General discussion of organic fertilizers

BIO-RED™

Organic fertilizers nourish and improve the soil. As opposed to synthetic fertilizers, Synthetic fertilizers does not help the soil because they create high levels of salts and nitrates in the soil, which kill or repel beneficial soil organisms. By composition, organic fertilizers such as BIO-RED™ release nutrients slowly and naturally according to nature’s blueprint. All components in an organic fertilizer are usable by the soil and plants because there are no useless fillers as there are in chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers add organic matter to the soil while chemical fertilizers do not. Chemical fertilizers can build up excessive salts in the soil creating an imbalanced soil.

The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium analysis (NPK), which is required to be printed on bags of fertilizer by law, is basically irrelevant in an organic program. Feeding the soil and plants with nothing but NPK is like feeding your child nothing but cheese. Soil, like people, needs a balance of nutrients. For some reason, fertilizer recommendations continue to emphasize NPK nutrients, with special emphasis on high levels of nitrogen. These recommendations are based on forced crop production instead of on soil needs.

Studies at the Department of Agronomy at Alabama Polytechnic University show that as much as 50% of all synthetic nitrogen applied to the soil will be leached out, and the half that does reach the plant may be in excess or deficient at times. Other studies show that an excess of chemical fertilizer slows or even stops the activity of microflora and microfauna, such as beneficial bacteria, algae, fungi, and other microorganisms, synthetic chemical fertilizers also can cause damage to macroorganisms, such as earthworms, millipedes, etc., which are extremely important to the aeration of the soil.

Organic fertilizers are better because they are derivatives of plants, and therefore, contain ALL the trace elements that exist in growing plants. Organic fertilizers are naturally “slow release” and provide nutrients to plants when they need the nutrients. Synthetic fertilizers can glut the plants with nutrients. Organic fertilizers work within nature’s laws and systems while chemical fertilizers are a “feast or famine” (too much too little) that can produce harmful side effects.

Traditional chemical agriculture ignores the importance of soil biology. Microorganisms are microscopic plants and animals living in the soil. They include bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, algae, protozoa, yeast, ground pearls, and nematodes. There are about 50 billion microbes in one tablespoon of healthy soil.

The primary job of microorganisms is to break down organic matter, first into humus, then various acids, enzymes and compounds, and ultimately into basic mineral elements (a process known as mineralization). Microbes must have a constant supply of organic matter or they will be reduced in population and can weaken the soil. Healthy soils produce improved crops through microbial feeding. Microbes are constantly being born, living and dying. The dead bodies of microbes create an important source of organic matter and humus in healthy soil. Additionally, certain microorganisms, such as those found in BIO-RED™, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air and make it usable to the plant. Air contains 78% nitrogen.

Beneficial microbes thrive in moist soil that is about as wet as a squeezed-out sponge. Healthy organically alive soil can save as much as 50% of the water versus that normally used for irrigation, where large quantities of harsh pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used.

Organic matter supplies mineral nutrients for plants, provides food for microorganisms, and improves soil structure by increasing pore spaces. Organic matter decomposes primarily by the feeding of microorganisms. This natural process creates humus. Humus is the decomposed remains of organic matter. Humus is constantly used up and depleted unless additional matter is recycled into the soil. The constant tilling of the soil, growth of plants, and the removal of plants and organic matter without replenishment will ultimately reduce the soil to an inorganic state, rendering it useless for healthy plant growth.

The soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, living organisms, water, air and energy. Soil, like everything else in the environment, is fragile and difficult to repair once damaged. Unfortunately, most agriculture procedures have been damaging and are continuing to damage the soil. Organic matter and microorganisms are usually lacking in overly worked and abused soils. Microorganisms are a vital part of soil balance and BIO-RED™ aids significantly in achieving that balance. The microorganisms found in BIO-RED™ feed on organic matter and form glue-like material called polysaccharides. These complex sugars bind individual soil particles together creating larger particles or aggregates. This process gives soil its soft, crumbly tilth and its pleasant fragrance.

Soil compaction is a common problem related to soil structure. Compaction prevents the proper transfer of soil gases and the normal growth of roots. Compacted soil puts at least one-half of the fertility cycle out of action. Without oxygen in the soil, humus formation does not happen. The organic program of BIO-RED™ will help correct compaction in time.

If chemicals in the soil are balanced (those chemicals that should be there, not the force fed NPK), everything else will fall in line. Using an organic product like BIO-RED™ is about the soil, about the primacy of organic matter, about plants, and most importantly, about natural systems that have existed long before man. It is about balance.

An organic fertilizer such as BIO-RED™ also contains carbon, organic matter, humus, hormones, enzymes, and beneficial fungi and bacteria.

BIO-RED™ is naturally time-released so it does not glut the plant with nutrients at the wrong time. Most chemical fertilizers break down and are immediately available at application, resulting in a significant amount of leaching since a plant cannot use all of the nutrients at once. Sulfur and plastic coated products are the exception. BIO-RED™ breaks down and releases nutrients to the plants when the plants are growing the fastest and need the nutrition.

The rhizosphere is the soil area immediately adjacent to the roots and the location of the heaviest concentration of microbiotic activity. It is here that the roots and soil are working together to produce and release nutrients from the soil to feed the plant and to stimulate other processes in the soil.

Microorganisms of all sorts feed on the soil’s energy-rich substances, primarily humus and rock dust, to release a vast array of minerals, vitamins, (plant growth) regulators, enzymes, amino acids, and other compounds that can be absorbed back into the roots. Once absorbed by the roots, they then move through the plant to produce strong growth and increased natural insect and disease resistance.