Maximum Yield USA 2012 September | Page 115

way it did and was synthetic. However, the fact that the product was all natural and organic was a huge plus. A master grower in Saginaw, Michigan said that when he was finished with his growing season, he was very pleased with the results he had with his control group of plants. He said he wouldn’t have given these results another thought if he had not had the trial group of plants—treated with the concentrated neem extract—right next to the control. The trial group looked much healthier and fuller, and he noticed a slight increase in yield. He also pointed out that even a slight yield increase can mean thousands of dollars of additional profit to him since the value of his plants is so high. Field trials Since 2006, the manufacturer tested this new essence through field trials conducted by independent testing labs like Michigan State University, Saginaw Valley State University and major professional growers around the country. Almost invariably, the results have been positive—and stunning. They have tested tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, peppers, poinsettias and geraniums, and the results are below: • Field tomatoes—70% increase in cumulative yield mass, compared to untreated control (2008, Saginaw Valley State University) • Bell peppers—80% increase in cumulative yield mass, compared to untreated control (2009, Intermediate Manufacturer’s Internal Study) • Cherry tomatoes—17% increase in fruit count, compared to untreated control (2009, Saginaw Valley State University) • Blueberries—Outperformed leading brands of chemical inputs in total percentage of marketable fruit (2009, Michigan State University) • Greenhouse strawberries—Nine-fold increase in fruit count, compared to untreated control (2008, Hillsdale College) • Organic apples—Outperformed the leading OMRI-listed brand in maintaining plant health (2007, Michigan State University) • Poinsettias—Up to 100% increase observed in red leaves, compared to untreated control (2009, intermediate manufacturer in partnership with major grower) MY Maximum Yield USA | September 2012 113