Although the majority of nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture today are chemically synthesized to create nutrients like nitrates and ammonium, there’s growing interest in another type of nitrogen fertilizer: amino acids.
Choosing the right soil can mean the difference between a bountiful crop harvest and a crop that doesn't even make it to harvest. Your soil characteristics (think pH, organic matter, salinity) may negatively impact plant performance.
Plants require a number of nutrients for growth: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and calcium. A primary benefit of adding microbials to the soil is that they help mobilize, solubilize, and chelate these nutrients for greater plant availability.
Beneficial microbes contribute to plant growth via numerous modes of action. They help plants better acquire macro and micronutrients, use water more efficiently, and improve a plants tolerance to abioitic stress.
New additives to fertilizer programs that have gained a lot of attention — and for good reason — fall under the heading of “biostimulants.” A biostimulant is an additive to the soil that improves the growing environment for the plants without the use of chemicals.
The Lakota Native American people of the Dakotas have a saying:Mitakuye Oyasin,which translates to “all are related.” They aren’t just referring to humans, or even to just animals. Instead, this concept speaks to a deep, underlying interconnectivity among everything from plants to animals, from people to the smallest speck of dirt.
Biofertilizers are essential components of organic farming practices because combining naturally occurring microorganisms with organically derived, nutrient-rich fertilizers, provides the plants and soils with a healthy growing environment that is sustainable for future growing seasons.
Is there any better feeling than harvesting a successful crop? Regardless of what you decide to stick in the ground this year we want to make sure you’re getting the highest quality result when it comes time to harvest. Here are a few tips...
It wasn’t until around 20 or 30 years ago that the demand for organic produce and products grew so rapidly, both from people who simply love to grow food in their personal gardens and from a much wider economic perspective.
Biostimulants reduce reliance on traditional conventional plant inputs, like synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, without sacrificing the yield potential of your crop.
Enhancing the health of your soil — the environment where the roots of your plants will either wither or thrive - can help overcome common issues that arise in the garden.
Balancing the economics of crop input and output is an ongoing challenge for many growers. With the apparent effects of climate change affecting plant growth and crop yields, new technology becomes more of a necessity to sustain our agricultural production.
The newest technology is known as microbial inoculants. We use the word "technology" because there is a lot of technological equipment needed to identify these beneficial microorganisms, and then grow them for the purpose of reapplying them to crops.
Anyone who actively gets their hands dirty in the soil knows the value of caring for the Earth — but a desire for agricultural stewardship doesn’t always translate to sustainability.
But the most important part of the plant in terms of its overall health and vitality cannot be seen. We’re talking about the complex system of roots that extend below the surface of the Earth.
Think of your soil asthe foundation of a house. Without ensuring your house’s foundation is sturdy, you won’t be able to build much. If your soil doesn’t have balanced acidity levels, organic content, and the right texture, you aren’t going to get much from your garden, either.
If you’re trying to stop the spread of a virus, washing your hands helps. But if you want to really protect your health, you may want to think twice about soap labeled antibacterial.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small plot in your side yard or acres under commercial production, farmers and gardeners want to maximize the yield of whatever is growing. That’s why many people integrate compost tea as an addition to their growth plan.
