Field Study

Vitazyme on Grapes – 2003, North America

In this San Joaquin Valley raisin grape test, Vitazyme (with one of the four sprays also containing some potassium, calcium, and boron) increased total raisin production by 16% above the standard Ethrel treatments.
However, the net raisin production was increased less by Vitazyme – by 6% – and while this is still a substantial increase in yield, it is believed that the net yield increase would have been considerably higher, perhaps
approaching 16%, if the growing season had been more normal. Due to cool conditions during parts of the summer the progress of the vines and grapes was retarded, so that towards the end of the season the grapes were not reaching their usual high sugar content as soon as normal. Thus, at harvest the Vitazyme treated grapes had a lower sugar content because the heavier load of grapes had too little time to develop a 21 to 22% sugar content, whereas the lighter load of grapes with the Ethrel treatment achieved a higher sugar content due to less grapes to fill.

Ethrel treated grapes had a slightly higher sugar content than the Vitazyme treated grapes throughout the
growing season, except for the July 22 determination. Grape size varied little between the two treatments during
the July 17 to August 20 testing period.

This study proved that Vitazyme, together with some foliar minerals at one stage of development, performed
better in terms of gross and net yield than the “standard of the industry” Ethrel treatments. Further studies will be
performed during 2004 to confirm and expand upon these conclusions.