In the past season, several substrate growers in the Americas have made improvements, predominantly in the art of organic liquid fertigation. Mark Velders with The Conscious Farmer (TCF) shares an update after recently his partner in TCF Aldo did on the topic of plant protection.
Mark: "We know that conventional fertilizers are relatively simple to work with. They are all soluble in water, you can calculate the dosages and recipes easily, you can recirculate them, what you put in comes out, and last but not least, they are affordable." Many of the substrate growers TCF works with begin with a conventional mindset when they start the journey toward organic liquid fertigation. "However, similar to pesticide-free plant protection, it requires a different mindset and approach."
Aldo van Os and Mark Velders from The Conscious Farmer 'on the job'
There is a lot that can go wrong
Organic fertilizers come with undesired extras, carbon substances, and ballast salts, stresses Mark. "Bacteria love the additional carbon, they will generate biofilm in your pipes and hoses, use up all the oxygen available, and produce a lot of bicarbonates driving the pH over 7.5. Then the domino effect starts. With the high pH your essential trace minerals never make it to the end of the drip line. Not to mention the toxic nitrites building up in the absence of oxygen. And finally, you have the ballast salts sodium, sulphates and chlorides in organic fertilizers preventing you from recirculating your valuable nutrients."
Clean water and clean fertilizers
Mark sums up a broad range of issues to tackle. Isn't that a mission impossible? "Well, we are proud we did solve these issues. In collaboration with our substrate growers we have developed a concept that works. Then we named it 'the RB 19 of organic liquid fertigation'. It is not a blueprint that every grower can copy and paste, but it provides an effective pathway towards 100% organic fertigation and does require a broad range of measures, appropriate investments and choices that never featured on the agenda of a conventional grower."
Mark elaborates a bit more on the concept. "It starts with the selection of relatively clean liquid fertilizers, low carb and low ballast salts. Then you need to oxygenate and clean up your water supply. Clean water and clean fertilizers are the foundation of the 'RB 19. Then you have the other essential pieces of the puzzle. In organics there are different approaches to keep you water pipes clean, promote higher levels of oxygen in your substrates, implement effective pH control and keep your drain water clean so that you can recirculate your nutrients. There are treatments of the dirty drain that do the job very well."
Plant available nutrients
It's a long list of actions. "Yes", Mark replies and "it is not all. Last but not least you need to create the conditions for effective and quick conversion of organic substances into plant-available nutrients. It has been a journey of a quite a few years and every grower requires a different approach depending on the cultivation techniques and equipment that are being used. We assist growers to build their own 'RB19' depending on the local ambitions and constraints."
The 'RB 19 in organic liquid fertigation.
Additional solutions for persistent problems
Both Mark and Aldo observed that many of the organic growers they work with, although all very different, are facing another set of similar and persistent problems. "The plant uptake of nitrogen, phosphate, iron and manganese in substrate cultivation, among others. As you probably know these essential plant nutrients are often tied up or very volatile in the substrate leaving most of it unavailable for our crops. We observed the absence of effective solutions!"
So what did Mark do? "In partnership with a renowned expert in this field, we developed a selected range of biological inoculums consisting of bacterial consortia in high concentrations specifically selected to keep the nutrients in plant-available form, even if the pH is very high in your substrate. All our products also strengthen natural plant resilience. Some of our clients are now using these new products as we speak. We will keep you posted on our progress."
The Conscious Farmer is able to optimize fertilizer recipes in sync with plant requirements selecting the cleanest (where possible liquid) organic fertilizers, thereby managing costs, and increasing plant and fruit quality and production levels, concludes Mark. "We mobilize soil biology with biologically active composts and custom-made TCF inoculums. In this way we enhance plant protection and plant nutrition bottom up. Aldo and I are complementary. Aldo works above ground, my focus is below ground. Together we bring the best for our growers."
For more information:
Aldo van Os and Mark Velders, partners
TCF Consultancy
Tel.: +49 (0) 5632 966 7590
Mob.: +31 (0)6 8206 6012
[email protected]
www.theconsciousfarmer.org