What is Biological
Biological Farming combines the best of conventional/synthetic and organic farming with an emphasis on attaining naturally productive soils that display high levels of biological activity. The main purpose is to maximise the activity of soil biology through the provision of good soil nutrition and structure, together with adequate supplies of carbon, air and water.
Biological Farming is using modern technology and new methods, but uses only those that do not interfere with natural systems and do not cause harm down the road.
Biological Farming aims at attaining balance between the physical, chemical nutrients and biological facets of the soil aided by improved organic carbon content. Measuring, planning changing and taking control of these three aspects give a more complete view of soil fertility and a greater degree of control over the growing environment.
The Nitrosol philosophy is to use a combination of readily available biological nutrients such as amino acids together with trace minerals and apply these in the “little more often” approach as a foliar spray. This results in fast nutrition and stimulation of the plant itself to encourage natural processes such as photosynthesis. The plant is better able to provide carbohydrates and other nutrients which benefit the plant itself as well as the surrounding biology that in turn provides the plant with nutrients from the soil.
In short Nitrosol helps to promote a healthy Biological system that can sustain itself naturally.
Humans and animals, rely on the beneficial microorganisms in our environment. There are more microorganisms cells than there are human cells in the human body. These are essential for digestion of food production, of vitamin K etc. We also rely on microorganisms like yeast to make bread and bacteria to make cheese and yogurt etc.
Arguably plants rely even more than we do on the surrounding biology for their survival. This includes microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi as well as pollinating insects, nematodes and earthworms that turn the soil and expose the roots to nutrients.
The biological ecosystem surrounding the roots of plants is known as the rhizosphere, this area is critical for the health of the plant and is teaming with life that is constantly active in breaking down minerals and decaying matter in the soil and then making it available to the roots of the plant.
Not all the biology is beneficial to the plant, some insects, bacteria and fungi for example attack the plants. There is a constant battle going on between biology that is harmful and beneficial to the plant but normally the beneficial biology dominates and allows the plant life to dominate and support the beneficial biology.
The beneficial organisms can even reside within the plant and have a symbiotic relationship with the plant some examples are rhizobium bacteria that colonise clover roots and live off the carbohydrates and other nutrients provided by the clover and in turn, fix atmospheric nitrogen and provide this for the clover. Another good example is the endophytic fungi that colonise some pasture species such as ryegrass. These specialist fungi live in the living plant tissue and feed off the nutrients provided by the plant and in turn produce insecticidal compounds known as lolines that kill insect predators of the grass such as black beetle grubs.
Besides the more obvious negative effects of over fertilising such as pollution of waterways, the soil biology can also be negatively affected in many ways including:
- The pH of the soil is lowered by high levels of nitrogen fertilisers which can result in some nutrients being less soluble/ available and can also affect microorganism and earthworm activity.
- Long use of high concentrations of fertilisers results in accumulation of salts in the soil which affects biological activity.
- Natural nitrogen fixing and phosphorous mineralisation is negatively affected.
- Composting processes and recycling of dead plant and animal matter is reduced which are important sources of nutrients for living plants.