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Report on an investigation Technology of vegetable cultivation in China using the Grander

The Institute for Vegetable Research and Qual­ity Assurance within the Ministry for Agriculture in Beijing

has performed plant tests with and without application of Grander Technology on behalf of New DAWN Environmental Technology Co. Ltd. from Hong Kong. In a first study they planted youcai leaf vegetables and radishes in various test plots, where four of the plots were irrigated with non-revitalised tap-water and the other four plots with water revitalised using Grander Technology.

A Grander Revitalisation unit (11/4 size; W540) is fitted to the water-supply pipes to the plots to be irrigated with revitalised water. The tests were performed in Beijing at the Supervision and Testing Centre for Vegetable Qual­ity, Ministry of Agriculture, from 24 December 1999 to 14 March 2000. To en­sure that the tests could be reproduced as accurately as possible, all the plots for the water cultures were built up from the same basic materials: grass coal, firing slag and vermiculite.

The results are obtained by calculating the mean value of plant tests made with large numbers of samples and they are there­fore significant from a statistical point of view. The plants were observed and examined during all important phases of growth.

Parameter

The following parameters were tested and compared using Grander revitalised water and non-revitalised water:

• Number of leaves
• Vegetable mass above ground and root fibres underground
• Dry weight of the plant above ground and root fibres underground
• Nutrient content
• Proportion of extracted fibre
• Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn
• Sugar content, proteins, flavour
• Yield

Results leaf vegetables:

• Leaf canopies and root fibres are more developed
• Vegetable mass and dry weight increase
• Proportion of extracted fibres decreases
• Yield increases by 13%
• Roots are formed much faster in young plants, providing the plants with greater resistance during their first phase.

Results radishes:

• Vegetable mass and dry weight increase
• Proportion of extracted fibres decreases
• Yield increases by 12.75%
• In the case of radishes it is noticeable that after an initial strong development of leaves above ground, the increase in mass progressively shifts towards the fruit as development proceeds. Non-revitalised plants show a more uniform growth process. It seems that revitalisation causes the plant’s strength to concentrate where it is needed most.

Results tomatoes:

A second study shows the effect of the applica­tion of the Grander system to tomatoes. Test period: 8 December 1999 to 12 June 2000. The experimental plots were set up as in the first study, although some additional parameters were measured. Again the high number of samples taken guarantees mean­ingful results

• Plant height: +13.07%
• Stem thickness: +5.88%
• Vegetable mass above ground: -2.67%
• Dry weight of the plant above ground: +9.90%
• Sugar: +24.56%
• Lycopene: +25.48%
• Increase of nutrients and trace elements
• Extracted protein: +6.56%
• Yield increase: +11.85%

It seems worth noting that the vegetable mass and the dry weight of the root mass of the plant were 71% higher than those in the non-revitalised control group during the early growth phase. The increase in sugar, minerals, lycopene and the sugar-acid ratio significantly improve the quality of the fruit. Additionally the different sugar-acid ratio improves the flavour of the tomato. Another interesting thing, already described in the previous study, is that the plants concentrate their strength on building up a strong root mass during their early phase, whereas the increased growth shifts to the fruit in the later phase.

Conclusion:

It should be noted that in the experiments with tomatoes the plants achieved greater height and a better yield solely through revitalisation and without additional fertilisation. The Chinese Institute for Vegetable Research is convinced that the revitalisa­tion devices are uncomplicated to use and simple to implement and recognises their positive effect by award­ing the Academy’s seal, which is accepted world-wide and recognised by the WHO.