FONSAG biofuel and ethanol production schedule must be cost effective. Choosing the ground to put your farm is your most important decision. Quality soil, clean water, little wind, and lots of sun is desirable...but sometimes you have to use what you got. Conditioning and cover cropping poor quality soil can help remediate the grounds. Dirty water can be filtered. Wind can be blocked or diffused. Shade can be cleared for sun. Once you have tended to the basic elements of your farm infrastructure, you are ready to begin. See INFRASTRUCTURE for more information.
DIRECT SEEDING STAGE: (FRESH START):
Use tractor seed planter for seeding. Plant no further than 4ft apart. This will provide plant to plant support. Make sure you have all weeds clear and have a good control plan until canopy fills. Quality seed is important. Genetics will determine ease of production. Feminized seed are not required for production. Oil can be extracted from flower and seed. Use a strain with high oil content potential.
GROWTH STAGE (FIBER GROWTH):
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Growth speed should always be quick. Slow growth will not fill canopy in time to control weeds. Your main objective is to fill canopy and grow vertical. Vertical growth is fiber production. The height of your crop will determine ethanol/textile production. Ethanol production is accounted by fiber weight. Textile production will be judged on fiber strength and straightness. Both productions require massive vertical growth habit. Extension will promote air flow needed to combat pest and disease. Some genetic varieties will attain proper growth habit naturally. Other strains will need to be pushed. See PROGRAM ALTERATIONS to customize your schedule with growth development control.
TRANSITION STAGE (FLOWER SET):
The transitional stage is the duration between plant growth and flower development. In the short period of 2 1/2 weeks your plant will undergo a stacking phase at the tips of all growth sites. Pistol development will quantify seed site potential. Oil concentrations increasingly grow as seed is produced. FONSAG biofuel production encourages transitional stage extension. This extends pistol production throughout early and late bloom stages.
EARLY FLOWER (PISTOL SET):
This is a crucial moment in the plants flower development. Early flower stage begins after the first set of pistols have matured and begin pulling back into their root to form the swelling of calyx. A light crowning will occur at the tips of each flower site. New pistols will crop over mature ones forming conical shaped flowers. High production biofuel occurs from late pollination. Early pollination will halt pistol development and push plant into maturity phase. Daily overhead spray in early stages of flower can assist by degrading pollen viability. Late pollination must be paired with cell promoting fertilizers. The trick to dual fiber and seed crop is fiber and seed maturing together.
MATURE FLOWER (SEED SWELL):
Proper nutritive values are important for biofuel production. The amount and size of seed will distinguish biodiesel production. The height and thickness of fiber will determine ethanol production. All seasonal preparations are geared for fiber and seed production. FONSAG fertilizers are used to strengthen fiber in the late term allowing seed maturation before cut.