Using Biologicals

USING BIOLOGICALS: There are probably a few of you who have never used a biological or something to stimulate microbes – but I will assume most of you have. So the big question is; “If I have used a product once on my soil, do I need to use it a second time or even keep using it or switch to a different one?” Let’s look at the conditions that cause us to use a biological in the first place. Compaction It is very doubtful that all remnants of compaction would disappear after one application of any one product. Even applying calcium, ripping and adding microbes, enzymes and conditioners probably wouldn’t make everything perfect the first season. Toxicity It takes time for microbes to degrade manmade molecules. Some persist in the soil for years. Good microbes may die when coming in contact with these toxic molecules and need to have back-up or reserves to keep breaking down the structure. pH Soil pH helps determine which biologicals will survive and flourish. Some areas of your soil profile may not be in the right range to support the types you have applied. Food Supply Many biologicals are sold with a supportive food supply mixed in. What happens when the packaged food supply is used up? Can your soil supply the minerals, nitrogen, carbohydrates, cellulose and lignin necessary to support the hopefully burgeoning population of good microbes? Are your economic crops putting out enough high brix root extrudates to feed and sustain the populations you hope to build? Natural Cycles There is a natural cycle of one type of microbe consuming another and so on up the food chain. Do you have sufficient of each type to keep all the cycles going? In short, it is very doubtful that one application of a microbial package, a liquid enzyme or a homeopathic will achieve what you want. 

Those of you using compost teas are certainly not going to use just one application for much of the same above reason. Microbes on leaf surfaces have the same feed and survival problem as do soil microbes and maybe a few more due to weather, air pollution, and electronic pollution which we will touch on later. So it is easy to justify the yearly use of biologicals as long as they offer a return on investment. CSI always checks a variety of biologicals available in the market place as well as the best food source for the current soil situation when you ask us for recommendations. We had an excellent response this late summer using a sugar called High Carbon Dextrose [See enclosed price list] on our lawn and flowers. I have two different annual flowers that have survived till 07 in outside boxes – in spite of quite a few nights of temperature in the low 20’s. If there is enough energy, plants can survive seemingly impossible conditions. 

Beneficial fungi have probably suffered the most at the hands of chemical farming, since the main chemicals applied to soil are herbicides [plant killers] and fungi belong to the plant world. To really make fungi flourish requires use of compost, fish, vinegar, sugars and humate or humic acid materials because fungi have a much higher carbon to nitrogen ratio [C:N of 20:1]. Anyone growing perennials must repair the damage done and encourage the fungi. Even crop farmers need to bring up the fungi population to be about 80% of the bacterial population for “balanced soil”. CSI offers you high quality, whole ocean fish –  “Fish Agra” – and the other materials also.

Crop Services International, Inc

http://www.cropservicesintl.com/ld_newsletters.php?link=jan07.htm