Your guide to sustainable agriculture

HOW MODERN AG PRODUCTS BUILD THE BIOLOGY OF THE SOIL

Dr. Robert Ellsworth, one of the scientific minds available to Modern Ag Products of Bountiful, Utah, summarizes his approach to agriculture.

The MAP program begins by rebuilding the biological health of the soil. Many types of micro and macro organisms live in the soil in an interdependent situation. When one becomes unbalanced it adversely affects others. The higher the number of micro organisms in a related balance to each other that exist in a soil, the more rapid and more complete the cycle of rollover of plant nutrients from old organic tissue to new growing tissue.

The first step to rebuilding is inoculation with MAP BioBase or SoilCure. These are liquids containing large numbers of soil related micro organisms. When the solution and carried organisms contact the organic matter in the soil they begin the orderly breakup of the complex substances contained therein. As the procedure continues, they multiply in number dramatically, thus increasing their activity until the organic matter is returned to a condition suitable for assimilation by growing plants. Thus they release many of the elements contained in molecules that improve the ability of the root to absorb them. (Example: It is estimated that 40% to 70% of the phosphorus used by a plant is in the organic state.)

A good "healthy" soil contains up to 14 billion bacteria, 560 million actinomycetes and 28 million fungi per ounce of soil. Most soils are less than 15% of optimum micro organism numbers. Some tilled soil is totally lacking in one or another of these organisms. With numbers near the optimum level it is estimated that 60% to 80% of the organic matter in soil will be turned to humus which is the slow release reservoir of plant nutrients. The remainder will become unusable forms (humin). At low micro organism levels of activity less than 20% of the organic matter returns to the reusable form.

If a soil has 2% organic matter and a plow layer of 1 acre weigh 2,000,000 pounds, we have 40,000 pounds of organic matter, if the organic matter is 2% nitrogen we have the potential of 800 pounds of nitrogen being released to subsequent crops. When we have low micro organism activity at 20% breakdown level we would be able to use 40 pounds of this nitrogen (N). However, when we increase the level of activity of micro organisms be inoculation we can get 60% or more release - thus a possible release of 450 pounds or more of (N). This holds true for all of the elements contained in plant residue.

The process of build-up is a slow process but the quantity of organic matter contained in a soil is related to the level of micro organism activity and the level of micro organism activity is related to many factors such as: the balance of organisms to each other, the level of plant residue available, the amount and type of tillage used, the water availability, etc. Each of these phases is somewhat interdependent.

1. Decomposition of soil organic matter with subsequent release of elements contained.
2. Formation of humus for slow release of elements.
3. Formation of organic substances that improve the physical properties of soil.
4. Release of insoluble matter.
5. Fixation of nitrogen.
6. Improvement of plant health and growth by Mycrrhizal activity.
7. Antagonistic effect against plant pathogens.

1. Release of plant nutrients to growing tissue.
2. Improvement of soil properties.
3. Aiding micro-nutrients release to plants.
4. Aiding solubilization of nutrients from insoluble minerals.
5. High absorptive capacity and release for nutrients.
6. Increased buffer capacity within the soil.
7. Absorption of heat by dark color.
8. Creation of other component that can promote plant growth.
9. Support of the micro organism population.
10. Reduction of the toxicity of toxic substances from natural as well as manmade sources.
11. Increase in water holding and release capacity.

The conditions under which many seeds are produced leave the soil lacking in one or more of the basic elements. When these elements are not available next to the seed in the soil, the seeding suffers deficiency which may contribute to disease susceptibility and ultimately death of the plant. ROOTMAX supplies small amount of these essential elements near the seed to aid in plant health. In addition, organisms are present to begin a healthy Mycorrhizal zone around the new root tips. It is thought that Mycorrhizal aide the plant in obtaining minerals needed in its growth cycle.

The program of checking the health of plants by tissue testing is well established. When deficiencies are detected they can, in most cases, be corrected by foliar applications of the needed elements to the leaf tissue. The uptake of the applied material depends on the form of the element applied. Fertilizer salts have been widely used with some degree of success. However, greater results have been obtained by using the elements in a chelated form.

The Modern Ag Products system utilized organic chelating agents that are produced by living organisms. These agents have different properties than the EDTA chelates. The quantities needed to correct a deficiency are relatively small when compared to the need for salts or soil applied elements. Health and yield of crops are frequently improved with judicial use of the MAP Foliar Feeding Program.