Nutrient Dense Crop

Production
Real Food Campaign
Course III
 Course Outline
• Limiting Factors
• Bacteria vs. Fungi
• In-season mineral analysis
• Addressing limiting factors
• Integrating whole system
understanding
• RFC Update
 Limiting Factors
• Less than ideal biological and mineral levels will show up as
deficiencies in crops
• Decrease limiting factors so plants make best use of
photosynthetic efforts
– Secondary plant metabolites
• Use varied approaches to address limiting factors
– Biological inoculants
– Compost applications
– Soil mineral balancing
• Mineral application
• Planting/transplanting drench
• Regular drench
• Foliar spray
 Bacteria Vs. Fungi
• Bacterial environment: Simple plants
(cruciferae, some leafy greens), many weeds
• Fungal environment: Complex (higher) plants
• Bacterial and Fungal feeds
– Tilling cover crops: milky stage = bacteria; older
stage = fungal
– In compost: manures = bacteria; wood chips,
sawdust = fungal
• Micorrhizal connection at root zone
– Increases plant’s access to nutrients, water
 In-season mineral analysis
• Weak-acid / paste soil test
• Soil Conductivity
• Plant sap Brix measurement
• Plant tissue analysis, pH
Weak Acid/Paste Soil Test
 Soil Conductivity
• A measure of the quantity and mobility of ions in the
soil, measured in Ergs/microsiemens
• Sufficient levels for crops to have access to the nutrition
needed for optimal growth:
– 200 in spring; 600 at fruit fill
– These numbers for good organic matter levels; poor
organic matter will require higher conductivity levels.
• Biological activity releases minerals into soil solution
which increases conductive reading
• Dropping conductivity reading corresponds to
insufficient nutrition for crops
 Addressing deficient
conductivity
• Soil temperature
– Increase soil temp with compost, plastic
mulch
• Soil moisture
– Irrigate, increase organic matter
• Inadequate nutrition
– Planting/transplanting solution
– Soil drenches
 Brix Measurement
• How and when to measure
– Early morning testing is best to show minimum
levels
– Same point in plant is necessary for significant
readings. I.e. fourth newest leaf
– Regular weekly monitoring is ideal for discerning
movement in Brix levels
– Same time in day
• Leaf sap Brix target = 12
– If 12 is not attained in mid afternoon of a sunny day,
the plant is stressed
Plant Tissue Analysis and pH
• In organic systems, if Brix is deficient the best
mode to determine cause of deficiency is
plant sap pH
• Ideal = 6.4 pH
• < 6.4 predicts deficiency of Ca, K, Mg, or Na.
• > 6.4 predicts deficiency of N, Su or P.
• Most often low plant sap pH is due to
Calcium or Potassium deficiency.
pH Imbalance Troubleshooting
• Low pH most common
• Potassium and Calcium deficiencies most
common
– Ca is fixed in the plant; deficiency noticed at top
– K is mobile; deficiency noticed at the bottom of the
plant
• High plant sap pH is most often a shortage of
Phosphates
 pH Troubleshooting Continued
• Apply test foliar spray consisting of
predicted deficient nutrient and test
plant Brix after 2 hours
• Brix should be up 1-2 points in the test
plants if the deficiency is addressed
• pH should begin to moderate
 Addressing limiting factors
• Troubleshooting
– Potting soil
– Crop residues
• Drenches and foliar sprays
– Planting/transplanting solution
– Recipes
Troubleshooting - Potting Soil
• Limited vitality of potting soil
– Check water quality
• Bicarbonates tie up anions like nitrogen and
phosphates
• Chlorine kills biology
– Use supplemental nutrition if plants slow
down
• fish emulsion, sea salt, diluted compost tea
 Troubleshooting - Cover Crop
Residue
• Timing of tilling
– 2-3 weeks before planting/transplanting
• Protects root zone of new plants
– Till at milky stage - promotes bacterial
environment
– Till when older - promotes fungal environment
– Conductivity increases as residues break down
• Depth of tilling
– Shallow vs. deep till
 Drenches and Foliar Sprays
• Application of drenches
– Planting/transplanting drench
– Frequency of regular drench
– Mixing and measuring
• Application of foliar spray
– Frequency of foliar spray
– Mixing measuring and math
– Spraying apparatus
 When problems persist
• Saturated paste test
• Tissue test
• Send out lab tests that tell what the
plant is experiencing in its
environment, and what mineral levels
and imbalances are present
 Integrating Whole System
Understanding
• Mineral
• Biological
• Energetic
– Water as an energizer
– Plant spirits and divas
– Bonding angles
 RFC Research project
• Replicated randomized trials in collaboration
with U/Mass. Publishable science designed to
document increase in nutrient levels. Looking
for collaborators. See realfoodcampaign.org
for documents and details or talk to Dan
• Free liquid fertility for crops to those who
successfully complete the protocol
 Standards Research
• In Collaboration with USDA Food
Science Lab in Wisconsin
• Samples from Biologically oriented
growers from across the country
• Objective to develop a base line for data
that will serve a process of quality
standards creation.
• LEED type system, from good to best.
RFC Update