming units):

Control: 4.9/gram of dry sample x 10³
Vitazyme: 11.0/gram of dry sample x 10³ (+124%)

*A modified version from Methods of Soil Analysis, Second Edition, ASA and SSSA; 37-8.1.3

Pseudomonads* (colony forming units):

Control: 17.0/gram of dry sample x 10⁴
Vitazyme: 5.4/gram of dry sample x 10⁴ (-68%)

*A modified version from Methods of Soil Analysis, Second Edition, ASA and SSSA; 37-8.1.3

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria* (colony forming units):

Control: 3.7/gram of dry sample x 10³
Vitazyme: 20.0/gram of dry sample x 10³ (-441%)

*A modified version from Methods of Soil Analysis, Second Edition, ASA and SSSA; 37-8.1.3

Fertilization:  unknown

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2001

Gonzales, California

Variety:  Pinot Noir (wine grapes)

Vine age:  mature

Soil type:  sandy, very poor fertility

Vine spacing:  12 ft  between rows, 7 ft in the rows

Trellis system:  vertical post and wire

Irrigation:  drip

Vitazyme application:  Fall of 1999, Vitazyme at 13 oz/acre, fish at the recommended rate, and H₂O₂; spring of 2000, Vitazyme at 13 oz/acre; midseason in 2000, Vitazyme at 13 oz/acre.  All materials were applied through the drip irrigation system.

Grape yield:

Control: 0.5 tons/acre*
Vitazyme: 4.5 tons/acre

*This value was the expected yield for the area based on harvest data from the previous few years.

Fertilization:  unknown

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2003

Madera, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless (for raisins)

Soil type:  variable: very sandy to light clay

Harvest date:  December 10, 2003

Vitazyme application:  Vitazyme was applied to the leaves of the grapes by an air-blast sprayer four times at 2 weeks before bloom, at bloom with gibberelins, at BB-sized fruit, and at verasion.  The third spray also received a Tulare Ag products combination of potassium, calcium, and boron.

Ethrel application:  Ethrel [(2-Chloroethyl) phosphonic acid], also known as Ethephon, is a synthetic plant growth regulator that releases ethylene into the plant system.  The effect of ethylene is to hasten sugar production so one can harvest earlier, or get more total sugar into the grapes.  The product was sprayed on four times, the same times that the Vitazyme was applied.

Grape sugar content:

There was little difference in the sugar content of the grapes for the two treatments throughout the growing season.

Gross raisin yield:

Control: 6,114.3 lb/acre
Vitazyme: 7,114.3 lb/acre (+16%)

Net raisin yield:

Control: 5,054.4 lb/acre
Vitazyme: 5,355.0 lb/acre (+16%)

Fertilization:  nothing in addition to adequate N, P, and K from well water

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2004

Madera, California

Variety:  Thompson seedless (for raisins)

Soil type:  variable: very sandy to light clay

Harvest date:  80% completed on August 21, and 100% completed on August 28

Vitazyme application:  Vitazyme was applied to the leaves of the grapes by an air-blast sprayer four times at 13 oz/acre each time, at pre-bloom cluster stretch, at post-bloom berry set with gibberelins, at berry softening, and 14 to 21 days before harvest.  The third spray also received a Tulare Ag products combination of potassium, calcium, and boron.

Ethrel application:  Ethrel [(2-Chloroethyl) phosphonic acid], also known as Ethephon, is a synthetic plant growth regulator that releases ethylene into the plant system.  The effect of ethylene is to hasten sugar production so harvest can occur earlier, and more total sugars accumulate in the grapes.  The product was sprayed once, on June 18 at berry softening

Grape sugar content:

Grape sugar at season's end was the highest for the Vitazyme plus Tulare Ag Products treatments.

Control: 21.52

Ethrel: 21.62

Vitazyme + K: 22.30 (+0.78 percentage point)
Vitazyme + K  + Ethrel: 21.12

Net raisin yield:

Control: 4,007 lb/acre

Ethrel: 4,757 lb/acre (+19%)

Vitazyme + K: 5,854 lb/acre (+46%)
Vitazyme + K  + Ethrel: 5,220 lb/acre (+30%)

Fertilization:  nothing in addition to adequate N, P, and K from well water

Date

Location

Cultural System

Vitazyme/Fertilization

Results

2004

San Miguel, California

Variety:  Cabernet Sauvignon (for wine)

Soil type:  loam, high-calcium subsoil, low organic matter

Row spacing:  12 feet between rows, 6 feet in-row

Grafting:  none (self rooted)

Irrigation:  drip

Bunch thinning:  none

Grape plant age:  4 years (first harvest)

Harvest date:  September 25, 2004

Vitazyme application:  (1) 13 oz/acre with 9-18-9 fertilizer sprayed at bud break; (2) 13 oz/acre with 9-18-9 fertilizer + sulfur sprayed at BB-sized fruit; (3) 13 oz/acre with 9-18-9 fertilizer + sulfur sprayed at verasion

Leaf chlorophyll (average of 30 leaves):

Control: 44.7 SPAD units

Vitazyme: 47.7 SPAD units (+3.0 SPAD units)

Grape yield:

Control: 600 lb/16 plants

Vitazyme: 877 lb/16 plants (+46%)

Grape income:

+$216.75/acre

Grape quality differed little between the treated and control grapes, as evidenced below, despite a much higher (46%) fruit load on the Vitazyme treated grapes.

Color density (absorbance units):

Control: 7.18

Vitazyme: 6.14

Total phenolics (absorbance units):

Control: 29.55

Vitazyme: 26.56

Anthocyanins:

Control: 241 ppm

Vitazyme: 231 ppm

GF (absorbance units):

Control: 181

Vitazyme: 176

Brix:

Control: 26.7

Vitazyme: 25.6

Density (absorbance units):

Control: 1.108

Vitazyme: 1.104

Potential alcohol:

Control: 14.7 ppm

Vitazyme: 14.1 ppm

Total acidity:

Control: 0.51 gtar/100 ml

Vitazyme: 0.52 gtar/100 ml

pH:

Control: 3.70

Vitazyme: 3.73

Ammonia (NH₃):

Control: 81 ppm

Vitazyme: 90 ppm

Amino acids:

Control: 165 ppm

Vitazyme: 152 ppm

Yeast active nitrogen:

Control: 246 ppm

Vitazyme: 242 ppm

Malic acid:

Control: 0.81 grams/liter

Vitazyme: 1.19 grams/liter

Tartaric acid:

Control: 4.99 grams/liter

Vitazyme: 4.71 grams/liter

Potassium:

Control: 1,509 ppm

Vitazyme: 1,455 ppm

Wine quality: Wine was made from each lot of grapes, and each lot will be judged for quality during the next year.

Fertilization:  20 lb/acre (NH4)2SO4 broadcast in March before bud break; 9-18-9 or 3-18-18 (+ micronutrients) applied every two to three weeks at 2 to 3 gallons/acre during much of the growing season, usually with sulfur after verasion; a blue-green algae solution applied in the irrigation water periodically