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 […]
Biostimulants, in their raw form, have been used agronomically for hundreds of years. Native American Indians worked fish and composted plant and animal materials into their soils. Broken down into their base components, these organic substances contain humus, amino acids, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and simple sugars, all materials that enhance the active biomass in the […]
How can such a small amount of biological stimulants have such a major impact on plant production , health, etc? A lot of us have a tendency to think that more is better but in reality that is not often the case. One only has to look at the technology that resulted from the splitting […]
Plants would die if they could not use the chelation principle. The term chelate was first applied in 1920 by Sir Gilbert Morgan and H.D. Drew who stated: “The adjective chelate, is suggested for the caliper like groups which function as two associating units and fasten to the central atom so as to produce heterocyclic […]
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 […]
It is important to understand that biostimulants do not act singly but rather act in conjunction with, or in opposition to, each other such that growth and development represents the net effect of biostimulant balance. Generally the hormonal biostimulants are thought to include five main classes: auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid and ethylene. There are […]
Enzymes and hormones are proteins. While all living cells produce enzymes and hormones, enzymes themselves are not alive. They function by altering other plant molecules by combining to form a complex molecular structure in which chemical reactions talce place. The enzyme and the hormone are true catalysts and separate from the product of the reaction. […]
