August 2, 2010 near Hoeven, Holland. Three burned seed-heads & one 45 angle "cut" stalk (red arrow) also blackened. Photo: Roy Boschman

We have heard many reports over the years about possibly "burned" plants in crop formations. However, in every case where these plants have been sent to BLT for examination our consulting analytical chemist has shown (through FT-IR and EDS) that the blackening was actually caused by Ustilago, an opportunistic fungus which feeds on the internal plant stem moisture which is exposed to air when the stems are crushed or broken (http://www.bltresearch.com/labreports/mission1.php).

Blackening caused by Ustilago in maize plants in a crop circle in Mission, British Columbia in 2002. Photo: Laurel Konrad.

But in 2010 seedheads from a Dutch formation which occurred in the early morning hours of August 2nd in a field in-between Hoeven and Oudenbosch have provided scientific proof of actual burning. At the end-point of a "half-ring" or "arc" component of one section of this formation, in the standing plants right at the edge of this area, there were three partially blackened seedheads and an additional plant stem with no seedhead but with a 45 angle cut which was also blackened.

The laboratory report clearly shows that -- in this case -- the blackening is carbon-based and positively due to burning, not to the fungus Ustilago.

Red arrow points to location of 3 burned seedheads & blackened cut stalk. Photo: Roy Boschman

At around 2:00 am on the morning of August 2, 2010 Robbert van den Broeke became aware of the very particular sensation he regularly experiences when a new crop circle is forming somewhere in his general vicinity. His intuition indicated a specific field some distance away, near the village of Oudenbosch, as the most likely location of the new circle, so he called his mother's friend Ellen Gomis and asked if she could drive him to this field.

I have tried many times to understand better what this "special feeling" is that Robbert experiences when new circles are occurring and I asked him, again, if he could describe it in any greater detail to me. Robbert replied that when circles are forming he feels the presence of a "big soul group"; he also said that, in this case, as he and Ellen reached the field the air felt "very busy" and "full of energy" and, as Ellen was parking the car, he saw (as he often has in the past) a flash of light directly over the field in which he and Ellen then immediately found the new crop circle.

As is often the case Robbert felt drawn to go into the formation immediately and -- in this instance -- he then experienced a very strong "rotating" energy "on his heart" which produced a feeling of such peace that he could only describe it as similar to the feeling of "coming home."

This formation was interesting for a number of reasons. First, it was in two sections, with a tramline running between the two parts. Second, there was a considerable amount of randomly-downed crop in the same field, a situation which BLT has observed to be present in conjunction with many circles which tested as genuine in the past (with the plants in the randomly-downed areas often showing greater abnormalities than those found in the actual "geometrically" flattened areas).

Large arrows point to 2 sections of formation; smaller arrows point to strips of randomly-downed crop nearby, which often occurs with genuine circles. Photo: Roy Boschman

Lay detail in one of the small circles. Photo: Peter Vanlaerhoven

A third interesting feature of this 2010 Dutch event is the presence of a decidedly oval circle in one section of the formation. This oval or elliptical shape has been seen in a few of the previous circles which have appeared in Robbert's vicinity but is rarely seen in crop circles elsewhere in the world.

Second half of 8/2/10 crop formation, this part made up of a distinct ellipse and a smaller circle. Photo: Roy Boschman

Oval or elliptical component, closer. As can barely be seen, only a few standing plants separate the oval from the small circle. Photo: Roy Boschman

Finally it is curious that the burned seedheads were not all affected to precisely the same degree. The seedhead submitted for analysis shows what appear to be totally normal seed pods just underneath the burned top. One of the close-up photos taken in the field, however, clearly shows dehydration of several seed-pods directly beneath the charred seed-pods near the tip of that seedhead.

The burned seedhead submitted for analysis, showing no dehydration of seed-pods beneath charred tip. Photo: P. Budinger

Another of the burned seedheads showing marked dehydration of seed pods beneath the burned areas. Photo: Roy Boschman

We did not receive the "cut" and blackened plant stem photographed at the same location and, so, cannot determine with 100% certainty whether it's darkened end is due to burning or Ustilago. But given that the seedhead we did receive is now proven to have been burned, and the fact that the "cut" plant stem was not only observed in the same area but on the first day of the formation's existence, it's blackening is most likely due to burning also. [Blackening caused by Ustilago would take many days before being visible.]

Following is BLT's consulting analytical scientist's FT-IR report, which failed to detect any trace evidence of an accelerant.