Category: Articles by Dr. Phil

Sustainable Methods For Dealing With Drought

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

The first point to make is that it is easier to prepare for drought before you are in one than to try to rescue yourself from one your already experiencing.  Regardless of what stage your in the principles which will be addressed here are the same.

Three processes are involved: Capturing the rain that falls on your farm, holding a good portion of it in the topsoil for immediate use, and allowing the rest to go into the subsoil where it can come back up to the topsoil when needed.

Capturing rain requires good soil structure.  Good soil structure is usually damaged by simplistic N-P-K fertilization.  Growers need to learn that there are six major nutrients; calcium, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur.  Calcium is the king of nutrients and must be dealt with outside of the pH concept.  A good cation exchange test [CEC] will help you begin to balance the 6 majors to influence structure. At the same time as you are using nutrients to attempt to correct structure, you can also use sub-soiling and soil conditioners to get rain to go through the topsoil and into the subsoil.

Advanced methods of holding moisture where it falls include contour plowing, strip cropping, terraces etc.  Cover crops always hold more rainfall than bare ground.  For advanced total concept water retention, look into permaculture (created in Australia where water is extremely precious.)

Holding moisture in the topsoil requires the presence of biologically active carbon.  The main source of this is organic matter that has been turned into humus by the digestion of microbes.  In order to get the soil biology to come back, a grower has to learn how to reduce chemical inputs that impact the microbes and provide new food sources for them.  Changing to post emergence herbicides is a start.  Direct application of carbohydrates such as molasses or sugar provides high energy feed for the microbes to use when they are taking up nitrogen for retention against leaching and release when needed by the plant.  Green manure crops should be disked into the surface to provide a more complete food supply for the microbes.  Treating them with small amounts of N and sugar will assure their immediate breakdown for use by the current crop.  The presence of good humus will combine with the structure from balanced minerals to give the soil that great smelling, moisture and nutrient holding aggregate structure that we all would love to have.

Moisture can also be held by providing dust mulch covers which act as insulators against evaporation, but still allow the all important oxygen to penetrate for the microbes to breath.  Very light tillage can be used to create the dust mulch cover without turning up moist soil.

Let’s assume we have managed to get rain to go into our subsoil by breaking up hardpans and creating better topsoil.  The sun on the soil surface will create a draw that will bring the moisture toward the surface.  The more pathways for the moisture to travel the more that will come up to the root zone.  Typical pathways include wormholes, openings and cracks created by sub-soiling, spaces created by soil conditioners, deep root paths, etc.

To assure that new plant roots can reach downward as far as possible, build an implement with a deep thin blade that can create a channel under each row.  Late in the season, go out with a shovel and prove to yourself how far roots can go down that channel compared to roots that don’t find the path of least resistance.

The author has been observing farms for thirty years in the US and many foreign countries.  Whenever there is a drought in a given area, the farms that have practiced the principles of sustainable agriculture always come out better.  They may have a reduced yield, but in relation to their neighbors, they get a better yield.  One of the reasons for this, besides the moisture management we have mentioned above, is that their crops and soil attract dew to a much greater extent than their neighbors.  This has to do with a very complex relationship involving the electrical/magnetic nature of plants and soil.

It takes 2-3 years to restore structure and biological activity.  Get started now!

February 28, 2014
How To Deal With Soybean Rust And Aphids
By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost

This is an article about options. There will be short introduction to the problem and the causes behind the problem, but the emphasis will be on solutions. Solutions require management and inputs. Inputs have generic and brand names and companies that deal with them. Therefore, I am breaking with precedent from my own writings, with permission from Acres USA, and referencing such information either within this article or in a referral list at the end.

Soybean rust may or may not reach your area, soybean aphids are predicted to be out in force based on last falls “counts”.

The main problem allowing the impact of soybean rust (SR) is lack of available silica in the soil and subsequent adequate silica in the plant. (This applies to all fungal/rust/scab conditions.) This lack of silica is caused by over use of soluble nitrogen fertilizers, subsequent loss of organic matter and loss of boron. Recent research has confirmed that boron leaching is much faster than previously published. Boron activates the silica which activates/moves the calcium, etc. Since calcium is involved with 4-5 protective mechanisms in each plant, there isn’t much defensiveness left. Herbicides also contribute to the problem by killing off beneficial soil fungi and mycorrhizea (symbiotic root fungi) that can make the silica soluble.

The lack of silica prevents the formation of strong cell wall and connective tissue and protective cuticle on the outside of the plant. Research on many different crops and fungal types has shown that increasing the silica content of a plant reduces or eliminates the diseases. Most recently, Jose Garcia of Brazil has protected his organic soybeans against SR by directly introducing soluble silicates into his crop system by foliar feeding. (More on this later.)

Another factor inviting in SR is the natural senescence of soybeans after they bloom. Without generous supplies of nutrients, enzymes and hormones, minerals from the lower leafs will be translocated to the reproductive parts [pods and beans]. Fungi love these lower leafs where warmth, moisture and dead cells exist. Scout there first.

The main problem causing the attraction of soybean aphid (SA) is lack of available phosphorous and potassium in the plant (accompanied by sulfur) which does not allow for formation and transportation of sugars and the production of long chain amino acids. Shorter/incomplete amino acids attract insects to the available food supply (nitrates or poor quality amino acid or protein). Brix is also a partial component of the insect situation. This problem can also be traced back to lack of biological activity in the soil, caused by the chemical approach to farming.

Another valid way of looking at both SA and SR is the concept of plant sap pH. Bruce Tainio’s work shows that if the pH of your plant sap is below 6.4, fungus/rust will find a home on your crop and if the pH is above 6.4 the insects will be attracted. Attraction or severity of attack increases as you move further from the 6.4 in either direction. The pH is determined by the composite frequency of the nutrients involved, so this method is just an energy confirmation of the mineral approach.

The way to “fix” both SA and SR problems is to use sustainable methods of agriculture. Sustainable encompasses all the paradigms from Organic to Quantum Ag. You can use any or all the paradigms according to your beliefs, but the “proof” of your success is always in the “taste of the pudding”. One of the most obvious proofs is the visible confirmation of larger than normal size leafs with shiny, waxy coatings.

Generalities: Stop using those inputs [gradually may be better, but cold turkey can work sometimes if you have fairly good, fertile soil.] that caused both problems. Just because you don’t use anything to fertilize your soybeans, doesn’t mean that the negative stuff you used on the corn ground last year hasn’t carried over. Soil test and replace minerals that are missing, apply bio-activators if needed and start monitoring sap pH. Have a few tissue analysis samples done each year to see where you are. The nutrient ratios in sap required for good health and resistance are “known” and can be corrected to move toward a sap pH of 6.4. Many of you will be shocked to find out how far from 6.4 your sap is.

SPECIFICS
But let’s assume that it is too late to do any long term corrections this year. So the next approach is to try to immediately increase the amount of silica in your soil and plant for SR protection and make phosphorous, potassium and sulfur available for SA. We will start with silicates. Soluble silicates are difficult to work with. They can only be in solution with mono-valence ions such as sodium and potassium. Although they were given emergency approval in Brazil, they are not approved by NOP in the US. To the best of my knowledge, it may take a year of EPA processes prior to NOP consideration as soluble silicates are definitely manufactured products requiring energy inputs. This situation could change at any time.
If all else fails, you may need a fungicide. To be effective, both chemical fungicides and organic ones for SR must be applied before you get hit, or they aren’t very effective. Sometimes they require a second application.
Next, we will assume the same scenario for SA. You can only make short term corrections. It is my opinion that SA will be a bigger threat to most of you than SR. Failure to fertilize, activate and monitor will invite attack of SA

Silica may help, but using the same in-row and foliar materials mentioned above to increase available nutrients may be the only way to increase Brix and move your sap pH toward 6.4. Foliar feeding in addition to row support is probably the best approach. Sound devices such as the Veges® Sound Machine have also been known to prevent or stop insect attacks.

If all else fails, you will need an insecticide. I am not familiar with the use of standard chemical insecticides or all the organic alternatives such as Neem Oil or Pyrethrum. The main problem with the organic insecticides is that some may not be too helpful to predators. Therefore, recognizing that you may have your choices for the organic product that have proven effective for you, I recommend a product to my clients called Crop Guard.

Crop Guard is a mixture of garlic and yucca. The garlic portion offers some repellency, but the kill mode is by the yucca clogging the feeding tubes. It is effective against all sucking chewing insects. A spreader sticker is usually recommended to keep the material on the plant as long as possible. Nu-film 17, a spreader-sticker from Miller Chemical* has traditionally been used with Crop Guard and was certified organic as it is derived from pine tar. Please check with your certifier as I have heard that some ‘Catch 22” may disqualify it from its previous approval.

In both “rescue” cases, bio-fungicides and bio-pesticides, the use of Nu-Film 17*, an OMRI listed product, enhances the control factor by sticking the active ingredients to the leaf surface, even with subsequent rains. It also contains compounds extracted from trees, turpenes, which have their own “kill factor”

The options above are certainly not inclusive of all known responses, methods and materials. Please do not interpret my failure to mention or not mention any product or company as meaning that they may or may not offer benefit. Please consult the resources listed below. Good Luck and Good Growing, Dr. Phil

DEALING WITH ASIAN SOYBEAN RUST NATURALLY

By: Jose Luiz Moreira Garcia, M.Sc.  Edited by: Philp A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

Brazil has the largest population of Japanese and Japanese descendants outside Japan.

Maybe that was the reason for me to practice Japanese Martial Arts for quite a number of years and specially Aikidô. From an early age I got well exposed to the Japanese culture

living among Japanese farmers in Brazil and practicing  JiuJitsu  and Aikido.

But what does Aikidô have to do with Agriculture and specially with Eco-Agriculture ?

The founder of Aikidô, Morihei Ueshiba, also known as ” O”Sensei” or Great Teacher,

believed that Martial Arts and Agriculture are one and the same and his students had to endure long hours of agricultural training from very early in the morning till noon  if they wanted to practice Aikidô in the afternoon classes. O’Sensei Ueshiba was himself a farmer

for quite sometime in Hokkaido, located in northern  Japan.

O’Sensei used to say that the way of the Samurai was to take care of the population in the same way that the way of the farmer would be to take care of his plants and animals. Both would have to be driven by the same spirit of protection and care towards their loved beings. Many times he would talk about Aikido and Agriculture as the ” The way of Love” since love is the strongest of all forces in the Universe. Several of his disciples, specially the ones that did not have a farmer’s background, had a great deal of difficulty to grasp this concept.

O’Sensei had reached enlightenment after a Japanese military official had challenged him to combat with real swords (katana) in which he has done nothing but avoided  being hit by the opponent’s weapon . The official has given up after finding out that it was virtually impossible to harm O’Sensei, who was said to be able to guess all the opponent’s moves before hand.   Completely exhausted he went to a garden located in the back of the training hall (Dôjo) to rest and in his own words “felt a golden light engulfing his whole body and suddenly could understand the birds as well as all other life forms”. He then described how this experience allowed him to became “One with the Universe”. Clairvoyance was one of his many abilities. He was considered a living treasure in Japan and had demonstrated his abilities to the Emperor in many occasions, an honor reserved for a very few individuals.

In Japan, the term “Sensei” describes the “teacher” or “instructor” in the many oriental arts.

But in reality, “Sensei’s” real meaning is “born before”, meaning  that if one has been born before he/she has a better chance to know any subject because it has already being exposed to a particular situation and therefore can teach others how to deal with that particular situation.

During the 2004  season most the Brazilian Soybean  Farmers were hit unexpectedly by  Asian Soybean Rust (ASR). Most of them have experienced losses to some extent.

I myself have lost nearly 50% of my crop in the 130 acres I have planted. Some lucky guys

just got away without being hit by pure chance alone. Hot and humid summers seem to favor the spread of the disease that have caused losses up to 80% in some cases in our country.

This year Organic and Eco farmers have tried everything on earth that was non toxic, while conventional farmers have relied on expensive fungicides either approved for soybeans or not. Some of the natural treatments have worked and some have not.

American farmers are in the same situation that we were last season and therefore can benefit from our experience. In a sense, we can become your “Sensei” for the simple reason we have gone through this situation one year before.  Learning from and using our experience could be very beneficial and could prevent great economic losses.

Since we knew beforehand that a fungal attacks is not a symptom of fungicide deficiency

(without being clairvoyant of course ), as Dr Arden Andersen has pointed out on many occasions, it made the situation much easier to face..

Some of the treatments are still to be fully tested or have not been tested enough to see some positive or negative results. For instance, Compost Tea (CT) which would have been the first choice of a true Eco Farmer, has the drawback of having to be professionally made with a good Compost with plenty of active life. In a country with very little understanding of what a good compost is supposed to be and without a Soil Food Web Lab branch available, making such a tea is certainly a tough task. Besides it, there are very little Compost Tea machines that would make decent CT for areas of 2,000 to 10,000 acres and the only type available in the US market that I know cost around US$ 50,000.00.

I am a CT enthusiast myself and make my own CT machines to cover smaller areas but found a hard time to convince big organic farming operations to use this wonderful tool. This concept is not well known in Brazil as it is in the US maybe because we don’t have any Dr. Elaine Ingham down here.

Some organic agriculture proponents may argue that big organic operations might not truly organic in a sense and I agree, but again, I don’t make the rules.

In my opinion, CT would do very little to control ASR due to the very unique characteristic of this disease. As you probably know, ASR attacks the plant when it is already programmed to die, i.e. after flowering. When flowering takes place a change in hormones tells the plant that nutrients in the leaves are no longer needed in the leaves and they start to move into the grains.

Plants that are affected  by ASR have mostly the same number of grains (seeds) that non affected plants have, but the problem is that they just don’t fill out (size). A plant affected by ASR will have a smaller seed and this seed will still be viable. In other words Nature has taken care of the perpetuation aspect of the species, but economically speaking, it is disastrous.  Imagine a soybean seed with 50% of its actual size and weight. That would represent a 50% loss, just as I had in my own field.  In other words, it is a hard task to stop the fall of something that is already going downhill.

CT can and will protect a growing and living plant if properly made, but CT will have a hard time to do the same in a plant that is already genetically programmed to die. CT works wonders in a living plant that is actively producing leaf exudates, but that may not be the case of a senescent soybean leaf.

I am not saying that CT will not be good to be used before the flowering stage.  Don’t take me wrong. What I am saying is that after flowering, it will have little to no effect on ASR control.  Without CT, what else could be done ?

I had to envisage a way to make the plant cuticle stronger and more resistant and the first nutrient that came to my mind was Silicon Si, commonly called Silica. I used Neutral Potassium Silicate in this case.

By  Neal Kinsey’s suggestion at an Acres USA Conference I also tried Copper and some Boron as he believes that both minerals plays a key role in rust control as a whole regardless its etiology.  (Editor’s Note: Boron moves silica which then moves calcium. Copper is a proven anti-fungal element.)

Some folks here have also included Sulphur (the micronized 91 to 99% sulphur ) with excellent results. Some swear by their Soluble Humates efficacy, but it looks like the Silicon from Neutral Potassium Silicate (or Neutral Sodium Silicate) has played the most part in properly protecting the plant. As you know the nutrient Silicon has the ability to create a tougher plant skin and has given good protection to the plant against ASR pathogen.  (Editor’s Note: Sulfur is anti-fungal and the very low leaf surface pH created may harm the fungal organisms.  Both sodium and potassium will move the surface pH to a higher point, which can prevent growth and penetration of fungal organisms)

From the experience we had in this 2005 season, it looks like ASR has a greater difficulty to infect a plant that is well nurtured in terms of Silicon due to the physical barrier and possibly due to the high surface pH. The positive results have been so outstanding that I believe that this non-toxic control technique will eventually be used by conventional soybean growers due to its low cost and easiness of application.  Rudolph Steiner homeopathic remedies & techniques that increase the silica content of plants can also be used to increase the protective barrier whether applied through Field Broadcasters or direct spray application.

So what is the best approach?  As always, having adequate mineralization, especially boron and copper along with general bio-activation is a good start.  Even though soils have a lot of silica, it may not be available.  Applying Steiner homeopathic remedies to increase the silica in the plant may be the only “organic way”in the US.  Because the certifying boards in Brazil are heavily influenced by Steiner principles, they have allowed the use of sodium or potassium silicate on organic production. They took into account the desperate need and the lack of an organically approved fungicide.  Dr. Wheeler of CSI is currently checking the status of silicates in the US.  He also has the protocols I used to actually apply the silicates.  He has informed me that there is an organically approved fungicide available in the US, so the direct application of silicates, if not specifically organic by nature, may not be approved.

I have heard reports from the US that some growers also believe that Neem Oil does have a protective effect against ASR. Neem Oil has been tested and approved by the USDA for the control of some fungal diseases in roses. Can Neem oil also be used to help control ASR ?

Unfortunately, our former experience here in Brazil does not allow me to answer this question.  Only next 2005 USA season can answer this question but here is a word on caution about Neem oil and any other oil preparations used in agriculture: Every oil above 2% can be phytotoxic and that includes Neem Oil. This phytotoxicity is even increased with the use of Sulphur so please don’t even think about using Neem Oil and Sulphur in the same tank for spraying. Oil phytotoxicity is a function of ambient temperature, UV radiation, wind speed, oil concentration and sulphur concentration.  In case you decide to try Neem Oil against ASR try to find a reliable supplier that can guarantee you its origin and Azadirachtin concentration that should be above 1,000 ppm. India is still the best source of Neem Oil.

It really helps knowing your opponent’s next move before hand when one is not clairvoyant.

<strong>Jose Luiz Moreira Garcia</strong> is a Certified Organic Grower who farms 1,400 acres both organically and biologically in Southern Brazil and holds a Master of Science degree in

Horticulture from Michigan State University. He also do some consultant work in South America for small, medium and large organic operations and is actively engaged in Biological Farming teaching over there. He can be reached at <a href=”mailto:gingerjo@terra.com.br”>gingerjo@terra.com.br</a>

REFERENCED PRODUCTS AND COMPANIES:

GREENSAND: Available in smaller quantities from Fertrell at 717-367-1566 in PA and Peaceful Valley in CA at 1-888-784-1722. CSI sells in bulk semi loads only. 1-800-260-7933

TAINIO TECHNOLOGIES: CSI is a distributor – 800-260-7933.

SP-1: Agri Energy of IL. Contact them for your nearest dealer at 815-872-1190.

HUGH LOVEL: CSI is an authorized dist. and installer of broadcasters, and we use the GW Agriculture field sprays in our installations.

VEGES SOUND MACHINES are distributed exclusively by CSI 1-800-260-7933.

GW AGRICULTURE call CSI 800-260-7933 or 972-736-2900.

AGRI-GRO call CSI 800-260-7933.

BALLAD™ is manufactured by AgraQuest, but will be warehoused by EnviroQuest of MO at 1-888-624-2420.  Please direct all request for info and purchasing to them.

Crop Guard or Crop Guard EC is manufactured by BioDynamic Earth of ID. Call 208-841-0308.

Soluble Silicates maybe available from Agri Energy Resources, 815-872-1190.
May 28, 2013
Thinking of Going “Organic”? Think Scientifically & Think Bottom Line

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

As a sustainable/organic agronomist, one of the most disheartening types of calls I receive on a regular basis are the ones that proceed as follows. “Hi, this farmer Joe Smith, I’m having problems with weeds/insects/low yield etc. on my soybeans.  Of course I should expect lower yields, since I went organic a few years ago.”  My first reaction is simply to ask, “Why would you knowingly make a transition to a new way of doing things (a change of paradigms) without preparing for that change in advance?” “Did you have soil tests done to see what minerals might be short?” “Were you aware that the mineral balances and amounts become very critical when nature has to operate on her own without large amounts of high energy inputs?”  Besides, soybeans are considered nutrient scavengers.  Why would anyone automatically think that organic soybeans should mean lower yield?

This problem arises when the assumption of organic is that you don’t do much of anything and just let nature take its course. There is also the philosophical approach that frowns on any “pushing” of the plant by outside fertilizer application or foliar feeding of organic nutrients.  Not “pushing” may work in rich soils or when organic market prices are way above non-organic.  Recently, commodity prices for organic crops like beans; corn and grain have dropped dramatically compared to the last 20-30 years.  Yield or output has now become important.  What many organic proponents also fail to realize is that the faster growing, higher yielding crops may actually be the most nutritious if grown with biological/sustainable or organic practices and materials.

Making the decision to go “organic” should be a series of known steps that take the major surprises out of the outcomes you can expect in each year of your transition.  You can also evaluate your potential for success before you even start.  Let’s consider some of the factors that you can evaluate.

Where is my farm located?  This factor leads to discussions of soil types, rainfall, markets etc.  If you are on deep Iowa top soil, organic corn is a good possibility, while southern blow sand doesn’t look good at all, even if you have water control.  Supplying enough nitrogen in a low organic matter soil could be quite costly on a low value commodity.  Location becomes less of a problem for graziers if rainfall is adequate or irrigation is available.  The heat is a problem, but not an insurmountable one.  The main problem is producing enough TDN (total digestible nutrients) or to state it another way, having a high RFV (relative feed value) to economically produce more meat for a lesser amount of grass consumed.  Raising the RFV is mainly concerned with increasing the relative amounts of cellulose and hemi-cellulose in relation to lignin. The forage must also be able to transmit as much of the mineral requirement as possible from the soil to the animal. Mineral supplements out of a bag cost a lot more that minerals bought by the bulk ton as components of soil amendments such as: rock phosphates, humates, paramagnetic rock, kiln dust, green sand, nutrient clays, etc.

The above objectives can only be met by learning about and working with the soils you currently have.  This article is the beginning of a series on soils, minerals, humus, energy use and manipulation, foliar or crown feeding and moisture retention. Let’s begin at the beginning.

In the beginning were minerals.  These were formed under the scientific laws of nature under great pressure and heat in previous stars.  They became incorporated in the earth at its creation and form what we call soil.  Most of our soils come from volcanic ash or weathered rocks that contain the earth’s minerals.  Minerals are the basis of all life on earth.  Vitamins, enzymes, and hormones have no use or function in the absence of minerals.  Only about 5 % of a good forage plant is actually made up of the minerals, (the rest is carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that come from air and water.) but that 5 % is very critical in its composition and relationships.  Contrary to what is usually taught in standard agronomy, let’s assume there are six major minerals as we combine the usual N-P-K with the three secondary of Ca-Mg-S.  Memorizing these six can be very beneficial to your forages/livestock/pocket-book because neglecting any of them will produce less than the quantity and quality your soil would like to be capable of producing.

The first mineral to consider is calcium (Ca).  It is the prime mineral nutrient!  It determines the total volume of your crop when adequate water, nitrogen and temperature are available.  It is interesting to note the article in the Feb. 2000 issue of SGF on page 26.  It reports on research that shows calcium is an important element in the tenderness of beef.  It is also the most important element in a plant for energy production and transfer, communication, disease and insect detection and defense, nutrition, strength, etc.  Of course it does the same things in your livestock and the humans that consume it.  I’m sure you are aware of the osteoporosis (calcium deficiency) problem in the US.  One might ask why we have that problem in a relatively well-fed nation.

The reasons are very complex, but an easy one to understand is the one concerning lime policies/teachings that have been predominate in agriculture since the early 50’s or the “dawn of the chemical age”.  A conscious decision was made to make the addition of lime (the major and least expensive source of calcium) dependent on the concept of pH rather than on the actual amounts of calcium present.  Since pH is affected by other elements/nutrients as well as bacterial systems, the chance for serious calcium shortages in soils developed.  The problem was and is compounded by the fact that the usual chemical inputs affect the availability of calcium uptake, regardless of the physical amount present.  Nature also allows for the masking of shortages by making visual calcium deficiencies hard to detect in a plant while wrecking internal havoc in terms of nutrition and disease immunity.

The solution to the problem is to apply calcium according to cation exchange tests (CEC) rather than pH.  Almost all modern soil test labs report there findings in terms of CEC, so that just leave the task of interpretation to you or your advisor.  Since many crop advisors in conventional agriculture are not sufficiently informed or trained concerning calcium, you are urged to become knowledgeable yourself.  The two major sources of calcium are high calcium lime and gypsum.  Hi calcium lime or CaCO₃(defined as less that 10 % magnesium carbonate content) is the best source for pHs below 7.  Gypsum or CaSO₄is the best source of calcium for those with pH’s seven or higher.  Gypsum also provides highly available sulfate sulfur, which helps make better protein and thereby reduces insect attack.

The remaining five major minerals could be argued over as far as importance, but they are all interdependent.  I will choose phosphorous (P) as the second most important because it helps to produce and transport energy (carbohydrates) in the plant.  After all, the main reason we have plants is that they are factories for producing the food (energy) needed by animals and humans in nature’s scheme of things.  Phosphorous is the catalyst that lets the plant combine water and carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight into simple sugars.  It is those simple sugars that go on to become/produce/provide energy for all the other parts of the plant.  A grower can measure the productivity of his sugar factory right in the field with a simple inexpensive refractometer, but that is a story for another time.

Magnesium (Mg) is the center of each chlorophyll molecule (it is actually an antenna to capture sunlight and raise its energy for use by the plant) and therefore is an essential part of the sugar making process described above.  However, magnesium is a two edged sword.  Too much magnesium (as can be supplied by the use of ag lime, which is also called dolomite lime) can purge N from a system and/or harden up clay soils.  If your soil gets sticky in the spring and hard like brick in the summer, you have excess magnesium.

Potassium (K) is the enabler in the system.  It plays a regulatory roll in enzyme activity without a lot being incorporated into the plant.  Potassium is the key element in determining the caliber or size around of your stalk or fruit.  Small apples are a shortage of potassium.  Potassium also has its downside.  To much available potassium over phosphorous will increase broadleaf weed pressure.  Also, the use of the standard source of K, potassium chloride or 0-0-60, almost 50 % of which is a chorine (bleach) causes serious problems with microorganisms.  This precludes its use in any transition to organic agriculture, which is highly dependent on biological activity.  Luckily, nature is forgiving and soils can be recovered from having been “bleached”.

Since we covered sulfur above, that leaves us with the non-mineral element nitrogen (N).  Nitrogen is the electrolyte in the system.  It acts like the battery acid in a battery to carry charged particles called ions such as Ca++, and SO4–.  Not enough N and the system doesn’t flow; too much N and the soil’s natural process shut down so that we become dependent on the local supplier. Also, too much N draws insects and diseases as well as weakening stocks.  Sustainable and organic growers try to get their N from legumes, manure and urine, compost, as well as fixation by azobacter from the air and soil humus.

From a scientific and business standpoint then, it looks like soil testing and mineral replacement, balancing or activation is the logical way to start a transition toward sustainable/biological/organic agriculture.

April 28, 2013
Science & Philosophy: Should Organic Growers Be Forced To Choose?

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

The first issue to get out of the way is that the author is not anti-organic agriculture in its broadest definition.  I raised my children on a certified organic farm, have sold semi after semi of organic fertilizer commodities and blends and continue to work with organic growers on several continents.  The purpose of this article is to help all growers understand how plants function on a biophysical and biochemical basis so they can optimize the time, money and effort they put into their farming endeavors.  In doing so, I will have to question some of the decisions made by various groups concerning what is to be certified as organically acceptable inputs.

Over the years, I developed a prejudice against reductionist science because of its use to justify the use of standard N-P-K fertilization methods and the subsequent use of toxic rescue chemistry.  The typical extension research plots and experiments I read or observed were so poorly done that I began to reject them out of hand.  Then I would obtain a great textbook on soils, plant physiology, etc. and my faith in the scientific process would be restored.  Reductionist science is a necessity.  It has allowed us to learn how living things function down to the individual atoms, molecules and ions (charged particles).

DEMONIZING CHLORINE: Over the years, my lectures have always included cautions against the use of KCl, muriate of potash/ 0-0-60.  The cautions are to be taken very seriously as the typical application rates of 200-400 lbs./acre apply approximately 100-200 lbs. of the chlorine ion Cl -, which to great an amount for the soil biological systems to tolerate.  However, in this tirade against chlorine, we may have lost site of the fact that chlorine is a very essential nutrient to life.  At one time, a manufacturer produced a baby formula without any chlorine content.  When this was provide as the only source of fluid and nutrition, several infants died.  There are other elements or compounds such as sodium and salt (sodium chloride) that have also been demonized because the use of, or presence of, gross amounts of them on soils causes serious problems.

BASIC PLANT COMMUNICTIONS: Just as manmade systems of copper wire are used to conduct electricity (electrons) and information, plants also use electrons and protons to communicate and transfer energy within their cells and throughout the entire structure or body.  The primary simple ions of flow are: Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^–, Ca⁺⁺, Mg⁺⁺, and Zn⁺⁺.  One can easily see that two out of the three single valence (plus and minus charges) flow ions are the components of salt, sodium chloride/NaCl.  Iron, copper, and manganese are associated with allowing flow across membranes rather than the flow itself.  More complicated ions containing phosphorous, such as ATP, and whole molecules such as amino acids and sterols are also used to transfer energy/information.  All flow is, of course, associated with water and its ionic components of H⁺ and OH^–.

Calcium is also in a class by itself, since it causes multiple reactions when it crosses a cell membrane in plant, animal and human. Without extra calcium that is not tied up in more complex molecules, the plant can’t communicate to defend itself against insects and diseases.  These calcium ions are usually stored in the spaces between cells rather than in the cell itself.  They can transfer into the cell and then back out again, ready to send the next signal.

Two other non-metallic elements that are under-appreciated are sulfur and selenium.  Sulfur compounds are extremely important in the information/energy transfer by way of oxidation-reduction reactions.  Oxidation –reduction reactions are the basic way molecules of compounds are put together and taken apart.  Selenium becomes a part of certain amino acids in plants, but more importantly, it provides the ability for animals and humans who consume the plants to have active, healthy immune systems. Recent research of garlic for humans has verified that process.

EVALUATING PRODUCTS: Based on the above information, I would like to discuss several products that may or may not be approved for organic certification.  When I first started using liquid calcium in the early 80’s, I was amazed at its effectiveness in making far more calcium available in the soil than was contained in the actual product.  Back then, most liquid products were made from dry or liquid calcium nitrate mixed with a chelating agent such at glucoheptonate.  Those types of liquid calcium will never be approved, since calcium nitrate is not approved.  Calcium nitrate cannot be approved, because it is made from nitric acid and limestone.  The nitric acid requires a high energy input manufacturing process which violates the tenets of the organic paradigm.  Now, lets say we start with a basic mined product like calcium chloride instead of limestone (calcium carbonate). Since calcium chloride is one of the few soluble calcium salts in nature, it is an ideal material to make a non-energy requiring solution in water.  Then you can add another natural material that is organically approved such as lignon sulfonate; citric, malic, or ascorbic acid; or a long chain sugar that will bind with the calcium to form a biologically available product for soil and plant use.

April 28, 2013
Comments on Potassium Silicate

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

First, a discussion of the issues involved. Since potassium silicate is composed of natural elements, the issue of being a synthetic, carbon based, toxic material similar to a pesticide is a non-issue. The next issue is that of being “manufactured”, thereby consuming “energy” in its creation. This is a philosophical issue and not a scientific/factual one, so therefore I can only give my opinion as to its validity. My opinion is that it is a nice “goal/aspiration”, but the acceptance of that premise leads to the non-use of useful/valuable and yes, sometimes essential materials. This wouldn’t be the case if every organic grower around the globe had the same virgin, high organic matter, mineral rich, balanced, biologically active, non-contaminated soil, pristine water and perfect weather. It also wouldn’t be a problem if all organic production resulted in nutrient dense, brix at the top of the currently used scale, disease preventing food when consumed as part of a balance diet accompanied by pure air and water.

Neither of the above situations exists to even a moderate degree. In fact, they would be found in very rare occasions. That means that growers struggle under most conditions to create a soil and produce a crop that can defend itself against polluted air, polluted water, insect, nematode and disease attack. When they do succeed in not having to use any rescue materials of any kind, much of the production is still lower in brix (reduced flavor, health benefits, shelf life), than the known achievable results using a combination of methods that are biological and sustainable, but may include materials that are not on the NOP approved list. Regretfully, many foods grown using conventional agriculture, including the use of rescue chemistry have higher nutritional status, but end up with a higher level of toxins, negating the better nutrition. The situation is improving do to market forces, but a large percentage of organic growers, especially smaller ones, do not soil test on a regular basis or at all and do not remineralize of bio-activate either. When these soils are tested, the bio-availability of the major nutrients is very low and the common essential trace minerals may be at or below the detectable levels.

One does not have to resort to NPK fertilizers to get those nutrients along with the calcium, magnesium and sulfur. There are natural deposits and sources to cover NPK for the soil. Broad spectrum trace mineral deposits are also available for achieving that goal. Bacterial products have been available for years and now composts and teas are becoming more common. However, the major source of potassium for organic use is K2SO4 [0-0-50.] This is now very high priced in the marketplace, and in my opinion, priced way beyond production costs plus a reasonable profit. Manures or composts are a much better source, but of limited availability in many areas. The only low cost, organic liquid K approved for foliar feeding is a weak solution of 0-0-50. The price goes way up as soon as you make organically approved chelated liquid K’s

Old soils have been heavily depleted of Silica Si. Not too many growers can afford to haul in new unfarmed sources of sand or sandy loam top soils. Very heavy soils [high CEC’s] can be uneconomical to bring up to proper percentages of K from 0-0-50. A great deal of research shows excellent response to both foliar K and Si. A major portion of the BioDynamic approach is based on the importance of spraying Si as the prime atmospheric energy system. Much of our current problems such as production peaks, susceptibility to diseases and insects due to weakened immune systems, lodging, etc. good be greatly aided by having a soluble source of silica. Fruit, berry and vegetable growers would find it especially useful. Having it combined with potassium almost doubles the benefit as K runs most enzymatic plant systems.

Therefore, I would hope that potassium silicate could be approved under the NOP standards. I know it would add a great deal to the ultimate goal of producing high yields of nutrient dense food, with profit to the grower, and health and nutrition to the consumer, whether livestock or human.

April 28, 2013
Never Mind Your P’s &K’s, Mind Your S’s: S – Se – Si

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

Most conventional farmers concern themselves with N-P-K but don’t realize the phosphate (P) on their farm is not very available to the growing plant and, except in obvious shortages, potassium (K) is usually more than adequate. Almost all of the soil tests that come through our lab from around the world are very short of Boron and other common trace minerals.  But, for those of you who have hopefully done some biological activation and CEC balancing, including the addition of  Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese and Zinc particularly Cobalt and Molybdenum where needed, let’s try to progress in our ability to maximize soil and plant functioning by learning about the S’s.

For discussion of the three elements, Sulfur, Selenium, and Silicon, let’s take a unique approach.  We will examine each according to: its ancient history, i.e. what form was it is in pre-life times on earth and how did it come to be a part of plants/crops; what is its current form and purpose in plants/animals or humans; and how did Rudolph Steiner, the father of Biodynamics view them. Steiner was described as a mystic or clairvoyant, and literally saw things from a deeper, multi layered, physical and spiritual perspective, rather than a purely physical one, as you and I perceive matter.  In fact, throughout his childhood, teenage years and into young adulthood, he was unable to perceive of the physical alone as you and I would perceive it and always saw/experienced other layers of matter when looking at anything.  It will be interesting to see how his explanations of the 1920’s are confirmed by the science of the 1990’s and right up to today.

This approach is taken so that I may learn more about the Anthroposophical basis for Biodynamics and how it works.  Since my approach to agriculture is progressing in the direction of quantum biodynamics or energy manipulation, I need to be able to express the concepts in writing and in speech.  You are welcome to come along for the ride or ignore the parts about Steiner if you are not ready to expand your paradigm walls that far.  There is really nothing that mysterious about it.  Steiner used methods of capturing energy patterns (frequencies) coming from outside the earth that seem rather unusual at the time and still appear that way today.  Capturing and dispersing the energies required a great deal of time and energy (perseverance). However, today, we can record the frequencies of well made preps as geometric patterns using the Malcolm Rae technology and then achieve the desired results by broadcasting the frequencies correctly to fields and crops. A large number of hectares can now be covered with minimal labor, time and cost. (Readers are referred to Hugh Lovel’s book, A Biodynamic Farm, published by Acres USA.)

SULFUR [S]: Hydrogen sulfide gas [that rotten egg smelly stuff from high school chemistry] was the form of sulfur in the atmosphere of prehistoric times.  It also was attracted to metals like Iron in its solid or molten form. These forms were able to pass through the early living membranes and react with carbon in the earliest types of living things.  This established sulfur’s future use in protein formation of higher organisms.  As time progressed, much of the sulfur was deposited as pure elemental sulfur as found in various parts of the world.  However, much of the worlds sulfur now occurs in the form usable by plants, sulfate sulfur or SO₄⁼such as in gypsum and potassium sulfate.  This conversion took place under the activity of thiosulfate bacteria, which used the newly formed oxygen atmosphere to oxidize the elemental sulfur. What seems as a strange twist of nature, this sulfate form of sulfur can not cross membranes easily and does not react directly with carbon.

In today’s crops, the sulfur acts as a major source of oxidation-reduction reactions, which means sulfur is at the center of a lot of energy producing reactions like the core of nuclear reactor.  Remember, growth and functioning of plants is all about energy, not about fertilizer.  Besides its energy reactions, it and iron are a major part of amino acid and protein production.  Sulfur is a physical part of the amino acids; cystine, cysteine, methionine.  It is also a part of the vitamins biotin, thiamine and co-enzyme A.  In addition to its function in other enzymes, it is involved in the physical structure as a part of lignin.

When a plant is short of sulfur, it can show chlorosis of lower leaves.  A more subtle, but very yield reducing symptom is the accumulation of sugar, starches and nitrates in the plant.  I have seen apple trees with a brix of 22 in the leaves at 9:00 AM and knew that it had not translocated yesterday’s production of sugar into the roots.

Soil test levels are supposed to be a minimum of 25 ppm or 50 lbs. of elemental S.  I consider that too low in most situations, but especially those involving forage crops.  When our factories in the US were spewing sulfur compounds, shortages weren’t a problem in many downwind croplands.  When nylon industry derived ammonium sulfate hit the market in Michigan in the mid 70’s, there was a hew and cry from Michigan State Univ.  about how Mich. soils didn’t need any sulfur.  Of course, when the product was applied, the benefits were obvious.  I have been recommending ammonium sulfate ever since, usually at 100-200 lbs./A in the fall each year on most all field and horticulture crops.  It checks out well radionically on most soils.  Some of the benefits of sulfur include reducing soil magnesium levels, increased water penetration, lowering of soil pH to increase nutrient availability, major improvement of forage quality, and increased heat tolerance of crops.

For those who are not allowed to use ammonium sulfate because its byproduct of manufacturing nature, other forms of sulfur are available that qualify as organic.  (Note that in Au., most of your ammonium sulfate is from the steel industry and it may have more contaminants than Nylon derived material)   Gypsum [calcium sulfate] is good for above pH 7 soils, but isn’t good for lower pH ranges unless accompanied by high calcium lime.  Elemental sulfur qualifies, but requires valuable soil oxygen and time to become available.  Sulfate of potash [0-0-50] is available in Australia, but it is usually more expensive than muriate of potash, and many local farm stores don’t stock it.  Laingebeinite or Sul-Po-Mag is a natural mineral and a source of sulfate sulfur.  However, the magnesium content may make it undesirable on many Au. soils.

CSI finds many soils with a high CEC content of magnesium, but low availability.  Using a few [5-40] lbs. of Epsom salts [magnesium sulfate] will usually act as an activator.  The small amount of magnesium added is not going to be a structure problem in high magnesium soils, but the active sulfur and magnesium may be just enough to stimulate other processes.  You can also foliar feed Epsom salts to correct plant constipation of nitrates or sugars.  Nitrate constipation is expressed by excessive early blossom or fruit drop.  The magnesium will counteract the nitrates and the sulfate sulfur will relieve the constipation, as it is a symptom of low sulfur.

During the original agricultural lectures by Dr. Steiner, he placed sulfur on a par with the other components of protein; carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.  He mentioned Langebeinite, (Sol-Po-Mag), as a source of sulfur.  From an anthroposophical viewpoint, he perceived sulfur as moving the etheric [a less dense physical form] body throughout the dense physical body of the plant that we perceive.  If a plant is short of sulfur, its etheric body form may not fill out the space of the physical form.  This leads to an imbalance of forces as well as an inability to gather/use the cosmic forces that regulate all plant life.  The result is less than optimum plant health with resulting disease, insect, etc. and a less than nutritious feed for animals and humans.

Steiner’s “remedy” for sulfur needs was to put yarrow flowers into a stag bladder and hang it in the summer sun and then bury it in the winter earth to capture the appropriate energies.  What he was trying to accomplish from a plant physiology standpoint, was to have the sulfur be able to carry/bring the other nutrients involved in protein to all parts of the plant.  A remedy made by Pfeiffer in the US in later years contained over 900 million acitinomycetes and bacillus type bacteria that are essential for N fixation.  The original ingredients contained only 300 aerobic bacteria per gram.  Steiner was also trying to capture the formative [making the unique shape of the plant species] forces associated with the planet Venus.  He used the stag bladder to take advantage of the stag’s ability to gather energy through its very sensitive antlers/antennas.  This is called remedy or preparation 502.

SELENIUM [Se]: Selenium began its history mainly in the form of hydrogen seleninide gas like sulfur.  Because it was a better transfer agent for electrons than sulfur, it was incorporated into the first living systems more easily that sulfur.  In fact, it is the only higher molecular weight, non-metal to be associated with an amino acid.  As oxygen became available in the atmosphere, aerobic organisms incorporated it as SeO₂ or SeO₄⁼.  Just as with sulfur, it does not readily cross membranes or react directly with carbon.

What selenium has become, in animals and humans, is a remover of organic peroxides, very active compounds that are formed naturally in the body.  These peroxides can become corrosive to the body and need to be controlled.  The immune system usually suffers when selenium is not present in adequate amounts.  Lack of Se in humans results in Kesham Disease and Kashin’s Beck disease, neither of which is very common.  However in livestock, deficiencies are more common.  In the late 50’s, White Muscle Disease [Nutritional Muscular Deficiency] was identified as a selenium deficiency.  The popular name came from the presence of calcium deposits in the muscle tissue.

To correct the selenium deficiencies, vitamin E was found to be synergistic with Se, so the popular Bo-Se/Mu-Se injectible with E and Se came on the market for livestock use.  If an animal is on pasture, the additional E is probably not needed.  Selenium feed and water supplements are also available.  The logical way would be to supplement would be to add selenium to soil to provide bio-active Se from feedstuffs.  However, there is great fear of excess Se in some parts of the US, which can be a problem.  Blind Staggers of cattle or chronic alkali disease was identified in the 1930’s as an excess of selenium.

A college level plant physiology textbook of 1983 makes no reference to selenium as a plant nutrient.  Steiner’s original lectures make no reference either.  Yet there is a lot of data from NZ, Au. and the US showing that supplementation of Se can increase milk and protein production, reduced retained placentas, increase sheep growth and wool production, and solve a lot of reproductive and immune system problems.

Some western parts of the US do have toxic levels of selenium in soils that can be expressed in forages.  Most of the East, South and Mid-West US, as well as Au. and NZ, are deficient.  There are few processed fertilizers that contain Se in the market place. Containers of common selenium salts are usually marked with toxicity labels, so handling/mixing can be a problem. Graziers should be aware of Se levels in all forages, including weeds and herbs, that their livestock have access to.  Blood levels should also be monitored for maximum health and production.

The author is unaware of any good mineral deposit in Australia containing significant selenium and other essential micro or macronutrients that would be suitable for agronomic application.  In the current marketplace, garlic, an accumulator of selenium, appears to offer a reasonable source.  Garlic is processed into juice that makes verifiable claims of increasing the immunity of plants and thereby repulsing harmful insects.  It is the sulfur and selenium compounds that produce this effect.  For livestock, the juice could be introduced into a water supply or placed on feedstuffs in a very diluted fashion.  However, carry through to milk could be a problem.  The better way would be to use the garlic juice as part of a nutritional foliar spray.  Garlic juice is highly systemic and will translocate itself and accompanying materials throughout the plant, regardless of type of materials or type of plant.  The garlic odor dissipates rapidly [to humans] and has no beneficial or detrimental effects.

SILICON (Si): Although classed as a non-mineral, Silicon is very similar in size and charge to its mineral neighbors in the periodic table of elements like sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al) and calcium (Ca).  As a result, it is found in the physical structures of most soils.  These compounds can be string like, plane or plate like and three dimensional arrangements of sand, silt and clay.

Silicon was first incorporated into some of the earliest living creatures, diatoms, whose silica shells have survived to this day.  We mine these deposits for DE or diatomacious earth, which is used as a wormer and external duster for livestock.  We also use it for kitty litter and soaking up spills.  In spite of silica’s pervasive presence through the world’s sands and soils, little mention of it was made in historical agriculture.  The 1983 plant physiology book suggests that it may be essential for rice and millet.  A 1999 conference of silica in crops still did not class it as necessary, but showed it as beneficial to rice, wheat, barley, cucumber and tomato.

Silicon is taken up by plants in the soluble form of silicic acid.  It becomes polymerized as a silica gel on the surface of leaves and stems to form a protective barrier.  Affects of increasing the uptake by plants include; suppression of powdery mildew and stimulation of most other plant defense mechanisms against diseases.  Although seemingly in inexhaustible supply in soils of all types, intense cultivation can result in soil depletion of available Si.  The rice and sugar cane fields of Florida, and Queensland and many other countries have responded to added silica.  While I was in Queensland a year ago, research reports indicated an over 50% increase in sugar production with the application of calcium silicate.

Calcium silicate slag [CaSiO₃] appears to be one of the few forms that offer any response.  It can not be registered as organic, again because it is a byproduct of industry.  [The author finds this situation as rather sad and non-scientific and suggests the true measure of acceptability ought be based on cleanliness, bio-enhancement properties and contribution to yield/nutrition/ health rather than origin. Should we fill up our landfills [waste] materials that could grow healthy food for animals and humans because they are a byproduct of our industrial society?]

Much to my surprise and pleasure, one of the research reports of the 1999 silica conference was a report on silica in Biodynamic agriculture by a presenter from the Univ. of San Paulo, Brazil.  BD Preparation 501 is pulverized quartz (silica) in a dilute water solution.  The prep is designed to affect light incorporation into plants.  Research by Abele in 1987 showed higher yields in sugarbeets, and cereals grown under reduced light and treated with prep 501.  This confirmed earlier research by Kolisko in 1939 on 501.  Silica is important in the morphological and structural development of plants.  It also leads to greater insect and fungal resistance.

As you can see, minding your S’s can lead to more optimal soil, plant and livestock response as well as production of more optimum nutrition of foodstuffs. Shouldn’t our goal, as farmers/graziers, be to produce the maximum nutrition/energy possible in our products while being environmentally friendly/sustainable?

March 28, 2013
How Do I Begin A Conversion To Sustainable / Organic Agriculture?

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

That is one of the most controversial questions you can ask. One paradigm would have you simply stop all inputs, begin a crop rotation and introduce livestock, if possible. Another paradigm would suggest you try to balance all your major and minor minerals within a one or two season time period. There are certainly many ways to begin but the question is: which way will get me to the goal I have in mind without costing more than my return on investment over the next few years? The complexity of that question is enormous.

Probably the most important issue is your perception of what you want to accomplish. If you do not understand what sustainable/organic/biodynamic mean, then it will be difficult to perceive a plan of action or an outcome. Talking to growers in your area who are already working in one of more of those paradigms is a good first step. Reading books by practitioners and consultants would also be recommended. Once you have a reasonable understanding of the paradigm(s)you want to begin working in; a plan can begin to be formulated.

Since there may be new readers, lets offer a short definition of each of the 3 most common designations for alternatives to “conventional” agriculture. Sustainable is a very broad term so the definition has to be broad. Sustainable farming means you are using inputs, techniques, and practices that will improve your soil over time rather than degrade it. The “degradation” that currently occurs includes; erosion, chemical contamination, loss of humus, dependency on artificial inputs and chemical rescue to get the crop off of the field and/or keep it in storage. Sustainable agricultural practices would seek to stop as much of the degradation as possible, make crop production more dependent on natural processes and improve the quality and quantity of the crop.

Organic agriculture seeks to accomplish the same thing, but it puts more restrictions on the source on inputs. In doing this, it allows for a set of standards that can be adhered to, verified, and used as a marketing tool. The input restrictions are based on a philosophy that seeks to conserve natural resources, selects materials based on origin or content and tends to be conceived as pastoral, natural or not containing any poison or chemical residue. Organic markets are expanding rapidly, so there is need for increased organic production, especially in the more difficult area of fruits and vegetables. With standards and certification comes cost and paperwork: Growers may choose to remain at the sustainable level because their marketing does not require meeting the standards of a wholesale certified organic buyer and they may be able to get a good price based on quality and flavor.

Biodynamics is a more esoteric paradigm that has grown out of the teachings of Rudolph Steiner, a German scientist and mystic. It correctly assumes that there is lots 6ee energy in nature that can be captured by various natural compounds, such as manure, when placed in natural shaped containers, such as cow horns. The material is composted in the container and the captured energy is then transferred to a water solution for spreading on soil to accomplish conditioning, growth, etc. Very precise mixing and spreading regimes are followed.

Biodynamics can be compared somewhat to homeopathy, but the two paradigms are not the same. Homeopathy captures the essence or energy of compounds at very low dilution levels by repeated dilution and succussion (pounding). Organic and sustainable growers are now starting to use homeopathic compounds for weed control, growth enhancement and conditioning.

The location of your farm is a major f8ctor. Some areas of the country have deep topsoil with reasonable organic matter and few mineral shortages. Other areas have thin soils with low organic matter or high or low pHs or high salt levels or low phosphates etc. Some of these factors could preclude you from the “stop all inputs” and the “balance all the minerals” paradigms. Two of the generally agreed upon principles among the different paradigms are remineralization and increased carbon content. What sources of materials are available nearby or what materials can be shipped in at a reasonable rate that can work on those two principles?

Let’s consider remineralization first. The size of your operation can make a big difference in the costs per acre of inputs for remineralization. Basic commodities such as lime, gypsum soft or hard rock phosphates, sulfates of potash, sol-po-mag, paramagnetic rock, green sand, kiln dusts, mineralized clay deposits, humates, compost or trace minerals may be difficult to find and quite expensive per unit when purchased in 50 lb. bags, as compared to the cost in semi-load quantities. Blended products containing the basics have additional markups to cover costs of the convenience factor. Farm operations in the 100-120 acre plus range can consider purchasing direct semi-loads of commodity inputs at good prices. This method can usually supply you with calcium phosphorous, potassium magnesium and sulfur, five of the six majors. You will also be able to get a broad spectrum of trace elements and or paramagnetism when dealing with basic rock deposits. The deposits may not have enough of the traces recognized as being significant to agriculture, so you may still have a need for separate purchases/sources of iron, copper, manganese, zinc, boron, cobalt and molybdenum.

The sixth major element is nitrogen, which is really not a mineral element. It is quite expensive to buy and offers the least alternatives for source for the organic grower. That behooves all growers in all paradigms to grow or capture their own. The most obvious grow your own source is legumes (clovers, beans, alfalfa). That sometimes presents a problem if the legume must take up a crop season and has limited market value. It can also be a problem when sufficient molybdenum is lacking in the soil to have the legume be able to fix nitrogen in its nodules. Capturing your own nitrogen could also involve the use of azobacter, which can fix atmospheric N into the soil without a legume. My consulting in Mexico has shown that a working azobacter system combined with small amounts of protein nitrogen can remove the need for the typical soluble nitrates and ammonia.

The sources of protein nitrogen are limited and some are quite expensive. Soy meal and alfalfa can be used, but the cost may be prohibitive. Liquid 8 % collagen from the leather industry is a good source, but it can never be certified organic because of the chromium used in the manufacturing. Blood meal is expensive and may have lead contaminants and cottonseed meal may have pesticide and herbicide problems. Liquid hydrolyzed fish appears to be one of the best sources, as it has reasonable costs, contains other nutrients and growth factors and can be used on both soil and foliage.

Sustainable growers can use non-protein sources of nitrogen such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, 28-32 % liquid nitrogen as transition products until they are able to produce their own. These products, when combined with carbohydrates (sugar/molasses) have continued to demonstrate that they increase bacterial activity and raise plant quality when used in appropriate amounts. It is wise to include some protein nitrogen with the manufactured N, because the crop will selectively pick up the protein N when it is stressed. Sustainable growers may also use urea as a foliar, because the plant doesn’t need to expend energy to utilize the urea the way it would if fed a nitrate or ammonia source.

The most obvious natural sources of N are animal manure and compost. Again, relatively large amounts (cost factors/availability) may be required to achieve an adequate supply for high nitrogen using crops. Now we are getting into the second major agreement point of having increased active carbon in the form of humus, which is a sink or reservoir of nitrogen. We can start to solve the nitrogen problem when we start working on the humus problem. Creating large amounts of humus without or in addition to adding/hauling compost/manure is possible. The missing factor is conventional agriculture for making use of the natural systems is the presence or availability of carbohydrate [sugars] as energy sources for the bacteria. After all, even conventional growers plow down corn stover or green manure, but….do they get good humus for their efforts? Research shows otherwise. Their residue does not get digested properly for a variety of reasons, but two reasons we can deal with quite readily are the absence of the right bacteria and a supply of energy that will encourage them to digest the residue. The adding of carbohydrates and a touch of nitrogen to green or brown crop residue (use more N on the brown stuff) sets the banquet table for the bacteria to have a balanced diet of meat (the N and protein) and potatoes (the carbohydrates/sugars). New inoculations of live/dormant bacterial cultures may be appropriate. The bacteria will gorge themselves, reproduce rapidly in the presence of ideal conditions and turn your crop residue into real humus. The humus will contain the nitrogen and other nutrients in a non-leachable, but available form for your plants to feed for the entire season.

Growers are always advised to do a year or two of sustainable transition before they begin a certification process if possible. This allows them to reasonably balance their soils as per Albrecht, biologically activate their soils according to Reams, increase paramagnetism according to Callahan and start to have the natural processes help them prevent/control weed, insect and disease problems. By not seeking certification the first year or two, the grower can have full access to the marketplace to accomplish the balancing and activation he desires. This approach assumes that all fertility inputs are bio-enhancing, even though they may not meet certain manmade standards. It also allows the grower to continue to use reduced chemical rescue, if natural processes aren’t working or natural products aren’t unavailable to solve the problem.

In my humble opinion, too many growers have lost too much money by attempting go directly from conventional agriculture to organic or biodynamic. I perceive this to be true because I frequently get calls that go like this: “I went organic two years ago on my soy beans, and of course, I had reduced yield. (Emphasis mine) Since soybeans are considered scavengers, the grower was not supplying enough nutrients/energy for the crop to scavenge, or he wasn’t foliar feeding to supplement the soil supply. Why would you change paradigms without preparation if you “knew” you were going to have a major yield reduction? Some of those who have depended on price to compensate for yield have been very disappointed.

So what is the “best” approach to making a change or transition? There is no best approach There are only multiple possibilities. You have to go back to the first paragraph and the question of goals and costs. There is little doubt that if you don’t know where your starting from or what you are starting with the chances of success and return on investment are not great. That is why most consultants and sales companies ask/insist on soil tests. The question of interpretation then rears its ugly head. Again, there are no right answers, only multiple possibilities. (However, there are some wrong answers.)

Even in the realm of testing, there are multiple possibilities. The one test most agreed upon, in the CEC (cation exchange capacity). The majority of commercial labs serving standard agriculture use this kind of test. One of the problems is that CEC test procedures may vary from lab to lab, and some labs make the claim that their method is the only correct way. Any reputable CEC lab should give you a reasonable idea of what you need to know and a well versed agronomist should be able to read it and advise you accordingly. Be cautious of computer generated recommendations that tell you down to the pound what is going to solve all your problems. Applying huge amounts of materials just to match computer programs may cost more than the return on investment in the first few years. Activating what you have is usually less expensive in the short term and allows you to work on balancing on a more gradual (less account draining) basis.

The second test being used extensively is called a LaMotte test when done by a certain procedure or a water-soluble test done by similar methods. These tests tell you the likelihood of your crop being able to use the minerals identified on your CEC test. Again, if the lab provides interpretive ranges for their readings, a well-rounded consultant can help you interpret your results.

Leaf tissue analysis is also valuable in pinpointing just what the plant is doing with all your attempts at helping it out. Radionic scanners can also be used to show energy relationships. These are very important, as general health and vigor of all organisms is dependent on resonance of the energy coming from within and without.

Using the data obtained from one or more of the above should allow you to begin the transition to the new paradigm(s) you have chosen. Good luck on your journey/transition.

March 28, 2013
Cutting To The Chase

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

As graziers, the bottom line is pounds of meat produced per acre. Then you can refine that by talking about price for pound for “quality” meat and cost of land, labor inputs, etc.
Many growers pride themselves on efficiency and diligence in their choice of breeds, choice of forages, choice of markets and advertising, etc. What has been amazing to me over the last 30 years is the lack of efficiency and diligence shown by growers all over the globe in dealing with soils and plant needs/nutrition. I can’t totally explain why this is so, but several possibilities come to mind.

Chemistry has never been a favorite high school subject and many people find it as difficult or unfriendly as math. The chemistry of soil, fertilizer and plants is extremely important to achieving efficiency of plant and subsequent animal growth. However, during the age of chemical agriculture that began in the 40’s, the chemical model of soil and fertilizer that was presented to growers was simplistic, incomplete and sometimes just plain wrong. The biological nature of soil and plants was totally ignored and this continues to this day from many universities and fertilizer companies. And even tougher subject, physics, which forms the basis for understanding the other sciences, is never mentioned.

The plants in your fields can be thought of as factories. Although they are extremely complex, a marvel of nature, we can reduce them to factory status for understanding what we are trying to accomplish by growing them. The factories main job is to produce simple sugars. The plant/factory does this by a process called photosynthesis. Using an atom of magnesium located in the center of a chlorophyll molecule as an antenna, it captures a ray of sunlight in the infrared region and upgrades (increases its energy) to an ultraviolet frequency. Then it uses this energy to break a water molecule bond and combines it with carbon dioxide to produce a simple six-carbon chain sugar. (If your eyes are already glazing over, then you can better understand the paragraph above.)

Everything else that the plant becomes is made from the simple sugar. It can form: long chain polysaccharides (many sugars) that become the main structural components of cellulose and hemi-cellulose; enzymes and hormones that make the systems work; protein and vitamins to feed our livestock; sugars and starches that are even more important livestock feed (energy) and a long list of other components. Knowing this, wouldn’t it behoove us to do everything possible to make sure our factories/plants were producing the maximum amount of sugar to produce the maximum amount of feed/energy for our livestock to produce the maximum saleable product, meat? I will wager that a large percentage of readers aren’t aware that you can measure the sugar output/efficiency of you factory/plant by walking out in your pasture with a hand held instrument called a refractometer, that costs less than $150, or that you can dramatically increase the sugar output of your factory/plant. You are, however, acutely aware when the factory is under producing by virtue of your rate of gain, strength and speed of regrowth, etc.

The only way to consistently make the factory produce at its best in all kinds of weather conditions is to introduce biology into the system. Regretfully, conventional agriculture is the antithesis of biological/sustainable agriculture. When I first go onto a conventional farm, I find that the economic crop is usually in the 6 to 10 brix range. [Brix is the industry name for percent dissolved solids {sugars} in the fluids you are testing.] When I check the weeds in the field, they can read 10-12 brix. These means the grower has arranged his soil and fertility program to have the factory/weed function better than his economic crop/factory. Now this doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it is true in most parts of the world, where ever conventional agriculture is practiced. [In the few areas where it isn’t true, the soil is so highly mineralized and has such good organic matter that it can buffer the chemical impact.]

To change this situation, you have to change the chemistry as well as introduce the biological components. You won’t be aware of it, but you will also be changing the physics too. When you start using the appropriate fertilizers, you will actually be telling the plant what to do by means of the energy output of the fertilizer. IMPORTANT POINT: Plants grow from the energy given off or produced by the fertilizer, not from the fertilizer itself. Just ask a fertilizer specialist to explain how a plant can grow upward through a soil crust and against the force of gravity. The main chemical change to make to make the factory work better and to decrease weed, insect and disease pressure is change your emphasis from nitrogen and potassium [N & K] to calcium and phosphorous [Ca & P]. Notice that I didn’t say to ignore N and K.

The calcium and phosphorous can’t just be “out there” as indicated by a CEC test, they have to be biologically available. When they are available to your crop, all kinds of interesting things can occur. One of the first things you might notice is a significant germination of clover that you didn’t even know was out there. You will also start to see insect attack on broadleaf weeds, reduction of quack and crab or other sour grasses, reduction of dandelion pressure and of course, a higher brix in your economic crop. Your economic crop will have greater insect, disease and cold resistance and most importantly, feed value. If you give them a chance, your livestock will show you right to the line where you have changed things in a split pasture. Livestock will even rush right over and start eating when you are applying many of the “good” materials/plant food that are used in a sustainable program.

[I can hear your mind clicking right now. If this is true, why doesn’t the USDA, the University Extension, my local dealer/consultant etc. tell me this? Let’s not even “go there”. I think that politics and money are the only two words you need to consider.]

To help you understand, let’s go back to the 40’s or 50’s. I can remember my grade school teacher telling me that I needed to drink milk for strong teeth and bones. Milk is a significant source of calcium and phosphorous. Go way back to the 2nd century when they killed so many Roman’s in southern England that they made prison cells out of human bones. When the bones finally decayed the books record that, “and for many years thereafter, the fields grew astonishing yields of grain”. Fast forward to today, our teenage and older female citizens are developing osteoporosis at an alarming rate. They get excessive phosphorous from the “soda” or “pop” that interferes with the already low intake of dietary calcium. Dietary calcium is supposed to come from the food grown around the world by conventional agriculture that assumes pH indicates calcium needs. Get the picture?

Your livestock are similar to us humans in some respect, but we know it is their ability to turn cellulose and hemi-cellulose into energy for meet and milk production that makes them unique in the animal kingdom. Calcium and phosphorous based fertility programs will raise RFV [relative feed value] and TDN [total digestible nutrients]. The protein readings on forages may actually go down a few numbers, because the free/harmful nitrates that are counted in the typical test as protein will now be converted to amino acids and true protein. Vet and antibiotic bills will go down, breeding will be easier, calves will be healthier and your pocket book should as happy and contented as your livestock.

October 28, 2012
Garlic: The Wonder Plant For All Livestock

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

One of the main problems with factory farm production is how to keep the animals or fowl healthy [or at least alive till slaughter] in spite of all the factors that would make it unhealthy.  The decision to use both sub-therapeutic and therapeutic drugs has allowed factory farming to survive, but the damaging effects to humans may take decades to undue.

Becoming a sustainable, organic or bio-dynamic grower would preclude the use of many of the factory farm concepts, but some of the problems can still remain.  Any herd or flock situation increases the chance of communicable diseases.  Every farm on the “right path” does not have total and complete remineralization of their soils, total and complete micro-organism replenishment and balance, the perfect blend or grasses, legumes and herbs in the pasture, perfect weather or the perfect ration.  If this was so, there would be no need for animal supplements, probiotics, wormers or drenchers, or veterinarian calls to any farm using the “right paradigm”.

The main problems of bacteria, viral and fungal organisms are still out there.  Blood urea nitrogen and ammonia can still reduce production.  Weather stresses can still occur. Breeding and birthing can still be accompanied by problems.

There are several legitimate approaches to these problems for the informed grower.  Probiotics can be used to increase the intestinal flora, mineral supplements can be fed, clay products can be fed to help absorb ammonia and high doses of vitamins, herbs or phytonutrients can be used.

One of the best, most natural and cost effect approaches is the use of garlic (Allium stativum) of the lily family.  Garlic is the most commonly uses remedial herb in the animal world.  Its’ amazing properties include its direct use as an antibiotic (including anti-viral and anti-fungal), an internal and external controller of parasites, an immune system builder/enhancer and a production increaser.  Garlic has been used since some of the earliest civilizations as a medicine for humans.  Like all other “fold medicines”, it took a long time for the “experts” to actually test it and prove that it did have the reported attributes.  Even though Louis Pasteur, the father of the germ theory of disease, showed that garlic would fight infections as early as 1858, it is only recently that medical people are conducting more research into its’ potential uses.  All the benefits of garlic that have been proven for humans also apply to livestock.

Let’s start with the antibiotic effect while recognizing that garlic contains an amazing number of beneficial compounds that can affect any and all health aspects.  One of the main beneficial compounds is allicin, the compound that is responsible for the antibiotic effect as well as the infamous “garlic breath”.  The compound allicin is not found in an intact garlic bulb or clove. Individual cells must be broken open to allow the mixing of an amino acid called allinin with an enzyme called allinase which then forms the allicin compound.  Now you have a natural antibiotic that is also anti-viral and anti-fungal.  Unlike commonly used antibiotics, bacteria do not become resistant to the allicin.  Allicin is also effective against a broad range of bacteria, making it an excellent choice for therapeutic or sub-therapeutic use in herd or flock conditions.

Since garlic grows under a wide variety of conditions, it is important to recognize that garlic can vary in its’ strength of compounds according to soil content and conditions.  One of the most important elements for growing “powerful” garlic is sulfur. There are over 20 active sulfur compounds that can provide beneficial effects as well as the “odor”.  The area around Hollister, CAis the largest growing area for US garlic.  I assume or hope that the growers in that area are maintaining their sulfur levels as well as their selenium levels, as that is the second major mineral nutrient providing many of the benefits.

Processing is also a factor in producing a viable product.  The effective compounds must be carefully and gently extracted from the pulp and then stabilized for storage or shipment.  Evidence of a good extraction is the loss of taste, odor or failure to “rot” of the pulp. Home made brews should usually be used immediately, but concentrated garlic oil, homeopathic remedies or alcohol tinctures will have a longer shelf life.  Certified organic commercial products are now available for growers who are not into the “do it yourself” mode.

The second major use or function is parasite control.  Most internal parasites are worms or flukes.  Chemical or drug helminthics (wormers) are usually poisons that have no place in the routine worming process.  There is more known about the repulsion of external parasites using garlic than the mode or efficacy of internal control.  In external control the sulfur compounds are carried throughout the body when garlic is taken internally and then expelled through the skin tissue.  Sulfur compounds also are expelled through the lungs to give repulsion around the mouth and face areas where flies can be a problem.  This is the same mode of action and same compounds that allow garlic to be used for insect repulsion on plants.  If a grower cannot introduce the garlic through feedstuffs or supplements, the extracts can be used in the water source.  Agitation is recommended if used in the water, as the extracts tend to settle.  If the above methods of use are just aren’t feasible, the extracts can be used as an external spray.  Garlic is extremely systemic, so the external efficacy is quite good.  (Any cook that gets garlic on his or her hands can end up with “garlic breath”.)

The last two effects, immunity building and increased production are hard to separate.  Conventional growers routinely use sub-therapeutic does of antibiotics to overcome the immune deficiencies inherent is their systems by killing the organisms that would limit gain.  So when garlic juice extract is used as a livestock feed supplement, any immune building can also be translated into fewer unwanted organisms or parasites and more energy going into gain.  The gain can be muscle/meat, milk, hair, reproductive success or birth survival.

Well grown and processed garlic contains significant amounts of vitamin C, E and B complex.  It also contains the myriad of sulfur compounds and other phtyonutrients that include anti-oxidants.  However, the other mineral nutrient that makes garlic a real immune builder and gain producer is selenium (Se).  Se. is known as being essential to even having a functioning immune system in humans and animals.  As reviewed in my previous article, Mind Your S’s, (sulfur, selenium and silica) selenium is an essential nutrient in a narrow range and “deadly” in either deficiency or excess.  Due to fears, regulations and lack of knowledge, selenium supplementation of soils and livestock can be difficult.  Even though soil supplementing is usually the best approach, Se can be accessed in the”perfect” form [as part of a plant and accompanied by other valuable synergistic compounds] in garlic extract.

A well produced garlic extract in a finished product should be able to furnish about .1ppm selenium per 2-4 oz of product.  Some growers may already know Se levels in pastures, forages, blood levels, etc., while others have not checked at all.  A good pasture should provide about .2ppm in the mixture of grasses, legumes, herbs and weeds, but it is doubtful that few eastern, southern and mid-west pastures would provide that amount if soil supplementation has not occurred.  So adding garlic extract to the diet has the potential to provide health improvement or gain beyond what they are now experiencing.  High producing milk cows, where production records are usually very accurate, show excellent response to Se.  Even though there may be few visible symptoms of Se deficiency, “hidden” failure to gain may be occurring just as “hidden” yield loss occurs on most farms due to one or more missing nutrients.

Typical selenium deficiency symptoms include: high somatic cell count; low solids or protein in milk; reduced gain or production; retained placenta; reproductive disorders; death of young soon after birth; metritis, etc.  Again, lack of these obvious symptoms does not mean economic gain cannot be experienced with the use of garlic extracts by themselves or blended with other natural compounds.  The only way to find out how much more gain can be achieved is to run your own trials with a garlic product.

November 28, 2011
New Sound Around

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D.

From the work of D. R. Carlson, there is no question that sound can stimulate plant growth. He and his Sonic Bloom System were the subject of an entire chapter in Secrets of the Soil, by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. Pioneering work always leads other to thought and experimentation, just as Carlson drew inspiration from George Milstein and used the musical talents of Michael Holtz to develop appropriate sounds/music. Carlson chose to work in the 4-6 kilohertz range, which left a large gap of lower frequencies to work with.

The unlikely candidate to explore and develop those frequencies into a sound system was Robert H. Karbowski. I say, unlikely, because Mr. Karbowski’s main occupation is importing of precious stones (gems) and main avocation is trophy game hunting. However, he obviously had an agricultural interest that resulted in a line of fertilizer materials that can be used in conjunction with the sound device, all under the Veges, Inc. name. Karbowski was issued patent # 5,731,265. After a successful defense of said patent, [some pioneers don’t appreciate further developments], Veges, Inc. began marketing the units.

Not only were the units producing sound in a whole different frequency range, they were approaching the broadcasting and land coverage in a new way as well. Because the sounds are in the low frequency range, they penetrate physical barriers like barns and wooded areas as well as penetrate into the soil. This enables the units to be placed on stands at “ground” level instead of on high poles. The design also allows for stationary broadcasting instead of having to mount units onto tractors for spraying. The sound radiates out from the unit in 360 degrees, providing large area coverage up to 75 acres or more depending on the shape of the terrain.

The mode of action is similar to the original technology, i.e. increased nutrient uptake. But this time, the uptake is increased both by foliar and root. Stomata are opened, which allows for increased uptake of nutrients and moisture in the air. Mitochondria in the cells are stimulated which increases metabolism. Increased metabolism means more production of sugars and greater disease and insect resistance. The sound waves increase chelation of nutrients in the soil, which fosters greater root uptake. As an example, a unit was placed in a sweet potato field by a consultant, Bob Benson, attempting to aid a grower in dealing with a current infestation of armyworms that were actively feeding. By the third day after placement, the worms stopped feeding, fell off the plants and died in the midst of a banquet. Obviously, the plant had changed nutrient characteristics, which changed the physical, and chemical properties of the crop, which meant the insects were no longer needed. No foliar material had been applied with the sound.

Shorting days to maturity has been on of the best examples of changed metabolism. Dave Weber, a grower from Iowa reported the following for the 2001 season: Sweet corn, variety Delectable [85 day], was tasseled at 49 days and eaten at 65 days. Group II soybeans planted on June 28 still made 35 bushel. The top nodes had pods, with some beans in them. Dave played the sound every day, whether foliar feeding or not. He also treated the seed while playing the sound prior to planting. J.B. Meyer of LoVolt reported a garlic test in California that had 12 inches additional growth on the treated plot versus the check.

Results for the Roger Boshammer farm in Chinchilla, Queensland, Australia on about 45 acres of Rock Melons were outstanding. Their program consisted of running the Veges sound machine each morning for 1 1/2 hours with a break for ½ hour and then another hour of playing. The pattern was chosen by dousing as to what pattern would be the most beneficial. The machine was again activated in early evening for 2 hours. Foliar applications of “brewed compost teas” were applied at regular intervals as well. Results [translated to acres instead of hectares]: The overall yield was up by 2000 cartons. This translates into a 60 carton increase per acre or about ½ melon per plant. The crop came in one week early, which can mean a marketing edge. There were no pesticides required throughout the entire season.

The units consist of a wooden sound box containing a programmed sound card and three speakers mounted in the bottom of the unit. PVC collars protrude from the unit to allow for attachment of 3 five-foot pieces of PVC that act as organ pipes to modulate, resonate and roll the sound out of the bottom of the tubes to cover up to 100 acres. Recent innovations include the addition of a solar panel to keep the battery continuously charged and a timer to allow automatic daily operation. The sound produced is very soothing. As soon as a unit is turned off, any birds in the area immediately start “Talking Back” to the unit as though saying “Thanks, do that again when you’re ready”. Tapes have been produced for inside growers that are masked with easy listening music.

Growers like the new technology for several reasons. The unit is stationary when being played, yet can be picked up and moved to another field. The sound is pleasant and innocuous. The unit is not tied to a particular foliar product. With no moving parts, the unit should give many years of maintenance free service. Growers can use general or special materials to feed their crops exactly what it needs at that time. The unit works to improve the crop every day, regardless of whether the grower is foliar feeding or not!

The “frequency” behind this Sound is also imprinted on CD’s or Cassette tapes sold by CSI. Used in a “boom box” the sound works similar to the outdoor unit and is perfect for a greenhouse, back yard or anywhere the sound from the speakers could reach. As with the outdoor unit, play for 1 – 2 hours earlier morning or later afternoon to impact nutrient uptake. Check out the “New Sound Around”.

August 28, 2010