Plant Mineral Nutrition
Plant Mineral Nutrition (For The 21st Century)
We approach the 21" Century on an overpopulated planet; our natural resources strained or lost, we face a rapidly increasing need for improved methods of agricultural production. We've developed technologies to meet an explosion of needs here on planet Earth, and even the means to perform research beyond Earth throughout our Solar System and into deep Space.
Yet despite this amazing technical prowess, our understanding of plants and their needs has not progressed as far as many other technologies have. One reason is that biological systems are in fact very complex with many interrelated factors, some clearly apparent, others subtle and hard to detect, measure or affect.
As a by-product of war in the 20th Century, the discovery that nitrates could be synthesized for explosives led to the discovery of modern chemical based fertilizers. Simply, the Germans learned how to produce Ammonium Nitrate. This had the effect of rapidly increasing our ability to grow huge crops which then led to an enormous human population explosion. An unfortunate byproduct of this technology was the poisoning of soil and water from salt accumulation, aggravated with accumulations of pesticides and numerous other chemicals in soils, water and air.
Is it Organic?
Today we are experiencing a backlash with a rapidly growing trend in favor of "organically" grown produce. This is good in that it represents a growing awareness by the more ecologically conscious population groups that damage to the ecosystem is unacceptable. It does not address the greater problem of how to feed five billion humans trapped together on a tiny planet. In fact, organically cultivated crops are no more nutritious or even free from toxins than crops grown conventionally following a proper protocol.
Organic regulations require fertilizing materials to be derived from unrefined sources and the result can surprisingly, be an accumulation of toxic elements and organic pathogens in the crop. This may seem shocking or unbelievable but unrefined mineral ingredients can contain some horrible substances: heavy metals, radionuclides, and aggressive salts.
Ingredients derived from animal wastes: manure, blood, bone, hoof, horn and feather meals and body parts from fish, poultry and mammal carcasses can introduce horrible pathogens and undesirable microbes into the crop. We hear with increasing frequency of people becoming infected and even dying from exposure to cryptosporidium, amoebae, bacteria and a host of other infectious agents which are often tracked back to unsanitary agricultural practice, many based upon 'organic' methods.
The 'organic' method is in fact not natural, its just another way that mankind uses to modify the natural world. 'Natural' is an old growth forest, a swamp or desert; free of man's manipulation
From a growing plants point of view it makes no difference if nutrients come from organic' or refined sources. The. nutrients which enter the plant through the roots are tiny charged particles, Ions. They can be provided directly to the plant through the fertilizer stream from refined mineral salts, or from organic sources where a complex series of natural events based upon symbiotic relationships between microorganisms and the plant occur. The microorganisms break down large complex organic molecules into tiny ions for the plants benefit. There are organic compounds which have proven beneficial to plants when added to the nutrient stream including seaweed derivatives, enzymes and hormones. These act much like the synthetic chelating compounds delivering ions to the roots and modifying the nutrient solution by buffering and chelating.
Large organic molecules cannot cross the root boundary. For example, the chelating compounds which are used to carry metals including iron, manganese, zinc and copper to the root boundary are not absorbed by the plant. The chelate delivers its passenger to the root boundary and after the elements (iron, manganese, zinc, copper, etc.) are absorbed, the chelating compound goes in search of another metal to grab and deliver.
There are a number of different chelating compounds available with different abilities. Different pH ranges, affinity for different metals, and different bond-strengths can be combined to create fertilizer blends which offer longer-term stability. Chelating compounds can not only deliver the passenger to the roots; they can also hold back the nutrient elements in the case of an excess. This is powerful chemistry and very complex. In order to develop our original "FloraMicro," our chemist, Dr. Cal Herrmann used a Cray computer at NASA to perform very complex calculations.
It's interesting that these chelates are the most complex synthesized ingredients used to formulate fertilizers, and their use is permitted under 'organic' regulations because nothing else will do the job in the event of a micro-nutrient deficiency. Said differently, organic regulations allow the most complex ingredient from the modern fertilizer ingredient list to be used; but not the simpler refined or purified macro-nutrients from which NPK and secondary nutrients are derived.
Hydroponics for better control
Fortunately we have, in the past thirty years, made good progress in developing alternative methods to soil based agriculture. Hydroponics is simply the cultivation of plants in the absence of soil, and usually with less water and fertilizer than required by modern soil based agriculture. Hydroponic research is supported by the governments of most technologically advanced countries with the knowledge that hydroponics has demonstrated that superior produce can be grown in less area and with less impact on natural systems of soil, air and water. We hope the beneficiaries of this research will include the huge populations of developing regions such as Asia and Africa since they will ultimately place the greatest stress upon our planet's eco-systems.
Hydroponic technologies, and there are several methods which fall under the greater definition of "Hydroponic," share several factors in common, the most important being the nutrients dissolved in water which feed the plants. We think first about the elements which are essential to enable plants to grow. We think next about the unwanted materials which may come along for the ride when we choose sources, or ingredients, to formulate mixes for hydroponic cultivation. The contaminants can include: heavy metals, undesirable salts, organic materials which can invite plant pathogens and microbes which may populate the nutrient stream and infect the crop or compete with the crop for nutrition, or any number of other unnecessary or undesirable materials which have no functional place in the hydroponic environment,
What the label doesn't tell you
Throughout the world, governments have written regulations, which define what can and can not be stated on a fertilizer label. Fertilizer laws also regulate materials which can and can not be used in fertilizer blends. Generally these laws were written to regulate fertilizers used for soil based agriculture. In some cases the laws are antiquated, reflecting the sensitivity of analytical equipment and its ability to detect levels of elements in fertilizer blends at the time the laws were written, often in the 1950's. Consequently, regulations often prohibit manufacturers from listing certain elements in a nutrient blend because the levels are below the detection limit of the equipment in use when the regulations were written. Copper is a good example of a border line element for label declaration, where a correct amount for hydroponic use is less than label laws allow.
Other elements recently discovered to be useful to plants grown hydroponically may not be declared because their value has not been recognized by the bureaucrats who write fertilizer laws. Examples include: selenium germanium, chromium, lithium and a long list of other elements, plentiful in nature and in soils and available to plants growing in many soils; but not provided by most fertilizers. Fertilizer manufacturers could include these elements and simply not list them on the label, but very few do. This is usually because the fertilizer manufacturer is unaware of the value of these elements, or doesn't know how to provide them in an available form, or in an appropriate amount, or at the right time for a growing, flowering or fruiting crop.
Some fertilizer manufacturers may add all kinds of elements, some good and some harmful, to a fertilizer blend and simply not mention on the label that these elements are present. In fact, most label laws do not specify that manufacturers must actually put the quantity declared of a material into the bottle, the laws simply require that the listed element is present in not less than the declared amount. This means that the fertilizer manufacturer may choose to put much more of an ingredient into a fertilizer product than the label says is present. The only two elements that generally cannot be significantly over the declaration are Ammonia and Molybdenum
This means that consumers cannot rely on label declarations to calculate the amounts or ratios of elements in a blend. The label may say : 10 - 15 - 20, but the actual content may be anything over 10 - 15 - 20. It is common practice for a manufacturer to put a little more into the product than listed on the label, but not a lot more. This is to prevent the manufacturer from being penalized if a sample fails a government test. There's little point in doubling the quantity of an ingredient unless deception is the intent of the manufacturer.
The bottom line is that consumers cannot rely upon laws and regulations to fully inform them of the content of a fertilizer blend. Consumers cannot rely upon regulators to write laws which support the most recent discoveries of the minerals which make plants grow and produce superior fruit, vegetables and flowers; and fulfill the qualities of flavor, fragrance and nutrition.
Growing superior plants
Today we have analytical equipment that enables us to analyze plant tissue samples and to calibrate nutrient blends to make a better fertilizer, this enables us to enhance desired crop characteristics. We can affect flavor, nutrition, fragrance and an entire spectrum of other characteristics with calibrated nutrient blends. But to do this we, must go beyond the classic definitions of fertilizers, their constituents and their intents.
Many kinds of plants are cultivated for compounds that are the by-products of stress. For example many of the finest culinary herbs reach their highest quality when grown in nutritionally deficient soils. If we choose to grow these herbs hydroponically then we need to simulate the deficient soil with nutrients, growing media or a unique watering cycle; or a combination of these and other factors.
To succeed at this strategy it is essential to avoid introducing undesirable variables. Ultra-pure ingredients must be used An exacting evolution of the nutrient mix must accompany the plant through the different stages in its life cycle. At times the nutrient blend will be gentle and not stress the plant, later the nutrient may challenge the plant and stimulate the plant to generate defensive compounds; these compounds are often the products the grower seeks. Years of research has been invested by universities, national laboratories private and public research facilities and the skills of excellent growers to learn how to grow superior crops.
Working with published as well as private data sources, we at General Hydroponics have worked for decades to create superior nutrient products. We pioneered the concept of the multi-part, or building-block nutrient system; today the most imitated, though never successfully duplicated, fertilizer protocol in the hydroponic industry. We first demonstrated evolutionary formulation, where a grower can alter the nutrient mix in harmony with the changing needs of a crop, going from its youth to sexual maturity. Our "Flora" nutrients have achieved worldwide acclaim for the power and flexibility which "Flora" brings to growers.
Today we are concentrating on nutrient products that will enhance the special qualities of crops grown for unique characteristics. In vegetables this means flavor and nutrition. In flowers it can mean color, fragrance, and vase life. In herbs, it can mean essential oils; and in medicinal plants it means pharmaceutical compounds,
There is a strong public interest in alternative medical approaches to diseases which include homeopathy, herbal medicine (the Chinese have been practicing for thousands of years) and aroma-therapy. By adapting fertilizers to better enhance these characteristics in plants, better crops can be grown. There's more to this then just NPK. It's one thing to grow a big plant, it's another to grow a superior plant. Our aim is to grow big, superior plants, very rapidly.
We know that superior produce comes from a number of factors:
- Plant genetics - great plants come from great parents, variety is the first key.
- Environmental factors - Light, water quality, temperature, humidity, Carbon Dioxide and abundant Oxygen are key factors that affect crop quality.
- Grower skill - Experience can make the difference between success and failure.
- A clean growing environment -- air and water which is pure and free from pathogens and toxins.
- Hydroponic technology or excellent quality soil.
- The nutrient blend - this is what plants absorb and most directly really makes them grow. Numerous qualities are affected in a crop by the nutrient delivered to roots, whether growing hydroponically or in soil. This is also an area where the grower can most directly affect the quality of his crop by choosing and using a superior nutrient product and protocol.
This is a very powerful nutrient product and is not a good choice for some kinds of delicate or long-lived plants. For rapidly growing annuals and for tough perennials which can take stress, ERVA is the perfect nutrient. Four liquid concentrates can be mixed together to meet specialized needs. The foundation is the micro-nutrient concentrate called "Atoms." Blended with the other concentrates "Vigorous," "Enhancer" and "Ripen," ERVA enables the grower to modify the nutrient constantly to follow the crop through its life cycle. Ending with "Ripen," a crop is pushed into a more powerful sexual-reproduction mode where harvest characteristics of flavor, nutrition and essential-oil development are enhanced.
As an analogy consider the humble oyster. In an ordinary environment the oyster grows, reproduces and proliferates happily. Introduce a grain of sand, which irritates the oyster; and the oyster creates a pearl. The key is to stimulate the oyster in just the right way, and the result is something immensely valuable. So too, a skilled grower can stimulate plants to reach a higher level of quality and generate produce, which is much more valuable. The growers choice of nutrient is the easiest factor for the grower to control, and may be the most influential on the quality of the crop. ERVA is designed for this grower.
At General Hydroponics the quality of our products is the direct product of the talents of our staff and facilities. We have nearly 40 employees working at our California and French production facilities, Our facilities include three commercial greenhouses totaling nearly 20,000 square feet (almost 1/2 acre under glass). We also farm nearly 10 acres in the soil, both organically and following conventional soil methods. We are able to test plant varieties in the soil and then test them in the greenhouses, this enables to evaluate varieties for flavor and then improve upon the desired characteristics in the hydroponic greenhouses,
Dr. Cal Herrmann, our Chief Chemist received his Masten Degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1957. He went on to work as a Pharmaceutical Chemist in 1960s. In the late 1960s and early 1970s he worked for NASA and went on to higher education, receiving his Doctorate in 1974 in ElectroChemistry from the Sorbon, at the University of Paris; one of the most highly acclaimed Universities in the world. He then went on to work as a research scientist at the University of California at Berkeley in the Water Technology Center until the mid 1980s. He began working at General Hydroponics in the mid 1980s and developed the "Flora" formulas in 1998. He then accepted a position at the NASA Ames research center to design water purification technology for long term space flight specifically Earth to Mars flights which were scheduled for the 2020s. Dr. Hermann returned to full time work at General Hydroponics in the early 1990s. Dr Herman's primary focus has been the development of the new ERVA line of nutrients which will soon be released following several years of testing in General Hydroponics facilities as well as outside research facilities.
Lawrence Brooke, the company founder and President graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1974 and went on to work for eight years at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in the fields of Nuclear Chemistry, Accelerated Particle Physics, Fusion Energy Research, Soler and Geothermal Energy Conversion. As a member of the Mechanical Engineering Department, he was a minor support member to a Physics Project which won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978.
Joe Terry Smith, our General Manager, received a degree from Vanderbilt University in the 1960s in Chemical Engineering. He went on to receive a Masters Degree from the University of California in Plant Physiology in the 1970s. His area of specialty was Etiology and Viticulture.
A recent addition to our Scientific staff is Doug Kraut, who holds a Masters Degree in Microbiology. He, has worked for 30 years in pharmaceutical manufacturing. He oversees quality control and performs regular microbiological testing on our products and facilities.
Henry Rie is our senior Mechanical Engineer. Retired from the University of California at Berkeley, he has had nearly fifty years of experience as an engineer working in a huge number of scientific and technological fields. He designed rocket engines for General Electric in the 1950's and hydroponic systems at General Hydroponics in the 1980s and 1990's. A remarkable gentleman with an enormous spectrum of skills and experience.
Our farm manager, Jose Vasquez developed a reputation as one of the finest organic vegetable farmers in our region, Sonoma County, California. He joined us with a certain measure of skepticism about the value of hydroponics as a means for growing better vegetable crops. After two years experience with us he is amazed by the power hydroponic technology offers. He still farms nearly 20 acres organically during the Spring and Summer but he carefully maintains the hydroponic greenhouses year-round and is now a convert. He knows that the hydroponic produce is equal, if not superior, to the organically grown. Out clients, gourmet restaurants and upscale grocery stores prefer the hydroponic tomatoes, basil, peppers, cucumbers and salad-greens.