Farming
Biological activity is the life of the soil. Microorganisms are like an army of workers in the soil, feeding the plant, protecting it from disease and maintaining the health and structure of the soil. The ability of soil to support and sustain plant life is in direct proportion to the abundance and vigor of microorganisms.
Over 150 years ago, Justus Von Liebig, know as the architect of chemical fertilizers, discovered that plant productivity increased when chemical compounds of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium were added to the soil. The original intent of chemical fertilizers was only to supplement the soil's basic organic matter.
Since the advent of high-output farming in the 1950s, the importance of organic matter and soil health have been overlooked by many agriculturists. As a result, millions of acres of farm land are dangerously low in organic matter and microbial activity. Farmers are discovering that no matter how much chemical fertilizer is applied, the soil is not capable of increased production. The reason is simple: the biological life in the soil has become exhausted by intense production, over-application of chemicals and by compaction.
Medina products address the need for increased biological activity. In replicated tests conducted by A&L Agricultural Labs, Omaha, Nebraska, Medina increased biological activity by over 2000% in just two weeks.
Microbial "food makers" must digest the nutrients available from chemical or organic sources, to convert them into usable energy for the plant, before the plant can absorb and utilize the nutrients. The late Arthur Franke, co-founder of the Medina company, told farmers, "the microbes eat at the first table, the plants eat at the second."
Medina products are compatible with nearly every crop management practice. It entails the use of biological stimulators, like Medina Soil Activator to strengthen existing soil microbes while causing them to become more efficient and productive. Medina Soil Activator is like a health food drink for microbes. It supplies them with energy to perform their immense tasks. Medina is not an enzyme. It is not a bacteria, not a living organism. It is a highly-developed biochemical respiratory processes. These processes make for the most efficient organic transformation.
Medina products increase the performance and the quantity of microbes that convert nutrients into food for the plant. It loosens and mellows compacted soils. And it allows more water and oxygen to penetrate the soil. Microbes are "nature’s soil managers". Without an adequate level of microbes in the soil, disease and weeds can overtake otherwise healthy fields. Compaction and erosion will occur. Eventually the soil will lose its ability to support useful plant life, no matter how much fertilizer or organic matter is applied.
As microorganisms digest plant residues, they secrete polysaccharides. These compounds have the unique ability to both bind and release soil particles in order to maintain the proper soil structure. Polysaccharides help make soil more stable, better "balance" - preventing soil particles form compacting and helping to reduce soil erosion.
Today’s high-production farming practices can rapidly deplete the soil of essential biological activity. A most noticeable result is soil compaction, a problem common to most farmers. When the soil is compacted, water, oxygen and nutrient intake into the soil is reduced. The soil "freezes-up" and normal plant production is greatly inhibited.
Solving a compaction problem does not necessarily include less chemicals, fewer trips over the field or less frequent growing cycles. While those techniques may be helpful, they’re not always practical nor economical. A major factor in building and revitalizing the soil is the increase in the population and activity of microbes.
Medina products will help reduce compaction, make nutrients more available to the soil, reduce alkalinity, increase water retention and help ward off weeds and plant diseases. Medina is not a substitute for good management practices (and it certainly can’t control the weather!), but it will result in a healthier soil for growing more productive plants.