Smart Farming Solutions

Labels: drought, Hydretain, Inoculaid, salt damage

Clay and humus soils can tie up essential nutrient, making them unavailable to plants. High soil pH can also bind micro nutrients. Microscopic clay and humus particles have enormous electrostatic sites which act like magnets, binding nutrients to those sites. As a result, the plant goes hungry, even thought the soil is loaded with nutrients. This is particularly true of essential micro nutrients.

One way to remedy this is to provide plants with chelated nutrients. Chelates are molecules which wrap themselves around metal ions. EDTA is a commonly used in consumer products, prepared foods and salad dressing to sequester metal ions which catalyze decomposition reactions. Chelates are also used in medicine to treat lead poisoning and other metal poisoning.

In horticulture, chelated micronutrients are readily absorbed by plants, particularly if applied foliarly (to the leaves). That’s because the metal ions are shielded; and therefore do not bind to soil particles.

I find that glucoheptonate is more effective of a chelate than EDTA for plants. In my garden, I use Super Boost which consists of chelated micro nutrients, seaweed extract and fulvic acid. The recommended application rate is 2 quarts per acre for vegetable and turf, every couple of weeks. If you are growing a small garden, 1/8 of a fluid ounce mixed with one gallon of water and sprayed on to leaves is more than enough. When foliar spraying, be sure to do it early in the morning with cool temperatures. I am sure many gardening enthusiast will also confirm what nurserymen have told me: chelated micronutrients applied at bloom will increase and extend blooming of certain plants.

Labels: chelated nutrients, fertilizer, fulvic acid, humates, humic acid, seaweed extract, soil amendment

Inoculaid, a new mix of photosynthetic beneficial soil bacteria can reduce fertilizer use by as much as 50%, without compromising yield, thereby helping the environment.

Soil biologists have long known the symbiotic relationship between plants and certain bacteria and fungi co-habitating in the root zone.
While plants provide nutrients such as sugar and amino acids, strands of rhizo bacteria transform nitrogen from the air into ammonia which the plants can absorb. Others help transport nutrients to the roots; and some even provide auxin (plant hormones) necessary for plant growth.
For years various biological laboratories have offered various cocktails of beneficial bacteria. However, none have provided such an effective alternative to traditional farming until now.
I have applied various brands of beneficial bacteria in a number of large and small trials. They indeed reduce fertilizer inputs. However, they had very short shelf life once the container was open; and they provided a 10% to 20% fertilizer reduction.
I met the folks at Applied & Experimental Biology, the makers of Inoculaid at an ag expo last year; and later had a long conversation with Thom Selvig, the biologist who developed the product. He described to me thirty years of research which culminated into this unique mix of photosynthetic bacteria, (naturally found in the soil), which provide an array of proven benefits:
1) Reduction of fertilizer inputs by as much as 50% without compromising yield.
2) Improved soil moisture and aggregation.
3) Reduction in harmful pathogens/pests including nematodes and fungi.

When one hears of such phenomenal claims, the first reaction is skepticism- too good to be true; just another snake oil; why isn't every body using this product?

Growers and golf superintendents are starting to. I talked to several of them and ag consultants who are currently using Inoculaid on a large scale (thousands of acres of vegetable production). They all reported the same success. In some cases they have completely eliminated fumigation, drastically cut fungicide and in one instance cut nitrogen input by 2/3.

Inoculaid is the new paradigm towards environmentally friendly agriculture and landscape maintenance. By using nature’s own weapons, Inoculaid is now allowing growers to produce more food, with less fertilizers and chemicals.

For an amazing view of this microbiology at work through the lens of a microscope, watch the video. It will dazzle you.

Or go to http://www.smartfarmingsolutions.com/ for more information

Labels: beneficial bacteria, fertilizer, inoculants, nematode, organic farming, organic gardening, reduce fertilizer, soil moisture

Seaweed extracts contain a number of natural plant growth hormones (i.e. cytokinins, auxins) as well as other plant biostimulants (e.g. betaines, polyamines, oligosaccharides), which can improve plant resistances and tolerances to environmental, disease and insect stresses. For example, Polyamines influence the mechanism that controls pollination and the formation of fruits. Their presence in optimal quantities is the determining factor in the number of fruits and their development. Seaweed extracts are also rich in vitamins and micro nutrients and like humates hold ground moisture.

So does applying seaweed extract to plants increase growth, yield and resistance to disease?

Interestingly, there is an ongoing debate as to its effectiveness. For example, in a well presented article, Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Puyallup Research Station debunks its effectiveness and calls it a myth*.
On the other hand T. Butler and A.H. Hunt in a research paper presented at the ISHA 2006 International Symposium on Horticultural Plants in Urban and Peri-Urban Life examined golf course turf grass subject to plant stress, due to high traffic levels and short grass mowing. Their research showed that seaweed extract in this instance reduced the nutrient inputs, increased tissue NPK levels, grass growth, color and stress tolerance.

What is one to believe?

Based on my personal experience, certain sea weed extracts can greatly increase plant fruit yields when the plant is under stress. In a twenty five acre cucumber trial over three plantings, 3 days apart, the yields from those fields where in excess of 30% greater than the plantings prior and after; and were the highest of the season. From a scientific stand point, one could argue that this was not a correct trial because the control plots were not planted at the same time and in the same fields. Furthermore, environmental conditions prior and after these plantings could have affected the yields of the rest of the plantings. In fact the entire season was subject to heavy rain fall due to two back to back tropical depressions which hovered over Florida for more than three weeks. Plants were definitely stressed from a lack of sun light and excess water.
I performed a multiple regression analysis taking in consideration solar radiation, precipitation, wind, hours of sunlight, plant stands and fertilizer regimen. With a high coefficient and statistical confidence, the sea weed extract was clearly the greatest contributor to the yield increase. Is this definitive proof that it works? I would say it’s more anecdotal experience.

It has been my experience that when plants are healthy due to the right soil and environmental conditions most additives will not significantly improve growth or yield. However, when plants are stressed, (heat, cold, wind, too much or not enough water, nutrients, etc.), these growth enhancers do make a difference.

Labels: fertilizer, gardening, Lawn Care, organic, plant nutrition, seaweed extract, soil amendment