A healthy soil means: The soil organisms-the soil foodweb- which cycle nutrients into the right forms and at the right rates are The organisms which suppress disease-causing organisms are The organisms which build soil structure are present, so mineral and gases (oxygen) can move to the plant easily, and waste materials can be removed as […]
The “bio-active ingredients” common to many biostimulants/soil amendments can be placed in the following categories: Kelp Extracts: Extracts of deep, cold water kelps are excellent sources of plant growth hormones, including gibberellins, cytokinins, auxins, manitols, to name just a few. These compounds enhance turfgrass and plants by promoting cell division and elongation, resulting in improved […]
Cytokinins, synthesized from adenosine monophosphate and mevalonic acid; are found in root tips and developing seeds and are transported within the plant via the xylem. Binding proteins have been identified in ribosomes, the cytosol and the nucleus. Cytokinins are potent growth factors necessary for cell growth and differentiation. They inhibit the breakdown of proteins and […]
The idea of using hormone biostirnulants to improve the growth and development of plants first arose with the discovery in the 1930’s of auxins. Auxins, which generally resemble indoleacetic acid (IAA), are naturally-occurring substances synthesized from tryptophan and found in many plant parts including leaf primordial (first leaf on shoots), young leaves and developing seeds. […]
The rhizosphere is the zone of soil that surrounds the plant root. This zone is where the biology and the chemistry of the soil are influenced by the root – but, there is no distinct edge. The zone is about 1mm wide and is an area of intense biological and chemical activity. This area is […]
Soils can be characterized according to their indigenous microflora which perform putrefactive, fermentative, synthetic and zymogenic reactions and processes. In most soils, these functions are going on simultaneously with the rate and extent of each determined by the types and numbers of associated microorganisms that are actively involved at anyone time. In disease-inducing soils, plant […]
The desired effects from applying cultured beneficial and Effective Microorganisms to soils can be somewhat vari able, at least initially. In some soils, a single application (i.e., inoculation) may be enough to produce the expected results, while for other soils even repeated applications may appear to be ineffective. The reason for this is that in […]
These soils are dominated by a microflora that can perform useful kinds of fermentation, i.e. , the breakdown of complex organic molecules into simple organic substances and inorganic materials. The organisms can be either obligate or facultative anaerobes. Such fennentation-producing microorganisms often comprise the microflora of various organic materials, i.e., crop residues, animal manures, green […]
These soils con tain significant populations of microorganisms which are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen and carbon dioxide into complex molecules such as amino acids, proteins and carbohydrates. Such micro organisms include photosynthetic bacteria which perform incomplete photosynthesis anaerobically, ce1tain Phycomycetes (fungi that resemble algae), and both green algae and blue-green algae which function aerobically. […]
The microflora of disease-suppressive soils is usually dominated by antagonistic microorganisms that produce copious amounts of antibiotics. These include fungi of the genera Penicillium, Tricho derma, and Aspergillus, and actinomycetes of the genus Streptomyces. The antibiotics they produce can have biostatic and biocidal effects on soil-borne plant pathogens, including Fusarium which would have an incidence […]
