Agro Research International LLC

ARI inspires Veteran Employee to launch St. Johns Hops

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 16:28:44 GMT

In 2018 Agro Research International's employee Sebastien Lajeunesse began testing organic products on hops plants. The hops plants thrived when using ARI products such as "Thyme Guard" to protect from pests and bacteria. Sebastian successfully harvested in 2019 and collaborated with a few local microbreweries including American Icon Brewery and Hourglasss Brewery.

Sebastien found that horticulture therapy helped him cope with his PTSD after his career with the Marine Corps, and wanted to provide that same healing experience for other combat veterans. Sebastien and his father Marc Lajeunesse, CEO of ARI, purchased a new farm known as "Valhalla" to create a sustainable hops farm, all grown by military veterans. Sebastien states that, "Our number one mission is to provide our nation’s veteran heroes a chance to properly acclimate back to the civilian world, get back on their feet, and provide them with a peaceful therapeutic environment so they may learn to cope with their PTSD that was developed from their time in service to our country."

Sebastien is excited to announce that he is in the process of getting ready to sell pellet hops and t-shirts for home brewers. Be sure to check out their social media and new website for updates: www.saintjohnshops.com .

Agro Research International is committed to Growers during COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:42:08 GMT

Agriculture has been deemed as one of the "critical infrastructures" during the COVID-19 pandemic. CEO Marc Lajeunesse of Agro Research International is doing his best to ensure the health and safety of his employees and customers, all while fulfilling orders to make sure growers across the country get their products on time. Lajeunesse brought employees from Nevada and New York Operations to help with production in Florida. Agro Research International is working tirelessly to serve the needs of customers with minimal disruption.

Agro Research International is committed to the constant development of unique and eco-friendly formulations that will help the world grow better quality food through research, innovation and unique alliances worldwide. They offer a large line of sustainable products for growing crops including biologicals, soil amendments, crop protection and nutrition. These products are essential for a successful growing season.

Our thoughts remain with you and your families during this unprecedented time. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the main office: 407-302-6116.

ARI Employees from Nevada and New York Operations traveled to Florida to help with production.

Thyme Guard vs. Cucumber Powdery Mildew – 2017 Study

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 08:08:00 GMT

EVALUATION OF THYME GUARD EFFICACY ON CUCUMBER POWDERY MILDEW

The following are the results of an independent Thyme Guard efficacy trial on cucumber powdery mildew, performed by Baar Scientific, LLC., New York, United States, 2017.

Although the 2 quart per acre rate of Thyme Guard provided better control, it also caused phytotoxic leaf burns.

For plants with low leaf wax we recommend not to exceed 0.25% (1 qt/100 gal water per acre).

Thyme Guard vs. Bacteria – Tomato Study

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 08:00:00 GMT

Thyme Guard vs. Bacterial Disease

Tomato Study, 2017, by Baar Scientific, LLC.

The following are the results of an independent Thyme Guard efficacy trial on tomato plants which was performed by Baar Scientific, LLC, New York, United States, in late 2017.

In both cases, a higher concentration of Thyme Guard provided better results with no phytotoxic side effects.

Thyme Guard vs. Asian Citrus Psyllid

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 08:00:00 GMT

Thyme Guard against Asian Citrus Psyllid

Thyme Guard is a broad spectrum bactericide, fungicide and insecticide (against small sucking insects such as aphids, mites and whiteflies).

It contains two phenols which destroy membranes of fungi and bacteria; and two terpenes, which destroy insect trachea, eggs and binds to GABA, a neurotransmitter.

Thyme Guard also has two systemic modes of action against bacteria and fungi, But it is strictly a contact mode of action for the insecticidal activity .

An October 2017 trial at the UF-IFAS research station in Immokalee, nine products, (experimental and on the market), including Thyme Guard were tested against the Asian citrus psyllid.

Thyme Guard performed very well against the other products and was ranked frequently in the statistical (a) or (ab) classes.

Products were applied on October 9 ^th and count dates and results are reflected in the charts below.

Thyme Guard was ranked third in dead/flush.

This data shows that although citrus growers are using Thyme Guard to fight HLB, canker and other diseases, they are also getting insecticidal activity, which helps reduce the overall cost per acre of the bactericidal, fungicidal and insecticidal product expense.

Thyme Guard soil application to control Citrus HLB

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 21:51:00 GMT

Thyme Guard is a potent bactericide, fungicide, and provides insecticidal activity on small sucking insects, (white flies, thrips, aphids, psyllids, etc.).

It is derived from thyme oil and primarily contains two natural phenols (thymol and carvacrol) which control bacterial and fungi pathogens and two natural terpenes for insecticidal activity.

An invitro study funded by CRDF and performed by the University of Florida in 2015 showed that Thyme Guard provided 90% control against an HLB surrogate at 10 ppm and 100% control at 100 ppm. With this in mind, a series of tests were performed in December 2017 to measure levels of phenols in citrus trees after application of Thyme Guard foliarly and in the soil. The goal was to reach a threshold of at least 10 ppm, to provide an acceptable level of control without inducing phytotoxic effects (at much higher rates). These tests would confirm the improved health of trees that many growers using Thyme Guard are observing.

This trial was performed using a Hach PL-1 phenol test kit. The kit is similar to a pH test kit, with a color wheel to match ppm. The kit measures phenols from 0.1 ppm to 4 ppm. It is very affordable and can be used by growers and consultants to perform their own measurements.

Unlike plants such as cucumbers or tomatoes which have abundant sap, citrus sap extraction is difficult and time consuming. The method used in this instance was to pick 10 to 20 leaves depending on canopy size, weigh the leaves, chop and liquefy them with 100 ml of water in a mixer, filter the liquid, followed by 4 minutes of centrifuge prior to performing the phenol test. The results provided reflect ppm per gram of leaf weight . Sap content can fluctuate depending on soil moisture and environmental conditions. For the purpose of this trial percentage of sap to total leaf weight was determined weighing leaves prior and after drying in a convection oven at 300⁰F for 1 hour. The sap weight percentage: 65%. Therefore for the purpose of these tests phenol ppm in the sap can be extrapolated by multiplying the result we provide by 1.54.

Measuring phenol content of leaves on foliar applications to the entire canopy has two draw backs:

To overcome these issues, a plastic garbage bag was placed on one branch of every tree prior to spraying to ensure that those leaves were free of Thyme Guard; and only the covered leaves were picked for testing.

Finally the data presented is a synopsis of the many tests performed.

Test 1

Thyme Guard was applied foliarly at a rate of 0.5% to 2 year old lime trees. Different products were also tested to see if penetration could be improved.

Thyme Guard by itself had the highest rate of increase (184%).

Test 2

Thyme Guard applied foliarly to a 2 year old grapefruit tree at 0.5% concentration.

Thyme Guard rapidly translocates throughout the tree and is found in the covered leaves 4 hours after application.

Test 3

Thyme Guard soil applied to 2 year old Hamlin.

From this data, we can see that phenol content is significantly higher when applied to soil vs. foliar. Nevertheless, growers may still want to consider foliar applications during flush for psyllid control. Another observation is that phenol levels stay elevated for several days after application thereby providing a residual effect.

Test 4

Environmental conditions make a significant impact on uptake. Soil application should be timed for maximum plant transpiration.

The following chart shows a Valencia tree along a tall line of southern facing oak trees. During winter months the citrus tree is in complete shade throughout the day. The Thyme Guard uptake is significantly less than the previous chart.

Recommendations

We recognize that most of the tests were performed on small trees, however the trial is ongoing; and going forward, we will focus on much older trees. In the coming weeks an independent third party lab will also perform sap extraction and phenol test for us.

Also keep in mind that Thyme Guard addresses the pathogen only. Revascularization is a separate issue relating to nutrition and time. Preventing reinfection is the third critical aspect in the fight against HLB.

One final observation, which needs to be confirmed, is that healthy trees appear to have a much higher level of phenols than sick ones. If this proves true, this phenol test could be very usefull to measure the progression of the health of a grove.

Please contact us if you’d like information on the Hach PL-1 test kit and the phenol testing procedure.

Kyte Gold for Citrus Tree Resets

Sat, 18 Nov 2017 14:36:00 GMT

Insecticide Testimonial with Thyme Guard

Sat, 18 Nov 2017 14:30:00 GMT