minerals and microbes

A Soil Balance Planfor the Tropics

Microbial and Cation Balance

General Steps for SuccessGeneral Steps for SuccessIn Tropical SoilsIn Tropical Soils

1. Start a Microbial health program 2. Start composting3. Remineralize 4. Meet Fertilizer needs5. Soil Test6. Balance Cations7. Balance nutrients

Three aspects of soil fertility

(mechanical) Good Soil Structure

Three aspects of soil fertility

Micr

obial

hea

lth

Balanced Nutrients

Humus from

Organic matter

Reams Theory

Of Ioniza

tion

CEC

Base Saturation

Albrecht

Method

Dr. Tiro HigaDr. IngramDr. Albrecht

(mechanical)

(chemical) (b

iolo

gica

l)

Good Soil Structure

Soil ComponentsGood Soil Structure

1860 Law of the Minimum

•Justus von Liebig (1803 - 1873) was a German chemist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry.

•As a professor, he devised the modern laboratory-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the greatest chemistry teachers of all time.

•He is known as the "father of the fertilizer industry" for his discovery of nitrogen as an essential plant nutrient, and his formulation of the Law of the Minimum which described the effect of individual nutrients on crops.

•The nutrient in the soil that is most deficient or lacking the necessary level for plant growth will be the limiting factor for the yield of a particular crop

“the NPK mentality”

1828 - Carl Sprengel formulates the Law of the Minimum stating that growth is limited not by the total of resources available, but by the scarcest resource.

Lowest Stave prevents filling the barrel

Cal

cium

Zink

N P K

Bor

on

The Law of the Minimum

Law of the Maximum •Elements in the soil above and beyond certain levels will limit yields

•The prominent French chemist and farmer, Andre Voisin gets the credit for this concept. Neal Kinsey, in his book, Hands on Agronomy (pg. 54) states the case best; Andre Voisin...distilled his years of research into the Law of the Maximum.

•It means that if you put on too much of a given nutrient, it is going to tie up something else that is needed. He found that if you put on too much potassium, it ties up boron.

•If you put on too much phosphorus, it ties up zinc and copper.

•If you put on too much nitrogen, it ties up copper and sometimes some of the other elements, even zinc.

•If you put on too much calcium [as with over- liming], it could tie up all the other nutrients, depending on their presence.

•Nature also invokes the law of the maximum.

•High N will restrict Copper

•High P limits Zink uptake

•High K ties up Boron, Manganese

“The living organism is a biological photograph of the environment”

OPTIMUM

pH

Nutrient Balance ProblemsNutrient Balance Problems

• In compost C/NIn compost C/N• Too much carbonToo much carbon• Slow process, seeds and Slow process, seeds and

pathogens not eliminatedpathogens not eliminated• Stunted small wormsStunted small worms

• Too much nitrogenToo much nitrogen• Runs hotRuns hot• Fails to maximize carbon Fails to maximize carbon

surplussurplus• Wasted resourceWasted resource• Kills wormsKills worms

• In soil C/N• Too much carbonToo much carbon• Locks up nitrogen,

stunts growth

Too much nitrogen• Microbial bloom eats

storehouse of nutrients in soil

(loss of humus)

Nutrient NeedsNutrient Needs

C HOPKINS café(Mighty Good)

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Potassium(K), Iodine, Nitrogen, Sulfer, Calcuium, Iron (Fe), Magnesium (Mg)

Come in Cousin MobyCoMn CuZn MoBe

Cobolt, Manganese, Copper, Zinc. Molybdinum, Berillium

C. HOPKINS café

(Mighty Good)

CoMn CuZn MoBe

C.E.C.Cation Exchange Capacity

• Cations are positively charged ions• Soil, clay and Humus are negatively charged• All soils have ion sites, a nutrient holding capacity for

cations only (CEC is in milliequivalents Units or ME)

• You can fill up the sites with the good guys• It’s called Base Saturation, the soils ratio or percentages

of nutrients held out of solution• If your base saturation is out of balance, insects and

disease are a problem

Mg2+

Na+Ca2+

K+

Al3+

Adsorbtion

•Colloids are the smallest particles of soil or Organic Matter

•Colloids are a docking station for cations through Adsorbtion

•They are released through microbial activity

•Certain fungi accompanied by rootlets will release these nutrients through weak acid exudates

Colloid

Mg

++

Ca++

Na+

K+

Root hairs and microbes

These 4 cations have a special relationship to each other and effect

plant health

-

--

-

-

-

Soil Sampling

• Never touch soil for testing• Use stainless steel - not iron• Store in soil bag or plastic bag• Get a composite sample from similar areas• Pull separate samples from High/low, wet/dry etc.

Stainless Steel Soil Sampler

Soil Testing

Methods• Commercial• Water Extract• Morgan Extract

Solution, LaMotte soil testing method

Strength• Strong Acid• Water Soluble• Weak Acid

User• Government Labs• Fertilizer Industry• Biological Farmers

The test of choice for Dr. Reams and International Ag Labs is the weak acid test. This test uses a chemical extract that was patterned after the exudates that roots give off. It is called the Morgan Extract. The Morgan extract is a "universal" extractant, meaning all major nutrients (including phosphorus) and many micronutrients can all be measured in the one extract. Dr. M.F. Morgan developed the Morgan extract in the 1930's and 40's at the University of Connecticut.

CEC Test w/Base Saturation

Four pH adjusters1. Calcium2. Magnesium3. Potassium4. Sodium

Calcium more than 70% base saturation Mg < 15%

Magnesium more than 20% base saturation Ca < 60%

Ca

Ca

Ca

Ca

Ca

CaCa

Ca

CaCa

Ca

Ca

CaCa

Ca

H+ Oxisols Soil TypeLow C.E.C.

Sandy soils improve with mg++ (dolemite)

Oxisol profile

Oxisols are best known for their occurrence in tropical rain forest, 15-25 degrees north and south of the Equator. The main processes of soil formation of oxisols are weathering, humification and pedoturbation due to animals. They are defined as soils containing at all depths no more than 10 percent weatherable minerals, and low cation exchange capacity. Oxisols are always a red or yellowish color, due to the high concentration of iron(III) and aluminum oxides and hydroxides. The word "oxisol" comes from "oxide" in reference to the dominance of oxide minerals such as bauxite. In the FAO soil classification, oxisols are known as ferralsols.

As rainfall passes through the litter on the forest floor the rain is acidified and leaches minerals from the above soil layers. This forces plants to get their nutrition from decaying litter as oxisols are quite infertile due to the lack of organic matter and the almost complete absence of soluble minerals leached by the wet and humid climate.

Oxisols are often used for tropical crops such as cocoa and rubber. In some cases, rice is grown on them. Permanent cropping of oxisols in low-income areas is very difficult because of low cation exchange capacities and high phosphorus fixation. However, many oxisols can be cultivated over a wide range of moisture conditions. On this account, oxisols are intensively exploited for agriculture in some regions which have enough wealth to support modern agricultural practices (including regular additions of limestone and chemical fertilizer). Oxisols are divided into the following suborders:Aquox - oxisols with a water table at or near the surface for much of the yearPerox - oxisols of continuously humid climates, where precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration in all monthsTorrox - oxisols of arid climates. Because the present climate can never produce enough weathering to produce oxisols, torrox soils are always paleosols formed during periods of much wetter climates. They occur mainly in Southern Africa.Ustox - oxisols of semiarid and subhumid climatesUdox - oxisols of humid climates

1. Ultisols are strongly leached, acid forest soils with relatively low native fertility. They are found primarily in humid temperate and tropical areas of the world, typically on older, stable landscapes.

2. Intense weathering of primary minerals has occurred, and much Ca, Mg, and K has been leached from these soils. Ultisols have a subsurface horizon in which clays have accumulated, often with strong yellowish or reddish colors resulting from the presence of Fe oxides.

3. The 'red clay' soils of Palawan are examples of Ultisols.

Inceptisols profile

1. Inceptisols are widely distributed and occur under a wide range of ecological settings. They are often found on fairly steep slopes, young geomorphic surfaces, and on resistant parent materials

2. Land use varies considerably with Inceptisols.3. A sizable percentage of Inceptisols are found in mountainous areas

and are used for forestry, recreation, and watershed.

Vertisols profile

1. Clay soils with unusual and interesting properties. They cover more than 350 million hectares of land in the world and in tropical Africa alone there are over 100 million hectares.

2. Because of their very small particle size and high surface area, these soils have higher physical and chemical reactivity than other soils.

3. Their interaction with agrochemicals/industrial wastes, has been, increasingly, the subject of research especially in the last two decades. Vertisols create special problems when used for engineering purposes.

4. They are difficult to manage for agriculture. If they are tilled when dry, then they can form large clods that are difficult to break down. On the other hand, if tilled when too wet, they smear and become impenetrable to water and plant roots.

5. The high CEC/clay ratio suggests montmorillonitic and mixed mineralogy. Calcium (Ca) should be the dominant cation followed by magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) in all the soil profiles. Meq. can range from 30-50+

Mollisols form in semi-arid to semi-humid areas, typically under a grassland cover. They are most commonly found latitudinally in a band of 50 degrees north of the equator, although there are some in South America, South-Eastern Australia (mainly South Australia) and South Africa. Their parent material is generally limestone, loess, or wind-blown sand. The main processes that lead to the formation of grassland Mollisols are melanisation, decomposition, humification and pedoturbation.Mollisosls have deep, high organic matter, nutrient-enriched surface soil (A horizon), typically between 60-80 cm thick. This fertile surface horizon, known as a mollic epipedon, is the defining feature of Mollisols. Mollic epipedons result from the long-term addition of organic materials derived from plant roots, and typically have soft, granular, soil structure. Mollisols occur in savannahs and mountain valleys (such as Central Asia, or the North American Great Plains). It was estimated that in 2003, between 14 and 26 percent of grassland ecosystems still remained in a relatively natural state (that is, they weren't used for agriculture due to the fertility of the A horizon). Globally, they represent ~7% of ice-free land area. Because of their productivity and abundance, the Mollisols represent one of the more economically important soil orders.Mollisols are geologically by far the youngest soil order in USA Soil Taxonomy. Their development is very closely associated with the cooling and drying of the global climate that occurred in the past.

Mollisols84

Albolls — wet soils; aquic soil moisture regime with an eluvial horizonAquolls — wet soils; aquic soil moisture regimeCryolls — cold climate; frigid or cryic soil temperature regimeGelolls — very cold climate; mean annual soil temperature <0°CRendolls — lime parent materialUdolls — humid climate; udic moisture regimeUstolls — subhumid climate; ustic moisture regimeXerolls — Mediteranaean climate; xeric moisture regime

Soils which are in most ways similar to Mollisols but contain either continuous or discontinuous permafrost and are consequently affected by cryoturbation are common in the high mountain plateaux of Tibet and the Andean altiplano. Such soils are known as Molliturbels or Mollorthels and provide the best grazing land in such cold climates because they are not acidic like many other soils of very cold climates.

Other soils which have a mollic epipedon are classed as Vertisols because the presence of high shrink swell characteristics and relatively high clay contents takes precedence over the mollic epipedon. These are especially common is parts of South America in the Parana River basin that have abundant but erratic rainfall and extensive deposition of clay-rich minerals from the Andes. Mollic epipedons also occur in some Andisols but the andic properties take precedence.take prec

Cation Balance- Use all the buffers1. Calcium 2. Magnesium 3. Potassium 4. Sodium Drives off Hydrogen

Colloid

Ca++

H+H+

Ca++

H+H+

Ca++

H+H+ Ca++

H+H+

Ca++

H+H+Ca++

H+H+

Ca++

H+H+Ca++

H+H+

Mg++

H+H+ K+

H+Na+

H+

Ca++

K+Mg++

• Plant Nutrients are needed from the soil, air or water• Foliar fertilizers can do 2 efficiently

• Not a substitute for good soil program• A supplement only• Helpful in transition• Used when extra care is needed for raising brixº

Nutrient Dense FoodBEYOND OrganicBEYOND Organic

• There is a movement for high quality food• High vitamins, high minerals, high sugar• This food has healing powers• Brixo as an indicator• The refractometer

The Brix ScaleThe Brix ScaleA relative index of food quality

6 8 10 12

Within a given species of plant, Within a given species of plant, the crop with the higher the crop with the higher refractive index will have a:refractive index will have a:•higher sugar contenthigher sugar content•higher mineral contenthigher mineral content•higher protein contenthigher protein content•greater specific gravity or greater specific gravity or densitydensity

This adds up to sweeter taste, This adds up to sweeter taste, higher mineral density and more higher mineral density and more nutrition as well as food with nutrition as well as food with lower nitrate and water content, lower nitrate and water content, a lower freezing point, and better a lower freezing point, and better storage attributes.storage attributes.

Poor Average Good Excellent

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity

ORAC rating is a laboratory analysis that provides an overall measure of a food's antioxidant activity. The higher the ORAC

score, the greater is the food's antioxidant capacity. ORAC tests are often used to compare the antioxidant activities of different

foods (fruits, vegetables, juices, wines, etc.).

Specific Minerals $$$Tissue testing…

High quality milk is:Raw (unpasturized)Fresh (not stale)Good Brix (>10º)From Grass Fed cows

(no soy or grain)

Got High Brix?

Brix BoosterFAA, Kelp/Sea Weed extract, compost tea, F.F.E., Sea Solids

Cation Balance- fill your “Gas Tank” according to soil test1. Calcium 70%2. Magnesium 15%3. Potassium 6%4. Sodium 5%5. Hydrogen 4%

Mg

Ca

Ca

Ca

Ca

Ca

CaCa

Ca

CaCa

Ca

Ca

CaCa

Ca

Mg

Mg

Mg

Long term storage in soil

Root hairs and microbes

Weak acid exudatesWeak acid exudates

Rain proof fertilizers

Once you reach these quantities you can refill the “gas tank” as needed

NaNa

H

K

K K

K

K

K

HH

H

H

H

H

HH

HH

Gas Tank Size[capacity]

• Vertisols have High CEC (30-50+)Higher cost to balance these soils if abused by

modern farming techniques, but once balanced perform very well and require less monitoring

• Oxisols have Low CEC (5-15)Lower cost to balance, but need more frequent

“refilling” of the nutrient gas tank

Aloha Test Results - June 2008 - 03a

• C.E.C.• Organic matterBase Saturation• Ca• Mg• K• Na

24.4 meq.3.55%

57%36%

6.9%0.9%

3%+

60-70%10-20%

2-5%1-3%

Tropical Oxisols

pH? pH 6.8

Aloha Test Results - June 2009Tropical Oxisols

Old beds New beds Lower Potting

Base Saturation

Sea Solids

CalciumMagnesiumSulfurBoronCopper ZinkManganeseChromium

90+ elements a mixture of 90+ elements in the sea’s perfect proportions. The lightest elements (calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium) are totally balanced with the trace elements (copper, chromium, zinc, manganese, selenium, cobalt, molybdenum, etc.)

1. Potassium - stalk strength2. Phosphorous - Cellular growth3. Calcium - Insect resistance, trucker of all minerals4. Magnesium - cell formation5. Sulfur - N utilization6. Sodium - Potassium pump7. Boron - N uptake8. Zinc - Germination9. Copper - Anti fungal, Prevents disease

Why Mineralize?Silicates are necessary in building plant protein and in the synthesis of certain vitamins in plants. Silicates function as a vital element in protecting plants against insects and fungi attack, strengthening qualities and have been found to influence other minerals useful in plant metabolism.Calcium - Plants need calcium for normal cell division, as a component of cell walls, as a component of the salts inside the cells and as a part of the genetic coding materials.Magnesium is a key component of the chlorophylls, the green colored cells in the plant. It is therefore vital as chlorophylls are the cells which perform photosynthesis. Also, plants need magnesium before they can make use of phosphorous and magnesium also activates several different enzyme systems.Iron is a constituent of many compounds in plants that regulates and promotes growth. It is especially important to the function of chloroplasts, the plant cells that contain chlorophyll, which are the particles that perform photosynthesis.Potassium strengthens plant stalks and helps undo the stress induced by excess nitrogen.Phosphorus is the "Go" food for plants.

•Within silicate rocks are a broad spectrum of up to 100 minerals and trace elements necessary for the well being of all life and the creation of fertile soils.•Glacial moraine or mixtures of single rock types applied to soils create a sustainable and superior alternative to the use of ultimately harmful chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.•SR has been shown in scientific studies to increase yields as much as two to four times for agriculture and forestry (wood volume), and to have immediate results and long term effects with a single application

•This book was the first work to attack Von Liebig’s salt fertilizer thesis. •Translated from the German, the book introduced people to the idea that plants require healthy food in order to flourish, just as a human being does. •It describes a then new and rational system for fertilization which has become science today — fertilizing with stone dust. •Hensel went searching for food for plants and found it in the rocks. Fed on such foods, plants will yield healthy, wholesome and life sustaining food that escapes disease and parasites.

Dr. Julius Hensel (1894)

SourceRice hull charcoal you can makeFiner crushed powder, faster actingAloha All Around Formula from book, any formula is fineCoarser, longer actingWaste from gravel crushing, Sometimes called Gravel sandAlso called Plaster of Paris, found in hardware stores

SourceRice hull charcoal you can makeFiner crushed powder, faster acting, Calcium CarbonateAloha All Around Formula from book, any formula is fineCoarser, longer acting, Calcium CarbonateWaste from gravel crushing, Sometimes called Gravel sandAlso called Plaster of Paris, found in hardware stores, Calcium Sulphate

pH 6.0-7.0Good for Most Ag

H+

Microbial growth

40%-50% sugar

Calcium carbonate

LimestoneSea Shells Egg shells

Coral

Dolomite

Magnesium carbonateCaMg(CO3)2

Ca 22% Mg 12%

Mg++

Mg++Mg++ Mg++

Mg++

pH below 6

pH above 6Calcium Sulphate

CaSO4

Gypsum

Calcium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca(OH)2. Calcium oxide (called lime or quicklime) is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or pickling lime.

High Calcium LimestoneCaCO3

32%

$225.00$225.00

-pressure - Metamorphic -heat -

Igneous

- erosion - Sedimentary

Mineral Primer

http://geology.about.com/library/bl/blrockident_tables.htm

Identification of Igneous Rocks

Rock Formation Factors

Basalt

Palawan RocksPalawan Rocks

PalawanPalawanPowderedPowderedRocksRocks

Quartz

GraniteFeldspar?

Sedimentary

Gravel and sand must be very dry otherwise it becomes

sedimentary rock

1,500 Watts1,500 Watts

Quartz

1,500 Watts x 70 min.=1,650 watt hours x 6.17 kwh= P10/batch

P10/batch/6K/batch = P1.6/K + 0.48P material = P2.08/K(granite tailings)

Powderizes Charcoal

too!

1/2 hour machine time

1 hour machine time

Extra Fine

Coarse

“graphite”

Sea Shells

Dead Coral

CaCO3Calcium Carbonate

11.33% boron content

Start with 8 kilos/hectare

Magnesium sulfate hydrate (MgSO4*7H2O).It is white, looks like table salt, has 9.8% magnesium and 13% sulfur.

Aloha Mineral Mix

Organic Trials

Control

1 kilo Bokashi

1 kilo Bokashi, 1 kilo minerals








Corn

Beans

Rice Root c

rop

Lettu

ce

XX

X X

XXXX

1X10 m

1 kilo/bed = 1 ton/h

X

Brixº

Directly improves livestockBetter quality animal products

Ultimately improves your health

Boron: 1/1000th of Calcium, but not more than 4ppm (parts per million) or 8 lbs per acre.Iron: 100-200 ppm (200-400 lbs/acre)Manganese: 1/2 of Iron, but more than 50ppm is not necessary.Zinc: 1/10 of PhosphorusCopper: 1/2 of Zinc

Phosphorus should be equal to Potassium (actual P=actual K), which means phosphate (P2O5) should be 2x potash (K2O).

Sulfur should be 1/2 of Phosphorus, up to around 400 lbs per acre. More is usually not needed except in soils that start out alkaline, i.e. pH greater than 7.

Chlorine should be equal to Sodium, and not more than 2x Sodium.

Nitrogen will generally take care of itself for most crops if the soil organic matter content is 4% or above. Some N loving crops like corn (maize) or onions may need some supplemental Nitrogen.

ReamsCalcium: 2,000-4,000 lbsMagnesium: 285-570 lbsPhosphate: 400 lbsPotash: 200 lbsNitrate Nitrogen: 40 lbsAmmonium Nitrogen: 40 lbsSulfate: 200 lbsSodium: 20-70 ppm

General Steps for SuccessGeneral Steps for SuccessIn Tropical SoilsIn Tropical Soils

1. Start a Microbial health program 2. Start composting3. Remineralize 4. Meet Fertilizer needs5. Soil Test6. Balance Cations7. Balance nutrients

minerals and microbes

Self Improvement