From leaf extract to a repeatable formulation

The material is part of the experiment

Developing MoGro+ means working toward a defined formula, not simply adopting an ingredient name. We want a clear connection between the material we prepare and the observations made when it is tested.

A 2017 wheat study compared fresh and stored moringa leaf extracts. Its published abstract reports declining phenolic and ascorbic-acid concentrations with longer storage, alongside reduced growth-promoting effects. The authors reported that fresh extract performed best in their experiments. We reviewed the abstract; it does not establish a shelf life for MoGro+.

Source: Khan et al. (2017) — Fresh and stored moringa extracts in wheat ↗

Give every development batch an identity

Our interpretation is that formulation work and storage questions should be considered together. For our own development records, we want to be able to distinguish a change in the formula from a change in the material’s history.

A useful batch record would connect the source material, preparation date, process version and storage conditions. When material reaches a trial, that identity should travel with the application record: what was used, when it was applied and which plots received it. This is the record structure we want to build toward, rather than a statement that a validated production system is already operating.

Let the testing define the specification

As we work toward version one, stability and consistency remain questions to investigate. We have not established a commercial storage period, final format or product performance claim. Those decisions should follow suitable testing of the actual formulation.

Amanzi Data’s FarmOS development provides a related direction: connecting batch information, trial conditions and observations. Keeping that context together should help us decide whether to repeat an experiment, investigate a process change or refine the next version.

The ambition is straightforward: make the next experiment more informative than the last. A traceable record is one part of that work; independent evaluation of the product remains essential.