Radionik Verlag - IRT - Seed trial with sunflowers

6.6. Seed trial with sunflowers at Sierndorf (A)

In summer 1991 Rudolf Graf Colloredo-Mannsfeld in Sierndorf near Vienna carried out a trial with treated sunflower seeds on his estate. The aim of the treatment was to increase the harvest and improve the quality under biological growing conditions.

A field of 6.4 hectares, homogeneous in terms of both structure and nutrients was divided into four parts. They were used for three different types of treatment and a control:

1. Field with pretreated sunflower seeds

The seeds in their container in the courtyard in Sierndorf, were treated with resonance therapy from mid-March till sowing at the beginning of May.

2. Treated field with untreated sunflower seeds

The soil was treated from January 91 until harvesting at the beginning of October. Untreated seeds were used.

3. Treated field with pretreated sunflower seeds

As above but with pretreated seeds

4. Control

Untreated field with untreated sunflower seeds.

At the beginning of October 3.2 hectares (= 50%) of the total field were harvested with a combine. The harvest was put into trailers and measured by the Chamber of Agriculture.

Samples of the harvested sunflowers were taken. The fatty acid compositon of these specimen was examined by the Institute for Agrotechnological Research, Wageningen.

Results

The results are shown in Fig. 3.

Statements Rudolf Graf Colloredo-Mansfeld, Nov. 1991

The yield from the treated fields was 16 to 19% higher.

The fatty acid analysis (palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid) showed that the quality was good, but there were no differences between the treatments.

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