High Brix Gardening: International AG Labs 30 Day Newsletter

[Rayne]

The posts I am leaving behind are from the 30 day newsletters from International AG Labs.
Don't expect me to respond to any question you have after reading the pasted information.

Day 1 and Day 30 aren't posted on purpose.

Day 2: Rock Pickers

It was an unfair competition. Two teams, two very rocky fields. The blue team got the north field while the red team worked the field to the south. The goal was to see which team could pick the biggest pile of rocks in twelve hours.
The prize was cash for a week's worth of pay and 3 days of vacation. To make the event more competitive, the crafty plantation owner decreed that the losing team would forfeit a week's pay to be added to the winners prize.

The starting shot was heard and the teams leapt into action. Horse drawn carts were quickly filled with rocks. When the load was as full as the horses could pull, the cart was taken to the edge of the field and unloaded. Half the team helped unload rocks while the other half made small piles in the field for the next load.

Both teams were evenly matched with 4 teenage boys, all hard workers. Both teams were highly motivated to win. And both fields were equally filled with rocks.

After an hour it was plain to see the red team's pile of rocks was notably smaller than the blue team's. By 3 hours the difference in pile size was pronounced. The red team kept moving slower and slower and even stopped to take breaks, while the blue team worked on and on.
By 6 hours it wasn't even competitive--still the red team plodded on. By 9 hours into the competition, the blue team was safely called the winner.
By the time the 12th hour was complete, both teams we wearied with hunger and exhaustion. The red team could barely walk. What was the difference?

The year was 1859 and times were tough for plantation workers. Food could be scarce and had to be saved for the young ones. All 4 boys on the red team hadn't eaten for 3 days. While the blue team members were well fed prior to the competition. The red team could have piled up twice as many rocks if they just would have eaten.

This same principle carries over to growing plants. Plant growth is really all about energy.

Foliar sprays are a powerful command to plants saying, "Get to work--make more corn, tomatoes, etc". It takes energy from the plant to respond to that foliar command. To replenish the energy requirements, plants draw upon the energy in the soil while making the crop. If energy is abundant in the soil, plants will be productive.

Foliar sprays increase productivity by providing nutrients and an energetic stimulus. A foliar spray program can increase yield/productivity by several percentage points if the soil has energy. When soil conductivity (energy) is low, yield suffers, quality suffers and profit suffers. Foliar spraying with low soil conductivity is like expecting top performance from the red team. They just didn't have enough energy to perform.
Here is the practical application of this principle. For gardeners, greenhouse growers and market gardeners, first get your energy up in the soil by fertigations or nutrient drenches, then foliar spray for increased yield and quality.

For farmers with margins tightening, every dollar counts. Please recognize that the same foliar spray that can make you more money is the same spray that can lose you money if your conductivity is not maintained.
I sure don't want to see you lose money using International Ag Labs' foliar products or else I might have to go out and get a second job... picking rocks.


Jon Frank
International Ag Labs
(507) 235-6909
[email protected]
www.aglabs.com

 

[Rayne]

Day 3: A Matter of Taste

John Deere is a well known tractor company that practically owns the color green. They have an extensive dealer and customer service network second to none. In recent years they have also forged ahead in the sphere of irrigation with John Deere Water.
For many years, John Deere has published their own magazine "The Furrow" -- a not so subtle tribute to their original Moldboard Plow. The 2013 Spring Edition was a special issue devoted to the topic of Taste.
Here are a few excerpts from their main article:

• Research shows that 88% of consumers say taste is the top factor in determining what food products they buy.

• Surveys of growers show that flavor is now in the top two traits of things they want to see investigated, so they have undergone a shift in priorities. They know we need to get consumers in the store, so they want to continue to push marketing, but they also know flavor keeps consumers coming back over and over again.

• We can also breed for antioxidants and other characteristics. If we could make the strawberry 10% healthier while improving taste, that would be a big gain for the public. I see flavor as a key way to promote health, and get people to eat the fruit they should already be eating.

• Breeders have traditionally pushed traits for productivity, for attributes like yields or disease resistance. That, of course, has been very valuable to producers. But consumers have become increasingly dissatisfied with the taste of some of these products.

• It's designed for taste and has good color, but it doesn't have a disease package like the other tomatoes. It's very susceptible to bacteria," says Miguel Martinez, whose family operates Martinez Farms at Ruskin, Fla. "We're growing it anyway, though, because the resistant varieties just aren't going to taste good. The public is fed up with gassed varieties that don't have that good tomato taste."

• "What I'm doing is all about flavor and taste. We're not trying to compete with those huge companies growing gassed green tomatoes. We grow vine ripes only. That's what sets us apart from the others, and this market is growing very fast," Torres says.

I am very pleased to see the acknowledgement of taste. The rest of the article details work being done with genetics on tomatoes, strawberries and bell peppers. 100% of the article referenced improvements through conventional breeding and genetic selection. Of course this arena is a valid way to improve flavor and yet I am looking at the pink elephant in the room that was not even acknowledged.
There was not one mention of soil and its relation to improved taste. All improvements in flavor do not come from genetics alone. Soil plays a substantial role. More specifically, the level and ratio of available nutrients.
In simple terms, taste is derived from:

• Brix/acid ratio
  
• The overall amount of carbohydrates
  
• Minerals present
  
• Various other phytonutrients

In my opinion soil health plays a greater role in contributing flavor than does genetics. I would estimate 60% to soil and 40% to genetics. Improving soil is much faster and easier than breeding new varieties. That makes soil mineralization and health the starting place--after that, work on genetics.
One last thought: If the soil is not adequately mineralized and optimized for the plant being grown, then the plant will not be able to fully express the genetics it already has.
What genetic traits are being completely overlooked by plant breeders because of inadequate plant nutrition?

Jon Frank
International Ag Labs
(507) 235-6909
[email protected]
www.aglabs.com

Day 4: Optimize Toward Ideal

A wise man once said: If you do what you love you will never have to work a day in your life.

Do you so thoroughly enjoy some aspect of your job that is a privilege to enjoy? Here is my not-so-secret confession: Like the patriarch Noah, I too am a man of the soil. It is the wellspring of life. One of the greatest pleasures I have working in International Ag Labs is making fertility recommendations. By looking at the results of a soil test that measures plant-available nutrients, and by looking at the crop to be raised, I prescribe various nutrients and fertilizers to be applied to the soil. It is my joy to help growers optimize their soil.
Soils generally fall into various patterns depending on geographical region and past history. One of the most frequent patterns I observe is low available calcium. This pattern occurs across a wide range of pH's. I have seen soils ranging from a pH of 4.0 to 8.0 show low available calcium. The soil test we use, the Original Morgan, does not show all the nutrients in the soil. Rather it shows what quantity of nutrients the plant can access. The strategy we use when making fertility recommendations is to build available nutrients to an optimum level for the crop you are growing moderated by your fertility budget. It must be pointed out that different crops have different ideals based on the nutrients they require.

This strategy of optimizing toward ideal is in stark contrast to most other consulting agronomists and universities. Actually most agricultural systems don't even fathom the idea of an optimum soil--nor is it defined. The common approach does not look at long-term soil building but rather at crop removal. In other words a corn crop takes out so many units of major and secondary minerals that need to be replaced in the soil for the next crop. Trace minerals are frequently ignored. The problem with this approach is that the soil never becomes optimized. The pattern stays the same crop after crop.

By optimizing toward ideal the pattern in the soil changes. Deficient nutrients are applied while excessive nutrients are cropped out. As the pattern changes toward ideal, crop health and productivity rises, yields go up, plants are not troubled by insects or disease, and flavor becomes remarkable.
This process takes a few years even with an unlimited budget. For farmers on a rented-land budget figure anywhere from 5-10 years depending on your starting fertility. The good news is that even though the soil is just beginning its journey toward optimum, the improvements can be seen in the first year--and they are cumulative.

One of the most widespread patterns I encounter in soil is low calcium. This soil condition directly relates to America's faltering national health. And it is a major contributor to low nutrient density in our foods. I will be writing about this more in the next couple of emails. In the meantime I welcome your suggestions on specific topics you would like me to write about.


Jon Frank
International Ag Labs

 

[Rayne]

Day 5: It Begins With Calcium

Whenever I look at society, there is one aspect of it that really makes my blood boil! It just sets me on fire. No, it isn't the messed up political system, it isn't heartless corporations hell-bent to make a profit, and no, it isn't our fiat currency that may soon take a tumble. Actually it is a lot closer to home. When I look around my community and see people dying from cancer and other degenerative diseases I get angry--really angry. This shouldn't be happening!

The nutrient delivery system from geological deposits, going to soil, into our food, and finally nourishing our bodies has been broken. To properly function, this nutrient delivery system must begin with ...Calcium.

Calcium is such an important mineral and is absolutely vital to all biology. In my last email, I explained that soils display various patterns based on geographical region and past history. I also shared that one of the most common patterns I see in soil is a lack of calcium. I related low calcium to America's faltering health due to low nutrient density of foods. In this email, I want to make the case that if you ignore calcium you do so at your own peril.

Before I jump in, I must say that the pattern of low calcium soil is not universal. There are some soils well supplied with calcium. They may consistently show 5, 10, even 15 thousand lbs. of calcium per acre on the Morgan test. These types of soils are usually found in Colorado, northern Iowa/southern Minnesota, Montana, and a broad selection of Texas. These soils have other problems to deal with like low phosphates and tied up trace minerals. Outside of these areas most soils struggle with low calcium.

Calcium has a tendency to sink out of the root zone and into the subsoil. This problem is exacerbated by high rainfall. Rain is nature's distilled water. As this water comes in contact with soil, its weak acid dissolves a small amount of calcium and carries it into the subsoil. This is why application of various calcium compounds such as limestone and gypsum are needed on an ongoing basis.

Calcium is by far and away the most deficient nutrient in most soils. For most crops I like to see at least 3,000 lbs. available per acre though certain crops such as soybeans prefer less than this. Let's put this in perspective by looking at the units required in lbs. per acre for various nutrients.

• * Trace Minerals - ones
  
• Nitrogen and Sulfur - tens
  
• Phosphorous, Magnesium, Potassium - hundreds
  
• Calcium and carbons - thousands

While calcium is needed most in the soil in terms of weight it is also most abundantly supplied by calcium deposits all around the world. When I see such a great need and then see such a widespread supply, I see the wisdom of the Creator. All that is needed now is your stewardship. Somehow the calcium needs to be taken out of the ground, processed, and applied on your soil.
Let's look at areas that calcium plays a significant role in:

• Calcium to Magnesium ratio - The ideal is 7:1. When it goes lower, the soil becomes sticky. A low ratio also dissipates nitrogen back into the atmosphere causing a need for additional nitrogen. (Corn growers pay attention to this one.)
  
• Needed to Move Trace Minerals - When calcium is abundant in soil and in the plant, its energy helps move trace minerals from the soil into the plant.
  
• Calcium Determines the Volume of Yield - This needs more explanation, but tomorrow's email should help.
  
• Needed for Cell Wall Strength and Integrity - Good quality produce comes from having healthy cells. This same mechanism helps plants ward off insects and disease.
  
• Calcium is Needed by all Biology - In fact, every living cell requires calcium in its structure to be healthy. This includes soil microbiology. If calcium is low, both the plant and the soil microbes compete for the calcium and plants will suffer in the short term.

One of the least understood areas where calcium influences crops and soils is in the area of growth energy. This is our subject for tomorrow's email.
Stay Tuned,

Jon Frank

Day 6: Growth Energy

My wife and I got married in 1994 in North India. We then lived in India for 6 years. During this time I encountered a concept or view of food that was totally foreign to me. In India, foods are divided into cooling foods and heating foods.

As I recall, lemon water, yoghurt, milk-based sweets, and most fruits provide a cooling effect to the body, while meats, nuts, seeds, and spicy foods provide heat to the body. In cool weather it is good to eat more hot foods and in hot weather it is better to increase cooling foods. As a newlywed, I copied my father-in-law and would frequently chew on brown cardamom; a large menthol-flavored seed pod.

Apparently I overdid it because it would induce diarrhea. I was then told that I was consuming too much heat and needed to "cool it" on the brown cardamom and eat more cooling foods. My mind rebelled at the concept, but since I really wasn't in a position to argue, I did what I was told. Sure enough, the diarrhea cleared up and I had a new-found respect for brown cardamom.

As I look back on that incident, I can plainly see that I was upsetting the energy balance in my body. Dr. Reams' teaching goes into great detail looking at this energy balance in people, animals, plants, and soil. Just like the concept of heating foods and cooling foods was new to me, the idea of growth energy and reproductive energy in soils and plants may be new to you. Just because the concept is strange doesn't mean you should ignore it. The concept of growth energy and fruiting energy touches on some of the core teachings of Dr. Reams.

Just like foods are divided between two groups, so are minerals divided between those that promote growth and those that promote a reproductive response in plants. Growth energy causes plants to grow more vegetation. For example, plants send out new leaves, stalks, and stems. Reproductive energy causes a blooming response in plants. Here you see new blossoms, flowers, and pod set.

All plants require a combination of both types of energy, but the ratio changes according to crop physiology. Let's take an example. If you grow spinach to eat, you want growth energy to dominate reproductive energy in order to produce more leafy greens. If your goal is to produce spinach seed to sell, you want reproductive energy to dominate over growth energy. This balance of energy is accomplished primarily by the ratios of the available nutrients in the soil. It is also strongly influenced by foliar sprays.

Remember in my last email I said that soybeans do not need as high of a calcium level as most crops. Why? They are a strongly reproductive crop. From midsummer on, a soybean plant puts out new pods. A lower calcium soil is generally going to be dominated by reproductive energy. Once you understand this theory you can see that a soil very high in calcium and low in phosphates is not ideal for soybeans. To compensate, a strong reproductive spray is applied to send the plant into a reproductive state. Just do this when there is enough energy (conductivity) in the soil as outlined in email number 2. For those interested; the spray we use is a combination of Bloomit and WayAhead 7X.

Here is how the nutrients break out by their energetic association:

Growth Energy
Nitrate Nitrogen
Sodium
Chlorides
Potassium
Calcium

Reproductive Energy
All other forms of nitrogen except nitrates
Phosphates
Sulfates
All organic fertilizers
All trace minerals

I didn't get to calcium as I wanted to, but instead laid its foundation by looking at the theory of growth vs. fruiting energy. Maybe I will get to it in my next email.
Jon

 

[Rayne]

Day 7: Growth Energy

Up before the break of day, Steve made his coffee and was out the door in 20 minutes. What a beautiful day for spring planting. "This is my big day" Steve mused. "I have to get another 160 acres of corn planted before tomorrow's big storm." As the first rays of the sunlight kissed the ground Steve began planting. Steve's idyllic day was smashed when the planter broke on the second pass across the field...Arrrgh. "How much money is lost when the planter breaks in spring?" Steve muttered to himself. He didn't want to think about it.

When the planter breaks down in spring; time and opportunities are lost. What if something else was broken in your field and you didn't even know it? What if it was partially broken? What if it affects the health of your plants and yield? Sadly this is happening and not just in large fields. By my estimation it affects over 80% of all soil. I am talking about a lack of growth energy. Sure most soils have enough growth energy to get the seed out of the ground, raise a crop, and harvest some yield. But what if...

What if you are only driving in 2nd gear when you could kick it up to 4th gear?

What if the nutrition coming from your garden could be doubled?

How would that affect your health?

The basic principle of growth vs. fruiting energy in soil is that both need to be closely matched but slightly skewed one way or the other depending on the crop being raised. Think of a teeter totter. If you want more growth energy this side should be up. If you want reproductive energy then the other side should be up. A teeter totter works when both sides weigh nearly the same. If one side has 100 lbs. and the other side 300 lbs. it doesn't work well. If one side has 30 lbs. and the other side 300 lbs. it doesn't work at all.

By bringing up growth energy we are evening out the teeter totter so to speak. Growth energy is derived from nitrates, sodium, chlorides, potassium, and calcium. These nutrients work against the reproductive nutrients in soil to create chemical friction or energy. So how much sodium and chloride should you have in soil? Very little. This is the same as salt in food. Too much is definitely not good. What about nitrates? Some is good but more is detrimental. How much potassium should the soil have? About 200 lbs. per acre for most crops. Double or triple that for potassium loving crops. More than this interferes with calcium's job to build healthy cell walls so extremes in potassium should be avoided. What is left? That's right: calcium. Here is a rule you can take to the bank;

Calcium is the primary growth energy element.
The problem with most soils is that available calcium is way undersupplied. Perhaps your soil only has one third to one half of what is needed. When the calcium level is brought to its desired level, many other things work better.

Let's express this from another angle. The growth energy from available calcium interacts more efficiently with the reproductive energy that may already be present. This creates more overall energy in the soil leading to increased crop production. In gardens, produce tastes better and yields more when calcium is abundantly supplied. Your passport into this world is a soil test from International Ag Labs.

Day 8: The Best Soils in the World are

1. Volcanic
Nothing beats volcanic soil. Period. From the grape growing region in Italy around Mt. Vesuvius to the fruit growing region of America's Pacific Northwest. Volcanic soils grow the best tasting coffee, tea, asparagus, fruit, the most fragrant flowers, and the best quality wheat.

What makes volcanic soil so special? Volcanoes are an awesome force of nature. They are also a foundational source of minerals to nourish and replenish worn out soils. They represent a bountiful supply of new minerals ready to assist you in growing better crops.

What is it about soils derived from volcanic ash and tephra (falling rock particles) that makes them so productive? I believe it is the spectrum of minerals that range from the major minerals to the secondary minerals, to the trace minerals all the way to rare earth elements. They all play a role in stimulating soil biology and supporting the plant and animal kingdom.

Volcanic action is the base supply of earth minerals that make up soil. To enrich soil capable of growing high quality crops, we need to replenish the supply by adding volcanic rock powders.

2. Rich in Calcium
Calcium rich soils are highly productive. Unfortunately calcium is leached out of the root zone by percolating water. That means regions with higher rainfall, such as in the South and East, show low levels of available calcium. Poverty soils are low calcium while highly productive soils have more calcium.

Certain regions of the country are known for their high calcium levels. One of these areas is Southern Texas. Here is an experiment you might enjoy with your family. Buy some grapefruit from each of these states: Texas, Florida and California. Now squeeze the juice of each and do a taste test. If you have a refractometer, check the brix. I am pretty sure you will find remarkable differences in taste and quality. You might end up doing what I do--only buy grapefruit from Texas.

Why is calcium so important in soil? One reason that often gets overlooked is the impact of available calcium and the proliferation of plant roots. There is an almost linear relationship between available calcium and roots. When calcium is low, there are relatively few roots. As available calcium increases, so does the mass of roots. In addition to the main roots, there are now finer rootlets branching off the side of the main roots. When available calcium levels go beyond 1,900 lbs. on the Morgan test, something amazing happens with the roots--they now produce a profusion of fine root hairs. These fine root hairs are continuously growing and dying off.

What is so important about plant roots? The more roots, the more rhizosphere. The more rhizosphere, the more microbes are supported in the soil. And that leads us to our last type of soil. The best soils in the world are...

3. Teaming With Microbes
Microbes live off the sugars or plant residues produced by plants. They use this energy from plants to digest the rock minerals they need to proliferate. As they reproduce they also die and leave their minerals available for plant uptake.
Many growers make the mistake of only thinking "How can I grow a better crop of ____." Instead, they also need to be thinking, "How can I get my soil teaming with microbes?"

The answer is to create the right environment for soil biology by creating a volcanic soil well endowed with calcium. Supplying microbes is helpful, but it must be done in the context of adequate mineralization.

Most people have never seen a volcanic soil well endowed with calcium, broad spectrum trace minerals, and teaming with microbes.

Would you like to see this in action with your plants? Today you can!

After countless hours of study and experimentation, I am pleased to offer a product that can help transform your soil into a volcanic soil rich in calcium and microbial activity.

By using 1 tablespoon of Transplant Formula at planting, this tomato plant is showing a blossom cluster with 12 tomato blossoms. Many other clusters show 9, 10 and 11 tomatoes.

Transplant Formula contains:

• 3 different calcium powders supplying calcium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate
  
• 5 different volcanic rock powders supplying silicon and nearly a whole periodic table of elements
  
• 4 microbial packages supplying live microbes to populate a growing rhizosphere around plant roots
  
• 4 biostimulant carbon sources to push biology in high gear.

As an extra punch, Transplant Formula also supplies quick acting enzymes to jumpstart the whole process.
For more information on Transplant Formula, including some articles and an analysis of the product, you can go to:
http://mineralizedga...nt-formula.html

 

[Rayne]

Day 9 Limestone Supplies Growth Energy

In my email from Day 7 I stated that calcium is the main growth energy element in soil. There are many forms of calcium such as:

• Calcium Carbonate - Limestone
  
• Calcium Nitrate
  
• Calcium Phosphate - Soft Rock Phosphate
  
• Calcium Sulfate - Gypsum
  
• Calcium Silicate

What form is best? They are all good and each has its place but one stands supreme--Limestone. Dr. Reams left us with a remarkable rule concerning plants;

Plants do not live off minerals but rather off the energy associated with those minerals.
When soil is low in available calcium we add limestone. Why? To supply calcium? No! To supply growth energy.
So what makes limestone superior to other forms of calcium? It's a good question and I am glad you asked. Limestone is calcium carbonate. 1 atom of calcium is combined with 1 atom of carbon and 3 atoms of oxygen to make CaCO3. As soil microbes digest limestone 1 atom of carbon and 2 atoms of oxygen are united as a molecule of CO2 - carbon dioxide. CO2 is either taken up by the roots or escapes from the soil as a gaseous compound. What remains of the limestone? 1 atom of calcium combined with 1 atom of oxygen. This compound is calcium oxide or lime. It is a very strong growth energy substance.

Day 10 Gypsum vs. Limestone

There is a common misconception among agronomists, soil consultants and farmers. It goes like this; if you need calcium and pH is high, use gypsum. If the pH is low, use limestone. The fallacy of this approach is that soils and plants need to be managed by manipulating energy. Here is how to summarize Dr. Reams' approach in only 6 words:
Plant growth is all about energy.

The Value Of Gypsum
Gypsum is a useful tool and plays an important role in soil. Nothing beats gypsum if you want to aerate soil, correct an anaerobic environment, supply sulfates and leach salts. It can even make limestone work better.
For all its value it must be remembered that gypsum:

• Does not build available calcium
  
• Supplies reproductive energy

Here is Dr. Reams' rule regarding gypsum;
Do not use more than 500 lbs. per acre per year.

For gardeners, this equates to 12 lbs. per 1,000 square feet.
The main reason to follow this rule is to avoid applying too much reproductive energy. Remember the teeter totter illustration? Many soils are equivalent to a 70 lb. person on one side representing growth energy and a 210 lb. person on the other side representing reproductive energy. The soil pH may be 7.0 and to some this indicates the need for gypsum. The crying need for a soil like this is growth energy coming from limestone--not reproductive energy coming from gypsum.

I did a little number crunching and estimate that pound for pound I recommend 30 lbs. of limestone for every pound of gypsum. Now that I got my gypsum rant out of my system, I need to go back and say a few kind words about gypsum. While gypsum is predominately reproductive energy, it can assist the soil to move quicker to the growth side if used in conjunction with limestone.
Here's how it works. As you know, limestone is more of a mixed energy package when applied to the soil. The calcium swings to the growth side, the carbon swings to the reproductive side, and the oxygen swings either way depending on predominance. Once limestone encounters microbial digestion, the carbon is released to either the plant roots or to the atmosphere as C02. At this point the calcium that remains from the limestone is now a strong growth promoter. Here is where gypsum comes in. If a small amount of gypsum is applied along with the limestone, the sulfates stimulate soil biology and help dissipate the C02 quicker. The end result is a quicker acting limestone. In my estimation, an 80/20 blend of limestone to gypsum would be ideal.
I have mentioned carbon dioxide a number of times. In my next email I will show you how to profit from it and give my view on global warming

 

[Rayne]

Day 11: From Carbon Dioxide to Humus

The other day I was listening to NPR. The person being interviewed was talking about rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. According to records kept by Mauna Loa Observatory, carbon dioxide levels have risen from 313 ppm in 1958 to 400 ppm at present. The basic premise is that the more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; the more heat trapped on earth and hence a warmer globe.*

Am I worried about global warming? No. I will cover this toward the end of the email but first I want to talk about the process of converting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into soil humus.

Most soils need to kick start this process by first applying limestone. Limestone stands alone by being nearly the only soil amendment/fertilizer that supplies an appreciable amount of carbon to the soil--about 120 lbs. of carbon per ton of limestone. Manure and other composted products contain carbon as well.

Since carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it sits on the ground and builds up during the night. As soon as the first rays of sunlight strike the leaves, plants start manufacturing sugars and immediately suck up the carbon dioxide that came as a result of microbial activity. Carbon dioxide monitors laid on the soil and measured through the night show a night time build up and a daytime shortage. The job of the plant leaf is to make carbohydrates. It does this by combining carbon dioxide with water. To make amino acids it adds nitrogen to the carbohydrates.

As the plant makes sugars, a portion of them are sent down to the roots to make mucigel slime and fine root hairs. These fine root hairs slough off and become food for soil biology. The end result of this process is the creation of humus.

The more sugars plants produce, the more biology is supported in the soil. The more biology is supported in the soil, the more humus is created. The key to starting this whole process is to support the plants with the right amount of minerals in the soil.

When available calcium is low, fine root hairs are nearly absent. If you want a proliferation of fine root hairs, keep your available calcium above 1,900 lbs. per acre. The rapid growth and dying back of fine root hairs is called the base exchange of roots. This is the key to raising your humus.
Humus is the final breakdown of organic matter and is a sticky glue that holds nutrients and carbons in reserve for a rainy day. Humus is very much like having money in a savings account. The whole process of going from carbon dioxide to humus starts by capturing more carbon dioxide in the leaf. This process occurs in direct response to soil mineralization.

When soil is adequately mineralized, plants will respond by making more sugars. In other words, the capture of carbon dioxide is governed by soil mineralization.

So what about global warming? I am not convinced rising carbon dioxide levels directly lead to global warming, but I am sure rising carbon dioxide levels means an opportunity for you. Higher carbon dioxide levels enhance plant growth--all you need is the available calcium and minerals in the soil to take advantage of it.

Day 12 Creating an Ideal Soil

I don't really like this title because almost all soils are a work in progress. It's a little bit like trying to raise perfect kids or trying to be perfect parents.
On the other hand, we need to have an optimum we are shooting for even if we still have a long ways to go.

To craft an optimized soil, start with a soil test. The soil test we support is the original Morgan. This test was developed by M.F. Morgan in the 1930's and popularized by Dr. Reams.

The soil test shows what minerals are available to the plant. This is very important because some nutrients will be in excess and others deficient. Here are two basic corollaries: Do not apply more nutrients if it is already excessive, and be sure to apply what is deficient. This is very important because the level and ratio of available nutrients create the physical environment for soil biology and plant roots. It is vital to look at major minerals, minor minerals and trace elements. Apply the needed minerals as a broadcast to begin mineralizing soil.

The next step is to monitor soil energy with a conductivity meter. As plants grow, they take up nutrients from the soil. This depletion from the soil causes electrical conductivity in the soil to decline which results in slower plant growth. A low conductivity reading is the same thing as your child saying, "I'm hungry". Use soluble nutrients, nitrogen and/or liquid fish to replenish soil energy.

Next apply live biology. Microbial inoculants make a huge difference in plant health by working synergistically with plant roots. This interaction between plant roots supplying energy (sugars) and bacteria supplying minerals creates a thriving marketplace called the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere around roots makes a bustling Asian market seem dull and subdued compared to all the activity on and near plant roots. Feeding extra carbohydrates and applying biostimulants only add to the microbial excitement.

Finally, foliar feed plants diluted nutrient solutions through their leaves. I will be discussing foliar nutrition in future emails.
Let's recap.

To craft an ideal soil, start with these basics:

• Start with a Morgan soil test.
  
• Apply a broadcast of nutrients on the basis of the soil test.
  
• Monitor soil energy with a conductivity meter.
  
• Apply live biology.
  
• Feed and stimulate soil biology.
  
• Foliar feed plants for optimum nutrition.
  
• Repeat yearly.

What happens when you follow this routine? Your food does not taste routine -- it tastes extraordinary. Yields increase and disease pressure drops.

 

[Rayne]

Day 13: The High and Lows of Phosphorus

"Can you help me with my garden?" I hear on the other end of the phone.
"Probably...are you having problems?"
"The food tastes terrible, it used to taste great."
"What have you been doing for your garden?"

"Every year we add a large amount of composted manure and work it into the soil."
"Have you been testing your soil?"
"Yes, about 5 years ago--can you help us?
"I can, but I need to test the soil first. Once I have that I will make recommendations and you will notice an improvement in the taste of your vegetables--just don't add anymore compost."

"Thanks...it was getting so bad I didn't even want to grow a garden."

After hammering calcium from several angles, readers have asked about phosphorous. This element is indispensable for all life. It is the key to achieving high brix and warding off insect and disease infection. Any reference to phosphorous levels or ratios in this email are for the IAL soil test only.

Phosphorous and potassium are the two most abused nutrients...especially in organic gardens. I have seen phosphorous range from a deplorable low of 1 lb. per acre to an extreme of over 5,000 lbs. On the low end plants are dying because they do not have the energy to make sugars or transport nutrients. On the high end plants grow but the food tastes horrible.

Most large-scale farm soils are on the low side simply because of cost. A typical range would be from 40-80 lbs. per acre. Many long-term gardens range from 750-1,500 lbs. per acre. You know the produce tastes like crap when the phosphorous is higher than the calcium.

Healthy soils have adequate, but not excessive, levels and ratios of phosphorous. For most crops this means at least 175 lbs. per acre and a 1:1 ratio with potassium. This ratio could be lowered to 0.5:1 for potassium-loving crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, fruit trees, pumpkins, squash, and corn. Turf or grass pastures prefer a 2:1 ratio with potassium (200 lbs. Phosphorous, 100 lbs. potassium).

The big problem with phosphorous is that an excess of phosphorous is actually an excess of reproductive energy. This imbalanced ratio hinders the effectiveness of calcium by overwhelming the growth energy. This is a major problem for small plots of land suffering from "compost abuse." Over the years I have written repeatedly about the dangers of over applying compost. The calcium to phosphorous ratio should be around 18:1.

While smaller growers have a problem with excessive phosphorous, larger growers toil to raise deficient phosphorous levels. Here is my number one suggestion to deal with this problem:

Either have patience or have a big budget.

A phosphorous depleted soil is very much like a dry sponge. As you dribble out your yearly phosphorous, the sponge becomes wet and the plants benefit. Still, the numbers on the soil test do not move. Here is where you need that patience. Just keep applying your yearly dose and phosphorous levels will rise. As I mentioned in my earlier email, the best approach is to optimize toward ideal. Be assured you won't reach it in one year. This is a 3-5 year process.

For gardens, use a combination of 11-52-0, soft rock phosphate, and phos acid liquid fish. Chicken manure in the modern era has the dubious distinction of coming from GMO grains fed to chickens.

For organic production use soft rock phosphate, bone char, and phos acid liquid fish.
Since this is the planting season may your gardens, fields, and land be blessed,

Day 14: Compost and the Fight Between Calcium and Potassium

"Should compost be used?"

"Yes--here is my simple formula. Use when potassium is under 200 lbs."

"For potassium-loving crops use when soil readings are under 410 lbs."

"How much is the right amount?"

"Anywhere from 500 lbs. to 3 tons per acre."

"How much should be used in my garden?"

"Anywhere from 12 to 150 lbs per 1,000 square feet."

"Should compost be avoided in certain circumstances?"

"Yes--avoid compost anytime potassium is high."

"Also avoid manure-based compost in greenhouses. Sodium gets to be a huge issue."

Compost has been the darling child of organic gardeners for well over 50 years. It has a tremendous feel-good factor. Nothing feels more enticing on your hands than compost. How could it possibly be anything but good for your garden? After all, it is rich in carbons, biology and NPK. And it doesn't burn plants like commercial fertilizers.

Like many budding gardeners, I immersed myself in J.I. Rodale's books on gardening when I was a teen. Little did I suspect that as I matured, I would have a different view entirely.

I was amazed to learn that nature doesn't make or use much compost when developing soil. Rather it is a pulsing back and forth between living and dying, between plant residue and decomposing rock.

Any time gardens are mentioned, compost is sure to follow. Because compost exerts a tremendous influence on soil and in people's minds, I am offering my view on compost.

Compost is a mix of many organic residues from plants, animals, people and industries. It is rich in carbons, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and microbes.

It is poor in calcium and manganese.

When first used, it raises potassium levels in the soil. With continued overuse, phosphorous will jump through the roof. Here is a general principal concerning compost.

Any use of compost has an effect of raising potassium to the detriment of calcium.

Here is how it works. Clay and humus structures in the soil are negatively charged and attract positively charged calcium and potassium. When potassium is applied, it pushes calcium off the clay colloid into the soil solution. When calcium is applied, it does the same thing to potassium. Just like two brothers that keep pushing each other around.

If compost is frequently used it supplies plenty of potassium. This potassium knocks calcium off the clay colloid into the soil solution. Calcium then gets taken up by plants or leached out of the root zone. The end result is that calcium decreases. When calcium decreases, so does the growth energy associated with it.

Because compost supplies a lot of carbon, trace minerals, phosphorous and ammonial nitrogen, the overall energy pattern of compost is decidedly reproductive. Here is proof: Apply a liberal amount of compost in your yard. Watch the grass. It will quit growing vegetatively. Instead, it will put up little seed heads just 2 inches high. Your dandelions will also get a great boost.

So where is compost really needed? Production agriculture with its large fields is desperately short in carbons and could use the potassium. If your goal is nutrient dense food, compost use should be little to none. And only if called for by the potassium.

 

[Rayne]

Day 15: Questions and Answers

This sequence of emails teaching the concepts of Dr. Reams and Dr. Skow has generated an avalanche of questions. I will try to cover a number of them. Thank you for asking.

Joseph Vail writes: "Could you go over calcium to magnesium ratios?

The cal/mag ratio dictates soil physics. When the cal/mag ratio is low, the soil particles plate together and exclude much of the oxygen. Imagine unloading a rack of small square bales thrown off the side. Lots of air pockets. Now take those hay bales and tightly stack them in a shed. Very little air space between bales. A narrow ratio indicates sticky compacted soil because the particles are plating rather than random stacking. When moist soil keeps building upon your boots, it is crying out for calcium.

Cal/Mag Ratios
>20:1 Add small amounts of magnesium
> 7:1 Ideal
< 7:1 Narrow cal/mag ratio
3:1 Very sticky soil--very inefficient nitrogen use
< 1:1 Sell the farm

Todd at Birdsong Farms writes: "Can you talk about how to transition from chemical to a biological system? We have some farm land that is row crop but I would like to talk with the leasing farmer to adjust towards a biological system."
Great question, Todd! Transitioning farmers from straight chemical farming to a biological approach is one of International Ag Labs' strengths. It is best to work directly with us in soil testing and fertility recommendations. Here are a few principals:

• This is a multi-year transition. Take it slow and steady.
  
• Transition to non-GMO seeds.
  
• Use nutrition as your first line of defence against disease.
  
• Incorporate all 3 sciences; agronomy, crop physiology and soil microbiology.
  
• Foliar spray trace minerals. More on this topic coming soon.

Kevin Westphal writes: "I have heard differing opinions about the use of soft rock phosphate on high pH soils. Some say it is the only way to build long term phosphorous levels. Others say if you apply it, it may benefit your grandchildren. Who's right? When should it or shouldn't it be used?"
Good questions, Kevin. Let me start off with a rule given by Dr. Reams. When you harvest 45,000 lbs. of produce, forages, grain, etc., you must replace the compound colloids by applying 500 lbs. of soft rock phosphate.
Now some principles that I think apply:

• You can only apply it if you can afford it.
  
• The rhizosphere around the root is a full 2 pH points more acidic than the general soil.
  
• We have a customer in Wilcox, Arizona who applied SRP to some of his pivots 5 years ago. Today his best phosphate levels are from those pivots. All his soil is high pH.
  
• Soft rock phosphate holds calcium in the root zone, consequently it helps build calcium levels in the soil.
  
• Soft rock phosphate is a colloidal clay. It works to increase the mineral holding capacity of soil.
  
• In gardens I use it without regards to pH. On turf and farmland use your budget as a guide.
  
• The goal in using soft rock phosphate is twofold:

a.) Supply nutrition to the plants and consumers.
b.) Raise the phosphorous to ideal so that commercial phosphate is not needed.

Will Fisher asks: "Could you please talk about MAP vs. DAP and also Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Sulfate?"
This question ties in very nicely with Todd's question about transitioning to biological agriculture. Selecting the right fertilizer increases soil and plant health.

MAP vs. DAP
MAP is 11-52-0 while DAP is 18-46-0. Both seem relatively the same. They are not. Always choose MAP over DAP for 2 reasons:

• MAP is low pH at around 5.0 while DAP is high at 8.0. When you need calcium and phosphorous, the low pH MAP and high pH limestone react as they syncronize in the soil. This reaction is energy that plants live off of. An 8 pH DAP reacting to a 9 pH limestone or a 7 pH soil does not react or create as much energy.
  
• The phosphorous in DAP ties up very quickly with the calcium in soil to form an insoluble tricalcium phosphate. This reduces both availality of both calcium and phosphates.

Potassium Chloride vs Potassium Sulfate
Potassium chloride is an inferior product in every way except price. Chlorides hinder soil biology, destroy humus structure, and produce lower quality feeds and food. Potassium in the sulfate form is more effective at supplying potassium to the plant, stimulates microbes and supplies the much needed sulfates.

Here is the big take away for farmers. Just replacing potassium sulfate for potassium chloride and MAP for DAP will start the healing process in your soil. You are well on your way in biological agriculture.

Day 16: Nitrogen is Nitrogen, Right?

"Wrong!" says Dr. Reams.

"Nitrogen can be growth energy or reproductive energy depending on molecular configuration."

When nitrogen is in the nitrate form it creates growth energy in plants and soil. Reproductive energy comes in the form of ammoniacal, urea, or organic nitrogen. This dual form of energy for nitrogen makes it the most confusing element to consider when looking at energy.

A basic principle to always remember is that plant growth is all about energy.

You create this energy by reacting growth energy against reproductive energy according to the crop being grown.

Let's take a few examples to clarify this concept. We had a wheat grower who decided to spray his wheat with a few gallons of liquid calcium nitrate. Unfortunately this resulted in a significant yield decline. Fortunately International Ag Labs did not suggest this. So what happened?

Liquid calcium nitrate is a double growth energy fertilizer. Both calcium and nitrogen in the nitrate form push plants and soils with growth energy. Regrettably the farmer sprayed his wheat just at the time the kernel count was being determined. The growth energy from the calcium nitrate pushed the wheat plants more toward growth energy and away from reproductive energy. What the plants really needed was a reproductive spray to increase kernel set.

Here is another example: A grower with a field of canning tomatoes sought to maximize his harvest of tomatoes all at picking time. To do this he kept his soil on the growth side longer by using growth energy products such as calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate. The result were large tomato plants and thick stalks but not a tomato anywhere. The canning company field rep was getting worried.

At the right time the farmer switched his soil from growth to reproductive and turned his field yellow with blossoms overnight. How did he do this? By using reproductive fertilizers and foliar sprays. These caused the soil and plants to switch from growth to reproductive. How can this be done? Simple - broadcast some ammonium sulfate, 11-52-0 or urea. Then spray the plants with a dilute reproductive spray made from household ammonia, phosphoric acid, vinegar etc. The broadcast switches the soil while the foliar spray switched the plants.

Once a large bunch of tomatoes were set and beginning to develop, the farmer switched back to growth energy dominance. Why? Because growth energy is also bulking energy. Now the farmer wanted to size up the tomatoes. By keeping growth energy dominant he was able to stop new blossoms from developing. What was the end result? A large harvest of tomatoes all ripening at nearly the same time.

Last example: You manage conventional turf. What nitrogen source should you use? The standard practice is to use urea. Urea is a 100% reproductive energy. Turf is a crop that needs growth energy dominance. This means urea is the exact opposite energy of what should be supplied. Organically managed turf using compost or some other organic nitrogen does the same thing. Too much reproductive energy. The answer is to use calcium nitrate.

So is nitrogen just nitrogen? No it is a very specific energy that can influence the soil/plant in the direction you wish.

With this email I have now completed ½ of my 30 days 30 emails. Your overwhelming positive feedback has been humbling. Thank you for your inquiries, and comments. I read each of them even though I am behind on my responses.

Lastly I must say that this whole series of emails could not be done without the long and tireless effort from Diane. She makes sure these emails get to you.

Thanks Diane!

 

[Rayne]

Day 17: How to Create Energy in Soil

In this email we start getting to the heart of Reams' work and message.

This email may offend some organic growers with its focus on commercial fertilizers and the energy they contain. It may seem like none of it pertains to you. If that is you, please read this email very carefully. There is still a message for organic growers--you just have to dig for it.

Let's start with some basic definitions. What is a plant? -- 1) An energy accumulator and 2) an energy reformulator. Notice that plants do not create energy. Actually they do the opposite. They suck it up and reformulate it according to their genetic code. Notice also that plants do not supply energy. Rather they can only take what is supplied to them. It is your and my job to supply energy to plants so they can reach their genetic potential. If plants do not reach their genetic potential, it means that our stewardship under supplied the needed energy.

Let's move on to fertilizers. What are fertilizers? At their very essence, fertilizers are concentrated packages of energy. Yes, they are nutrients, but beneath the nutrients are the energies associated with those nutrients. The reason fertilizers are used is to supply energy to power plant growth. Explosions tore through West Texas flattening houses, ripping off roofs and blowing a fertilizer plant to smithereens. Is there any doubt that fertilizers represent a powerful source of energy?

In an earlier message I said that we should apply nutrients and soil amendments in order to optimize soil toward ideal. Let's say that this has already occurred. What does it mean? The soil already has adequate energy to grow the crop. This energy will be released to the crop over time via the agents of humus and biology. Just put the seed in the ground.

But what does it mean if the Morgan soil test shows low humus, phosphorous at 1/3 of needed supply, nitrogen inadequate, and calcium at 1/2 of desired level? It means two things: 1) There are not enough nutrients to supply the needs of both plants and microbes and 2) there is an under supply of energy to adequately raise a crop. This means that yield and quality have to be below par.

So what is the solution? Supply the needed nutrients, fertilizers and soil amendments that will interact with each other and the soil to create an energy reaction.

The calculation of energy in the soil is not according to what is in the soil. Rather it is according to what is available or is already fully soluble.

The further a soil is away from being fully optimized, the more it will benefit from soluble fertilizers. The more optimized a soil is, the less it needs them. In other words, the goal is to use fertilizers so that in the future you don't have to use them.

Dr. Reams laid out 3 basic ways to create energy:

• Growth Energy vs. Growth Energy -- Example, broadcast limestone and calcium nitrate on pasture. For soils with a build up of phosphorous this would be ideal.
  
• Reproductive Energy vs. Reproductive Energy -- Example, supply some manure and ammonium sulfate to a corn crop. This works especially well on a calcareous (high calcium) soil.
  
• Growth Energy vs. Reproductive Energy -- Example, calcium nitrate and ammonium sulfate in the garden. This creates a reaction the plants grow on.

The greatest amount of energy released will come from growth energy working against reproductive energy.

Would you like proof of that last statement?

Ammonium nitrate is a nitrogen fertilizer. Chemically it is written as NH3NO3. It is made up of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen--all atmospheric nutrients. You know from reading these emails that ammonial nitrogen is reproductive and nitrate nitrogen is growth energy. When these two are brought together in one product and with no earth elements to mitigate the reaction, you now have a substance capable of an extreme energy reaction. Kaboom!

What is the #1 explosive used in mining in the United States? Ammonium nitrate.

What nearly blew West Texas off the map? Ammonium nitrate.

Can you believe that the reaction of growth energy against reproductive energy creates energy? I hope so!

In soil we want to see both a rapid change and an ongoing release of energy, but we do not want to see an instantaneous release of energy.

Tomorrow's email will be much more to the liking of organic growers. I will be writing about rock powers and trace elements. In the meantime, I hope you understand the creation of energy involves the reaction of growth energy vs. reproductive energy, even if you are doing it organically.

 

[Rayne]

Day 18: The Four Bases of Mineralized Soil (Part 1 of 2)

Soil is a marvelous and complex part of creation. Soil has been meticulously studied and written about from many perspectives. Beginning in the 1850's Russian scientists began to classify soils based on their various properties including geological origins. By 1900 United States scientists were significantly adding to the knowledge of soil science. From the 1920's-1950's Russian research on soil microbiology was at its pinnacle. With the honorable exception of Dr. William Albrecht, United States research and universities began focusing more on cultural practices that would profit agribusiness rather than raising the nutritional standard of the foods being produced.

Three notable pioneers consisting of Dr. Charles Northern, Dr. Carey Reams, and Albert Carter Savage, all working in the private sector, were greatly alarmed at the precipitous decline in the nutrient density of our foods and the disconnect between soil science and food quality. Each individual made significant contributions in defining a new type of soil. In contrast to classical soil science that observes soil properties in order to name and classify it, these three men looked at soil with a different goal--to craft it into a soil that produced therapeutic food fully capable of rebuilding human health. While others classified existing soils these three men created an optimum soil that I will refer to as mineralized soil.

Before looking at the properties of mineralized soil it is important to acknowledge the supporting role of two other scientists. Both made significant contributions. The first is Julius Hensel. Hensel is widely considered as the father of the soil mineralization movement. His work in Germany in the mid-to-late 1800's demonstrated the effectiveness of adding finely ground stonemeal as a soil amendment and fertilizer. His work has been recorded in his book Bread from Stones. This book deeply influenced the whole life-focus of Albert Carter Savage. Additionally, Hensel's section on the benefits of stonemeal on plants became the foundation that Dr. Reams used to develop his concept of brix and nutrient density. The other individual who made significant contribution to the concept of mineralized soil was Dr. William Albrecht. Albrecht proved over and over the supreme role calcium played. His work influenced Albert Carter Savage and hehad regular interaction with Dr. Reams.

Instead of looking at the specific contributions of each of pioneer I want to examine their unified concept of optimum soil. Mineralized soil has a specific outcome--to produce nutrient-dense food and animal feed well endowed with trace elements. To achieve this requires a properly functioning soil.

Mineralized soil has 4 basic areas that need to be addressed. To help group each area I have placed them on a diagram shaped like a baseball diamond. 1st base refers to Soil Energy, 2nd base to Foundational Minerals, 3rd base to Humus and Biology, and 4th base to Trace Elements.

Soil Energy

Soil energy refers to a soils ability to grow a crop and bring it to maturity. It also takes energy to digest limestone and other rock powders. Soil energy comes from the synchronization that occurs when various fertilizers come in contact with soil and/or other fertilizers. The energetic reaction that comes when fertilizers are applied to the soil can be measured with a conductivity meter and is read as micro Siemens/centimeter. Soil energy is greatly impacted be the amount and type of nitrogen in the soil. All soluble fertilizers will impact soil energy as will sodium, chloride, and other soluble trace minerals. It is interesting to note that while all three pioneers used organic products none of them renounced the use of selective commercial fertilizers. Why? Because it takes energy to grow a crop and break down rock powders and that is what fertilizers provide--concentrated energy. To create a mineralized soil requires a proper amount of foundational minerals that must be digested by soil biology and soil energy.

For all its problems, conventional agriculture does understand that it takes energy to grow a crop. For the most part conventional agriculture completely misses the importance of all the other bases and consequently does not grow quality food or animal feed. On the other hand many organic farmers suffer terribly in yield because their soil has inadequate energy. When plants are grown in low-energy soil they are not healthy. Rather they are low brix and susceptible to every passing insect and disease.

Typical products used to create soil energy are: calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, MAP, super phosphate, liquid fertilizers, and sea solids. For organics nothing beat high nitrogen fish and Chilean nitrate. Manures and compost will supply some soil energy as well.

 

[Rayne]

Day 18: The Four Bases of Mineralized Soil (Part 2 of 2)

Foundational Minerals

Foundational minerals refer primarily to adequate available calcium and phosphorous. While both calcium and phosphorous can be obtained in the form of commercial fertilizers, these fertilizers do not build a proper foundation to construct a mineralized soil. Very few soils are naturally endowed with adequate levels of foundational minerals. If the levels are insufficient then they must be supplied in the form of insoluble rock powders. These powders require both soil energy and soil biology to break down into an available form. Specific soil amendments used to build the foundational minerals include limestone, soft rock phosphate, and gypsum. Sadly, conventional agriculture almost entirely misses the need for foundational minerals. Instead they are content with a pH over 6.5 and a minimal amount of available phosphorous. Due to their strong focus on humus, organic matter, and biology most organic farmers are woefully short of calcium and many times short of phosphorous. The exception to this is on small areas with extreme application rates of compost or manure.

Foundational minerals are the backbone of establishing a mineralized soil. Available calcium plays a decisive role in determining the quantity of yield produced. It also plays a tremendous role in the health and quantity of plant roots. When soil has at least 2,000 lbs. of available calcium roots, rootlets, and fine root hairs abound. These fine root hairs are continually growing and sloughing off into the soil. This base exchange of root hairs stimulates soil bacteria and builds humus in the soil.

Soil well supplied with available phosphorous allows greater uptake of phosphorous into the plant. When this happens it causes an increase in the cycling of energy and nutrients via ATP and the Krebs cycle. This results in a greater energy capture via photosynthesis and higher brix readings. It also does something else. As plants produce more sugars they increase the amount of sugars in the plant root exudates. This increase of plant sugars better feed the soil bacteria symbiotically associated with the plant roots. As bacteria are better fed they digest more minerals out of the soil and make it available to the plant. In summary foundational minerals build the optimum environment soil biology needs to flourish. Foundational minerals are the "pre-natal" nutrition needed by soil biology.

Humus and Biology
Humus and biology refers to the living, breathing aspect of soil. As soil biology proliferates they leave behind organic residues or metabolites. These residues increase the humus content of soil. As they decompose these organic compounds give off carbon dioxide which plants use to produce carbohydrates and the cycle starts all over. While conventional agriculture has all but ignored this most important aspect of mineralized soil, many organic farmers have hailed it as the ultimate panacea with nothing else needed - thank you. Both of these approaches are incomplete.

Products used to increase humus in soil include: cover crops, green manures, compost, fresh or aged manures, dry humates and many more. Products used to stimulate soil biology include: microbial inoculants, liquid humates, compost tea, molasses, sugar, bio stimulants, enzymes, and many other proprietary products. There are a myriad of approaches on how to stimulate soil biology and increase humus. Many people become so enamored with increasing soil humus and biology that they neglect 1st and 2nd base. This leads to a soil with a fabulous "feel-good factor" but completely unable to produce high-brix foods.

The approach taken by the early pioneers was to apply some organic material mostly in the form of manures and then inoculate and stimulate the biology from that point on. As humus and biology increase in a mineralized soil they impact soil energy. Soil biology will create some energy and the humus will regulate that energy and generally even out the extremes. This explains why fully mineralized soils need less energy inputs i.e. soluble fertilizers.

Trace Elements

The final aspect of a mineralized soil is the addition of a plentiful supply of trace elements. These include the more commonly recognized elements such as boron, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc and the rarer elements such as chromium, molybdenum, nickel, iodine, vanadium, lithium, selenium, cobalt and many others. Products used to supply these minerals include the sulfates and chelates of the more common elements, seaweed, sea minerals, and various rock powders for broad spectrum trace elements.

Like a game of baseball you cannot get to fourth base without first passing the earlier bases. Trace elements bound up in rock powders require soil energy (1st base) and microbial digestion (3rd base) to release them. They also require a plant to have a good level of calcium (2nd base) in the plant in order to pull up the heavy trace minerals. Low brix plants (i.e. low calcium plants) are notoriously low in trace elements whereas high brix plants provide an abundance of trace elements.

Foods today are severely deficient in trace elements. This is the same complaint that prompted all three pioneers to take action in the 1930's. If it was so bad then how much worse is it now? Trace elements from food are a major supplier of nutrition for our internal organs. Additionally many metabolic pathways and enzymes are catalyzed or activated by trace elements. When the consumption of naturally chelated trace minerals from food declines, human health falters. Alleviating this is the ultimate goal of mineralized soil.

In summary the optimum food supply for people and animals should be grown on mineralized soil. This type of soil isn't to be found--it is crafted. By giving soil proper stewardship and learning from the wisdom of generations past we hold within our hands the power to help the generations yet to come and our own.

 

[Rayne]

Day 19: Rock Powders and Trace Minerals

A few years ago an Amish customer had his garden tested by International Ag Labs since he wanted to raise a high brix garden. Included in the fertility recommendations were 10 lbs. per 1,000 square feet of a finely ground rock powder to supply trace minerals.

His dealer had everything on hand except this one product. It was on back order so they made a plan. The first broadcast contained all the soil amendments and fertilizers except this one trace mineral powder. Two weeks later the trace mineral powder was applied--with one problem. A 6 foot swath in the center of the garden did not get the rock powder. What was the result? A 6 foot swath with:

• Shorter plants
  
• Poorer color
  
• Reduced yield

One little ingredient can make a big difference. Today's topic is something I passionately care about. Our foods are significantly short of trace elements and rare earth minerals. The more trace minerals are researched, the more we find biological functions critically dependent on them.

Since you have been reading this email series, you know that minerals are divided into either growth or reproductive energy. You also know that all trace minerals are reproductive.

The heavier an element, the less is needed for biological balance. The higher the atomic weight, the greater the energy it contains.

In other words, the reproductive energy of boron with an atomic mass of 10 versus iodine with an atomic mass of 126 is like the difference in gravitational pull on our moon versus the gravitational pull on Jupiter.

Since trace minerals are heavy and thus strongly reproductive, they need more growth energy to be made effective. In my last email, I listed trace minerals as being a 4th base sequence when crafting a soil.

If you want trace mineral rock powders to work, make sure you have a plentiful supply of available calcium (growth energy).

Trace elements support our:

• Immune system
  
• Organs
  
• Brain
  
• Enzymatic reactions

Trace minerals are very important in plant health as well. They help plants resist insect and disease pressure while coping with abiotic stresses such as drought, extreme heat and cold. New trace minerals are still being discovered as essential for plants. The most recent nutrient to obtain this recognition is nickel.

Rock powders are insoluble, but finely ground rock. Certain deposits contain a broad spectrum of nutrients that replenish to the soil 60 or more trace elements. The good news is that only small amounts are needed. Some of the rock powders that are rich in trace minerals include soft rock phosphate, ancient deposits of volcanic ash, and many proprietary products. I also like to use small amounts of seaweed flakes if it is affordable.

The strategy of using rock powders is to use them to supply the nutrients not reported on the soil test. In other words, we need to look beyond the soil test. As we recognize a biological need for rare earth elements, we look to various geological deposits to supply what our soils and foods need.

When an adequate supply and a broad spectrum of nutrients are in our soil and taken up into the foods we eat, our physiological need for these nutrients is satisfied and thus our health benefits.

Day 20: Stewards of the Earth

God is the basis of Life,
Life is the basis of Energy,
Energy is the basis of Matter.
~Carey Reams

As a teen, I had a voracious appetite and read any book I could find on soil and composting. I was excited to read in the Bible these words; "Noah, being a man of the soil, planted a vineyard." I was impressed--a patriarch from the Bible had such a passion for soil that it was mentioned in Genesis.

Later I discovered a treasure trove of books about soil published by Acres USA. As a teen, I subscribed to their magazine and started my serious education reading The Albrecht Papers.

Soon I was off to Bible college and then to India for 6 years. While serving on the mission field, I felt a strong drawing back to land and soil.

During a family furlough in the United States, I bought a number of books by leading consultants from Acres USA.
I knew I needed a mentor. I knew this was an important next step. As I read through these books by leading agricultural consultants, I prayed and asked for wisdom. Who should I learn from?

When I read Dan Skow's book "Mainline Farming for Century 21", something clicked. Dan mentioned the Creator by name; Jesus Christ! That really made an impression on me. I really appreciated the boldness and the lack of political correctness. After more prayer, I knew this was the place for me to learn about soil.

Later I wrote to Dr. Skow saying that I would like to be mentored in the ways of soil. I would like a job if possible, but if not, I would be coming anyway and find a job locally. Wendell Owens answered back saying they couldn't promise a job but I was welcome to come.

One year later in March of 2001 I returned to the States with family and walked right into a job with International Ag Labs. And the rest they say is history.

Twelve years have passed and I have a lot to be thankful for. As I contemplate my role here, I must express my deepest respect for the customers we serve; growers large and small.

You hold within your hands the health of your neighbor and the soil. You are the stewards of the earth. It is my joy to assist you in stewarding the earth.

It is my belief that God created the heavens and the earth and that mankind is made in God's image.
Out of creation arises a most beautiful concept; stewardship. I heard a great quote attributed to Native Americans;

"You didn't inherit the land from your ancestors--you are borrowing it from your children."

Four years ago I booked a domain www.farmingwithaconscience.com and just parked it for a better time. This may be that time.

If you are interested in looking together at the concept of earth stewardship, farming in the light of contemporary moral issues, and biblical principles relating to agriculture please let me know by clicking here.

 

[Rayne]

Day 21: Albrecht vs. Reams

William A. Albrecht was a giant in the field of biological agriculture. His impact on agriculture around the world can hardly be overstated. Dr. Albrecht had an early fascination with soil and studied it meticulously for 6 decades.

Albrecht worked in the university system as the head of the soils department at the University of Missouri. He stayed very focused to study nature and animal performance. These observations positively tied nutrition in the soil to profitability for the farmer and health to the consumers.

In this email I will be addressing the pros and cons of the Albrecht system. At the same time I highly encourage all serious students of soil to thoroughly study all 8 volumes of the Albrecht series. Volume 5, devoted to calcium, is particularly suggested just to drive home the importance of limestone and calcium.

Dr. Albrecht and Dr. Reams were contemporaries and friends. They enjoyed back and forth correspondence regarding soil and frequent visits by Dr. Reams to Missouri to visit Dr. Albrecht. In one of his recorded seminars Reams relates how one time Albrecht visited him in Florida and hired him for an entire week to teach him one on one about Reams Biological Theory of Ionization.

In one area Reams and Albrecht were very united. Both men held calcium in the soil of supreme importance. Albrecht looked at calcium as the king of nutrients. Reams looked at calcium as the primary growth energy element that all reproductive nutrients needed to react against in order to create energy for crop growth.

So what is the Albrecht system? Albrecht developed the concept of total exchange capacity. This really means how much holding capacity does the clay and humus fractions of soil have. When clay content is less, nutrient holding capacity is reduced. Holding capacity could be likened to "How big is your bucket." Albrecht also looked at how empty was the bucket. This represents hydrogen on the clay colloid instead minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium. Hydrogen on the clay is acidic and indicates a deficiency of cations. A final concept is the idea of proportion of cations on the clay colloid. This is called base saturation.

The basic approach in the Albrecht system is to fill the empty part of the bucket to nearly full with additional nutrients and end up with soil colloids having the following percentage of nutrients.

• Calcium 65-70%
  
• Magnesium 15-20%
  
• Potassium 5-10%
  
• Sodium ½ - 3%
  
• Hydrogen 5-10%

Other nutrients such as nitrogen, sulfates, phosphates and traces also need to be supplied. This is a useful concept and very quickly finds soils with extreme calcium deficiency. Many people have reported to me that following this approach has brought their yield and health of plants form very poor to acceptable. Some report good results.

The value of the Albrecht approach is that it is fairly easy to understand. Just create the ideal ratio of the cations on the clay colloid and supply the needed anions and now you have a balanced soil, plain and simple. The simplicity and logical approach has appealed to many people resulting in great popularity.

There are, however, several problems with the Albrecht approach;

• There is no concept of using soil conductivity to measure soil energy.
  
• Recommendations are based on soil holding capacity--and are not tailored to the crop being raised.
  
• There is no concept of certain crops requiring growth energy dominance vs. reproductive energy dominance and the use of specific fertilizers to bring this about.
  
• The Albrecht approach does not achieve the higher levels of brix and nutrient density. This is why contemporary followers of Albrecht avoid the topic.
  
• It can be very expensive and requires an extreme amount of nutrients to balance the soil.

It is interesting to note that even though Dr. Reams and Dr. Albrecht were friends, Dr. Reams rejected the base saturation test. Instead, Dr. Reams chose to promote the original Morgan test that looked only at plant-available nutrients. Why? Because Dr. Reams discovered that you cannot calculate energy based on total nutrients on the soil colloid--instead energy must be calculated on plant available nutrients or fully soluble minerals.

In short, the base saturation test is good. And for many people it is good enough. On the other hand...
"Good is the greatest enemy excellent ever had."

The downside of the Reams approach is that the concepts are harder to grasp, the fertility recommendations are not linear, and the whole idea of growing plants with energy is not understood by many growers or consultants. It most certainly does not jive with the university approach. On the positive side, the energy concept takes plants higher in production and quality. The Reams approach looks at all 3 foundational sciences--not just soil agronomy. We also include soil microbiology and crop physiology. This means recommendations include microbial inoculants, sugars, and biostimulants for the microbiology and foliar sprays to nutritionally feed plants directly through the leaves.

This more comprehensive view of growing a crop and the use of foliar sprays to supply growth or reproductive energy puts the Reams approach on a much higher plateau.

Are you finding value in these emails? If so what would you like to see after the 30 days are over?

Day 22: An Introduction to Foliar Sprays

One of our customers in the fruit growing region of Washington State owns a packing facility for apples. He also raises his own apples and other fruit. Our customer has discovered a secret to getting more boxes of fruit per bin of apple than any of his neighbors. So what is his secret? Simple; the secret of ½ ounce.

You see, nearly every apple weighs ½ ounce more than the standard weight for an apple of any given size. This causes a good number of apples to grade up one level in size. When a whole bin of apples are ½ ounce heavier, it adds up to an unbeatable record in the number of boxes per bin.

Just in case you are wondering--no he did not tweak his equipment to grade the apples heavier. The real secret is an aggressive foliar program to increase the calcium content in his apples.

One of the great teachings of Dr. Reams was foliar nutrition. With foliar sprays Reams found that a little could do a lot. The key is to know what "little" should be applied and when.

Dr. Reams, with Dr. Skow's help, taught several courses on the principles of foliar feeding plants.
So what are foliar sprays? Dilute nutrient sprays designed to coat plant leaves, penetrate the leaf, and enhance crop production and plant health.

Here's another way to look at foliar sprays; it is a command to the plant. With a foliar spray you can tell the plant what to do. For example in the garden program we have a reproductive spray called BrixBlaster. If it is sprayed on green beans in the afternoon in 24 hours you will observe numerous new blossoms and tiny green beans emerging from the blossoms. In this case BrixBlaster told the plants "make more green beans."

We do this same thing in soybeans by spraying with Bloomit and WayAhead 7X. They are both reproductive sprays.
Foliar sprays are used to:

• Provide growth/bulking energy... this is especially valuable in bulking fruit and vegetables
  
• Provide Reproductive energy... this is most useful with grains, flowers, and for fruits and vegetables at specific timing to trigger a change in physiology
  
• Provide trace minerals... foliar sprays are a fast way to get minerals into the plant by circumventing the root and xylem nutrient delivery system
  
• Provide calcium... remarkably useful if you want heavier apples

There are a few prerequisites that need to be met for foliar sprays to be effective.

• They must be soluble. This is where organics loses most of its options.
  
• They must penetrate the leaf. This is not an easy feat since leaves guard against this.
  
• They must be mobile in the plant.

The beauty of foliar sprays is that a small increase in plant nutrients can have a major impact in plant health and performance.
There are two common philosophies underlying most foliar spray programs. They are:

• Foliar spray deficient nutrients
  
• Foliar feed according to crop physiology

I will cover both of these approaches in an upcoming email. In the meantime what questions do you have about foliar sprays? I would like to do another question and answer session about foliar sprays.

 

[Rayne]

Day 23: Dr. Reams-- A Stalwart in Foliar Feeding

"Can you help me? If I don't get a crop this year I am facing bankruptcy. I have to harvest a crop from my cherry trees and they haven't been producing well."

"Perhaps--what is your fertility budget?"

"Not very much this year. Is there anything you can do to help?

R.K. was at the end of his rope. Not enough fertility in his soil, no budget, almost out of hope.

We had him spray a single ingredient with water that cost less than $2.00 per acre @ 1 ounce per acre. The only problem was that he got cheap and just sprayed every other row. This caused the foliar spray to cover half his trees.

You can guess what happened. Half the tree produced abundant cherries while the other side looked like a desert wilderness--no cherries. This is a classic illustration for foliar sprays;

A little can do a lot if you know how to use the little.

Nobody knew this better than Carey A. Reams. Dr. Reams was a master at using foliar sprays to demonstrate this principle.

You see, Dr. Reams... Oops--I keep hearing my readers say "Hey, you didn't tell us what he sprayed on the cherry trees." Actually I did that on purpose just to see if you are awake. It seems you are. I will reveal the ingredient before the end of this email. Where was I? Oh yes, Dr. Reams.

Dr. Reams had a unique approach to foliar spraying. He wanted to use a fogging mister that would shoot out a rolling stream of fog that would reach out 75 feet in either direction. Dr. Reams was so taken with the usefulness of foliar spraying that he suggested farmers make permanent driveways in their fields every 150 feet.

With a fogging mister and a very dilute nutrient solution Dr. Reams only wanted to apply 3-4 gallons of total solution per acre. He would always talk in terms of 100 gallon mixes. It would go something like this:

"To 100 gallons of water add 1 quart of food grade phosphoric acid, 1 pint of household ammonia, a few ounces of this, and just a pinch of lithium. You know corn needs just a little lithium, just a gram or two per acre."

He would explain how easy it can be to control bugs; just add a few ounces of tobacco juice in the foliar spray. Then he would suggest growing a little tobacco so you can squeeze the juice out. Tobacco juice supplied nicotinic acid--a deadly bug killer without having to buy pesticides.

One of the unique things Dr. Reams did was use radioactive isotopes and add them to foliar sprays to check how fast nutrients moved through the plant. His rough calculation was 6 inches a minute based on Geiger counter readings.
Dr. Reams had a lot of little tips about increasing the effectiveness of foliar sprays like this one.

"If you really want to make your foliar spray effective, spray it during an electric storm when lighting is riveting the sky from cloud to cloud. Just make sure you get off the field if the lightning starts coming to the earth."

We owe a lot to Dr. Reams and Dr. Skow for carrying the message to our generation.

So what did the cherry grower spray on his trees? Liquid B12. We still use it and it only costs 4 cents a mill. 30 mills is all you need per acre. It will set you back a whopping $1.20 per acre.

Cherries Not Guaranteed!

Day 24: Four Approaches to Foliar Feeding - Part 1

Dr. Reams frequently told his students, "I'm only in the first grade--you take this teaching to second grade."

Dr. Reams repeatedly emphasized the importance of phosphoric acid in a foliar spray and wished for a way to combine soluble calcium in the same solution. He theorized that this combination would revolutionize foliar feeding. This assertion never left Dan Skow's mind. Later as International Ag Labs was formed, Dan's partner, Wendell Owens, and a chemist worked on this problem for over a year and a half.

After many failures, they found they were able to combine calcium and phosphorous in a clear solution. Sadly, Dr. Reams had passed from the scene before this was accomplished. Within 10 years of his passing, International Ag Labs fulfilled his vision by combining calcium with phosphorous in a clear solution.

And Dr. Reams was right--it has revolutionized the way we foliar spray. This one concept took foliar feeding from first to second grade.

As I see it, here are the 4 approaches to foliar feeding.

1) The University Approach

This is basically a hit and miss approach that simply uses common liquid fertilizers or liquefies dry solubles such as potassium nitrate, MKP, or calcium nitrate. This is their basic approach--Spray 5-10 lbs. per acre, check against a control and here's what you find out: Foliar sprays don't pay and are not worth the trouble. Once in a while they could be helpful.

Of course they are way over applying nutrients or not understanding the basics of how to foliar spray. This approach does not mitigate burn damage on the leaf by using sugars and does not understand that it is far better to use a little in order to do a lot. Rather, it uses a lot to do little or none. In truth, a number of researches have passed beyond this level of understanding, but this approach is still very pervasive.

2) Ask the Plant

This method of foliar spraying is more orientated towards Reams' ideas and is quite advanced over the university approach. The basic idea is to brix plant leaves, make up your best guess of what a plant needs, then spray and wait ½ hour before brixing again. This approach "asks the plant" if the spray was good for it by seeing if the brix went up or down at the second reading.

Supposedly if it went down, the plant didn't like the spray combination, and if it went up, the plant is benefited. In my opinion this approach is way off base. It is not congruent with leaf function.

A leaf is very much like a warehouse; elements come in, get combined into something else, and then get shipped out to some other part of the plant. Nutrients, sugars, and proteins leave the leaf for the roots, fruits, etc.

A foliar spray that enhances leaf function could increase the transport of sugars out of the leaf and into the tomato for example. This is not negative even though the brix went down.

Keep your eye on the real goal--crop yield, quality, and nutrient density of the produce. The brix of leaves is only an interim step to this end.

The next two methods are both better approaches and will be covered in tomorrow's dispatch.

 

[Rayne]

Day 25: Four Approaches to Foliar Feeding - Part 2

Dr. Reams left a rule he was very insistent about. If you can grab its significance it will change the way you look at foliar feeding. Here's the rule:

Like substances attract each other.

This rule has confounded many educated people who already know that opposite charges attract each other. Reams' proof that this rule is correct is the deposit of gold that collects in veins in solid rock. These veins form over long periods of time, slowly attracting more gold to themselves.

Here's the application to foliar sprays. When you spray elements onto leaves, the nutrients can become part of the leaf. Let's use liquid seaweed as an example. It contains a small amount of copper. When copper is part of the leaf structure, the leaf will naturally attract very small amounts of copper to itself from the atmosphere. This is one of the reasons we want dilute nutrient solutions with a very broad spectrum of nutrients like humic and fulvic acids, and ocean products like seaweed or fish.

Following up from my previous email, the next method of foliar feeding is to do so...

3) According to Nutrient Deficiencies and Changing Circumstances

In this approach, plant tissue is analyzed to find nutrient deficiencies. Then a correcting foliar spray can be used. This approach is also used to respond to changing circumstances.

An example would be an early spring hail storm that physically damages 6 inch high corn. This creates massive stress on the young corn plants.

You could formulate a stress-reducing foliar spray to be sprayed on as soon as you can get in the field. Here is what I would use per acre:

• ¼ lb. Ascorbic Acid
  
• 1 pint RL-37
  
• 1 cup PGR
  
• 10-20 gallons of water

This spray will help plants deal with many kinds of stress; such as hail, cold, heat, and drought.

For mineral deficiencies, you can use a multiple-mineral foliar spray, like Way Ahead 7X or 10X. Another way is to single out the most deficient trace mineral and add that nutrient into the regular spray program based on crop physiology.

Targeting fewer nutrients seems to be more effective than targeting all the deficient nutrients. Just pick the most deficient nutrient. Surprisingly, you will find that while you only addressed one mineral, other deficient mineral came up without being applied. Well-made foliar sprays can increase root exudates, thus better supporting soil microbiology. This, in turn, mobilizes more nutrients out of the soil that can correct leaf deficiencies. After a month, do another plant tissue analysis and repeat the foliar spray.

4) Foliar Spray According to Crop Physiology

The last approach to foliar feeding is to look at what the crop already wants to do. Then trigger this same response by foliar feeding.

The beauty of this approach is that since the physiology of a crop is already known, an entire foliar program can be laid out ahead of time. This eliminates a lot of guess work, and can become the framework to build the foliar program around. Let's take a few examples.

Soybeans want to make soybeans. They switch their physiology from vegetative growth to reproductive energy when day length shortens after June 15th. From this time on, we foliar spray soybeans with a strong reproductive foliar spray to increase pod set and yield. This same strategy works on tomatoes, green beans, and okra.

This approach became more prominent once we developed Amaze, our clear liquid with calcium and phosphorus. We found that a systematic spray with calcium really increases fruit and vegetable quality. The key is to be systematic.

Use a calcium/phosphorus spray for fruits and vegetables. Use a reproductive spray for grain crops to increase yield. I think the overall best strategy for foliar feeding is to set out a systematic foliar program based on crop physiology, and then add in additional nutrients and additional sprays to deal with deficiencies and changing circumstances.
Results from this approach has been very rewarding to growers.

Day 26: IAL's Program for Backyard Gardens

Craig Turnboom has been on the High Brix Garden program for over 5 years. Before starting on the program he already knew the value of soil mineralization. He had applied taconite, a by-product from the iron ore industry, several times with good effect.

Craig has been using the garden program on his vegetable garden and on his red raspberry patch. He reports a consistent improvement on the flavor and brix readings of his raspberries.

"When I started the program my raspberries were brixing at 4. The 2nd year they were 6 brix. The 3rd year the raspberries brixed 8. I made a batch of raspberry wine from the 8 brix berries. Last year they measured 10 brix and higher."

Craig labeled the wine Royal 8 Brix Raspberry. This year he gave me a bottle. Since I am writing this email at home I decided this would be the perfect time to have a glass while I write, thanks to Craig. The flavor is more sweet than tart with a great taste. Other raspberry wines I have tasted were more tart than sweet with less flavor. Craig tells me his wine is a little deceptive because while it is smooth, sweet, and mellow it is actually fairly potent in alcohol content from the higher sugars.

International Ag Labs offers a custom garden program tailored specifically for your soil. In the High Brix Garden program our objective is to increase your health. To accomplish this, we use the food you raise as a delivery mechanism to provide "more nutrients per bite." We also want to see a broader spectrum of nutrients per bite. Let's not forget taste--so much of today's fruit and vegetables lack flavor. By restoring the mineral and energy balance in the soil great things happen in food. As Craig can testify, flavor is greatly improved.

One important component of food that makes a striking impact on flavor is the amount of trace minerals present in the food. The more mineral salts contained in the food, the less the food needs "doctoring" at the stove with salt, sugar, and butter.

Trace minerals greatly impact...

• Immune Function
  
• Organ Health
  
• Enzymatic Reactions

The high brix garden process is pretty straight forward.

1) Soil Test Yearly. The goal in the garden program is to move minerals out of the soil and into food. This is why we need to check nutrient levels every year as we optimize toward ideal.

2. Prescribe Needed Nutrients. We need dry nutrients for the broadcast, drenches for energy, and foliar sprays for nutritional enhancement and higher yield.

3) Acquire the Liquid and Dry Nutrients. These are available from one of our garden dealers who can custom mix the nutrients your garden needs and who stock the liquids as well.

The high brix garden program is an exclusive program based on the IAL soil test and a full line of proprietary liquids and some proprietary dry products. It is not a general program and there is a very important reason for this. Our success goes up dramatically when we have control over all aspects of the garden program. This is why I strongly suggest you get your dry broadcast mixed by one of our dealers.

Compared to fruit most vegetable crops are heavy feeders on soil nutrients especially for calcium, potassium, and trace minerals.

The basic strategy we employ in the garden program is to aggressively build calcium and phosphorous availability if they are low. We also provide energy by using selective commercial fertilizers such a calcium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, 11-52-0, potassium sulfate, and sulfate trace minerals. The next thing added in the broadcast are soil amendments if needed--limestone, soft rock phosphate, and gypsum.

An important group in the broadcast is trace minerals from broad-spectrum rock powders. This is where we use Geo-Cal, TMB, ReMin, kelp meal, and sea solids. Lastly it is essential to use microbial inoculants. Microbes light the fuse so to speak. This is accomplished by Eden in the broadcast and Z-Hume with the drenches.
Some principles we follow in making fertility recommendations are:

• Do not apply what is already excessive
  
• Apply what is needed
  
• Have patience--You can only accomplish so much in one year
  
• Some soils need a lot of minerals, some much less
  
• Do not apply compost if potassium is excessive

Some common experiences from our customers include:

• Substantial yield increases
  
• Flavor improves
  
• Disease pressure goes way down

International Ag Labs has been offering our garden program since 2005. Since then we have seen our customer base spread all over the United States. Backyard gardens have been growing in popularity because people want more nutritious food.

Just be careful with high brix raspberry wine!

 

[Rayne]

Day 27: A Biological Approach to Farming

International Ag Labs has been working with row crop farmers since its founding. Our motto is:

A Biological Approach to Farming.
This is not just a motto--it's how we help farmers.

A biological approach to farming encourages farmers to move away from toxic farming practices and toward a biological approach. What does that mean? First - use nutrition as the first line of defense against disease. Second - consider eliminating GMO seeds. This is the first step toward biological farming.

Three years ago International Ag Labs began selling non-GMO corn and bean seeds, not because we wanted to get into the seed business but rather to offer our customers a choice. Here is a typical response: On the first year a new customer may buy a few bags to compare against traited genetics. The next year they buy most of their seeds as non traited. The 3rd year all their land is planted with non-GMO seeds.

Why did all the refuge corn get mixed with traited corn? Because in many cases the refuge corn outyielded the traited corn. This is what our customers are finding out planting conventional hybrids--they make more profit planting conventional hybrids.

The bottom line metric in farming is profit per acre - not bushels per acre.

So what is the International Ag Labs program for row crops? We look at your crop, equipment, and budget to customize a fertility program that's right for you. It starts with a soil test. Most times it includes a broadcast of NPK + sulfates, calcium, and trace minerals.

We have found that addressing the calcium to magnesium ratio is very important. If the ratio is very narrow/low it takes more nitrogen to achieve the same yield. In other words, when the cal/mag ratio is in line, nitrogen costs will be less.

This is particularly important on crops that require more nitrogen.

The next aspect we promote is a starter program. In the starter program we want to see a 100% ortho phosphate combined with a small dose of zinc and manganese. To this is added a carbohydrate source, biostimulates, and live biology to interact with emerging roots.
Af
ter the seedlings emerge, it is important to monitor overall soil energy with a conductivity meter. As long as readings are in the 500-800 micro Siemens per centimeter, there is enough energy to adequately respond to foliar sprays, grow a crop, and make a harvest. If conductivity is lower than this, you need to apply a liquid sidedress for corn or broadcast a 100 lb. dry mix for soybeans.

As a side note, here is a rule from International Ag Labs:

Always use 2-3 lbs. of dextrose in every foliar application.

Dextrose enhances the effectiveness of foliar nutrient penetration into the leaf.

May your crops and fields yield abundantly this year,

Day 28: Poof...From Palest Pink to Deepest Reds...How Did He Do That?

Duane H. had a problem. He had planted a variety of strawberry called Jewel. On the outside it might look like a jewel but on the inside it was plain ugly. It had no coloring. The problem was that nobody wanted to buy this variety. Instead, they always preferred varieties with a deep red center.

That's when he made a serendipitous discovery. Within 12 hours of foliar feeding his Jewel strawberries with Amaze, the center core turned to brilliant red--and they sold like hotcakes.

Just one problem... after 3 days they were back to ugly on the inside.

My recommendation: Those strawberries need Amaze sprayed every 3 days.

International Ag Labs has been working heavily with commercial fruit production ever since we developed Amaze.

Fruit production is a little different from other crops. Fruit is composed mostly of juice and carbon compounds. It is not nearly as rich in earth minerals (ash content) as are vegetables. As a result, the amount of minerals fruit crops pull from the soil is much less than is needed for forages, grains, or vegetable crops. I once worked out that an 80 bin apple crop only requires 100 lbs. of earth minerals from the soil.

The fruit program we promote starts with a soil test. By now you must have read "starts with a soil test" quite a few times. Following that, we make recommendations for a broadcast of minerals.

Because fruit pulls so little minerals from the soil, it needs significantly less nutrients to maintain a healthy soil. The key is to first get a fully mineralized soil.

When it comes to monitoring soil energy with a conductivity meter, it is optional, but not required, as long as you are following the program from the soil test. In grains and vegetable crops the conductivity meter is your number one tool. In fruit trees especially it is minimally used.

While conductivity takes a lesser role in fruit production, there is one aspect that is massively increased in importance--foliar feeding. I would even go so far as to say this is the most important aspect.

A systematic foliar program will build energy in the plant and quality in the fruit.

There is a catch to that last statement; it needs to be an effective calcium spray that is applied.

May I formally introduce you to Amaze? It is a peerless foliar spray that contributes more to taste, keeping quality, and yield than any other spray I am aware of.
It does this by meeting the 3 prerequisites of an effective foliar spray:

• Solubility
  
• Penetration
  
• Mobility

And Amaze does this with calcium in tow. The purpose of Amaze is to build calcium in the cell wall of fruit. By foliar feeding Amaze, we enhance the fruit without relying on the roots and the xylem system to do all the work.

Foliar feeding fruit with Amaze gives great return on investment. We have found that more frequent lighter doses work better than less frequent heavier doses. As I mentioned in an earlier email, it makes heavier apples when applied this way.

I forgot to mention something else about Amaze--we export. Contact me if you are interested.

Here is a typical program per acre to use Amaze weekly:

• 2 quarts of Amaze
  
• 1 quart of PGR
  
• 3 lbs. of Dextrose

Water as needed depending on plant size

An even better approach is to cut the rates in half, except for the water, and spray twice as frequent. I would also suggest experimenting with WakeUp Summer to see if it gives additional response.

In summary the International Ag Labs program for fruit production is:

• Soil Test Yearly
  
• Apply broadcast and drip line nutrients
  
• Spray like crazy

Until you have actually done this you can't imagine how productive and flavorful your fruit can be.

 

[Rayne]

Day 29- I Wouldn't Be So Foolish As To Try

Dr. Reams was once asked if he had ever raised tomatoes in a greenhouse. His succinct answer has made me laugh many times.

"I wouldn't be so foolish as to try."

The more experience I get helping growers in this area, the funnier his response becomes. Reams understood completely how challenging it is to successfully grow tomatoes in a greenhouse. The longer it is done in the same location, the more difficult it becomes.

Growing vegetables, especially mixed vegetables, as is done by smaller operations such as CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) is a real job. It is not an easy task. Vegetable growers have my highest respect. Many in society completely miss how hard you work. Thank you.

Back in 2005, I started High Brix Gardens on my own in a vacant machine shed in response to the many requests I got from individuals asking for sources of nutrient dense foods. As I became one of the owners of International Ag Labs, the garden program was merged into IAL and really took off.

As the backyard garden program took off, many greenhouse and market gardens looked to IAL to help them grow superior food for their customers.

During this time, I developed an interesting concept that has gone around the world. Dr. Reams gave a principle that the greatest way to produce energy was to react growth energy against reproductive energy. I adapted this principle to the practice of fertigation. The first fertigation supplies growth energy, the second reproductive energy. These are alternated back and forth to create soil energy.

Here is a diagram showing various types of growers and the main components in the operation where they meet. I designated how intensively the grower must manage that aspect to be successful. M is for Moderately Intense, H is for High Intensity, VH is for Very High Intensity, and EI is for Extreme Intensity.

As you can see, producers of forages, grains and fruit all have one area that must be managed with high intensity. The other areas must be managed as well, but can be done with moderate intensity.

When you drop down to vegetable production, all areas require high intensity management except energy; that requires very high intensity. The only operation more intense is greenhouse production. Here everything requires very high intensity management except energy. This area requires extreme intensity, 1-2 times monitoring and fertigation. It can get pretty crazy. This is why Reams wouldn't try it. He was obviously very smart but I can't say the same thing for some of his followers.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Bro, i'd say this belongs in the hydroponic section unless your foliar is organic.
And there are easier ways to sell this than to make a gigantic post that no stoner will read.
Just my 2 cents.
broheim, Bro-stafario, bro-stafandangglio...

 

[DonBrennon]

Bro, i'd say this belongs in the hydroponic section unless your foliar is organic.
And there are easier ways to sell this than to make a gigantic post that no stoner will read.
Just my 2 cents.
broheim, Bro-stafario, bro-stafandangglio...

Great way to start a thread " don't bother asking any questions", don't worry pal, not interested anyway

 

[Rayne]

For anyone who is capable of understanding...I am just passing information along. Those who are secretly intrested will read the information and may seek more information from the quoted source.