Simple Sugar-Based Fertilizer Impacts on Corn Growth and Nutrient Content
Date
2023-05
Authors
Harbecke, Seth
Major Professor
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Delate, Kathleen
Committee Member
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Abstract
Among the many amendments organic farmers can apply, a product called TerraFed™ has been attributed to assisting with plant growth. In this experiment, it was found that TerraFed™ did not cause an increase in corn growth upon application during the V2 growth stage. The fertilizer did not show any increase in leaf greenness, plant height, plant development, or any kind of observable plant health. The application of the fertilizer did however cause an increase in microbial growth in the soil compared to treatments without the fertilizer. Additionally, the application of TerraFed™ did cause an increase in certain metabolites in corn shown through metabolomic analysis of the plant tissue. It is important to note that the autoclaving of the soil caused differences in corn growth, including plant height, plant leaf greenness, and certain tissue metabolites.
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