Regenerative Growing

N.G.P. & The Keys to Growing Wealth

Site Location You Are at: https://sites.google.com/view/growersgold/summary/regenerative-growing

Why Regenerative Growing is the best way forward...

The use of synthetic chemicals in farming and heavy tillage causes loss of carbon from soils on a grand scale...

Switching to Regenerative Growing puts large amounts of carbon back in the soil. Food is more nutrient dense, production rates are similar or greater, the environment and farms are restored and the population becomes much healthier.

Positive changes in approach can change your growing wealth. Sandy, a small grower now has 3.25 million extra pesos by making some of the changes mentioned here. He earned this extra amount in 5 years on 5 hectares of rice. The main change he made was simple, changing to using GROWERS GOLD. The other changes naturally follow. Growing becomes easier, safer and more reliable. The following will also help you earn extra and have a lot more spending money every season…

The Problem

Have you noticed people who promote synthetic chemicals are not talking about soil biology; yet it is more important! This one change in your growing awareness, can change everything, so please read on and discover ways to improve growing:

Most “conventional” farms ignore soil biology or are not even aware of its existence! It is damaged through 1) Application of synthetic chemicals to your farm, 2) Digging of the soil, 3) Exposure of soil to the weather, not having the soil covered with organic matter, (be it living as plants or dead as mulch), 4) Reduced diversity of species through mono-crops and removal of all other plants. Soil biology must be protected in soils however in most “conventional” farms, it is already lost, and therefore they are having trouble with many growing issues and poor performance.

This eggplant crop failed. It had little chance of success due to the conditions it was given.

The photo above shows the same eggplant crop now failed...The grower was advised to try soil biology and adding mulch to his soil however he did not. The result was he lost income, had to pay his expenses and gave up on growing eggplants into the future.

Had the grower taken the approach we suggested, he could have had a successful crop and continued to do so into the future, like other eggplant growers in the same area.

10 NATURAL GROWING PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE GROWING (N.G.P.)

Adopting some Natural Growing Principles (NGP) is essential to growing more abundantly. It also increases growing efficiency and improves soil health and long-term growing prospects. NGP are observations of how nature works most effectively and by adopting these we increase harmony with what is natural, and life begins to thrive. Remember nature has had millions of years to evolve so naturally the most effective growth principles dominate. The keys described here are all effectively derived from observing nature’s most efficient ways and lead to highly effective growing...

NGP 1: Soil Biology

GROWERS GOLD is teaming with soil biology. Without soil biology your soil loses 3 vital functions: 1) The ability to assimilate nutrition into a plant usable form, 2) Fighting off potential disease, particularly in the soil, but also overall as they contribute to build a stronger immunity in plants and a natural repulsion to pests, 3) Builds important soil structure. All growers must replace lost soil biology in their soil for it to function properly again. Soil biology is an absolute key!

NGP 2: Nutrient Availability

Plants do not naturally assimilate nutrition from synthetic chemicals. In fact, soil analysis shows a lot of nutrients locked up and unavailable to plants when synthetic chemicals are relied on. The normal process is through the work of soil biology. In fact, soil biology performs several processes to help assimilate the different types of nutrition required by plants. It is not just NPK that is required however a wide range of minerals although in smaller amounts, yet all are important. The nutrition required is mostly available in soils already when the correct soil biology is alive and thriving in your soil. There is a natural communication process between plants and soil biology where each supports the other in a synergistic relationship.

Increasing Soil Organic Matter (SOM) within the soil also contributes significantly to available nutrition to your plants. SOM first begins as mulch on your soil surface and this organic matter in taken into your soil by soil life (biology).

When synthetic chemicals are relied on for plant growth several growing issues develop. This is because the process of applying salts is not natural to the plant. Plants are literally force fed these salts and in response drink in more than they would otherwise, causing the plant to become weak and watery. The plant may look good to humans but in truth they are lacking true nutritional balance and as such are prone to pest and disease attack and other growing issues.

NGP 3: Disease Control

As mentioned just above, synthetic chemical use leads to growing issues including disease issues. Plants need the correct balance of nutrition in the correct amounts and not to be force fed in unnatural ways. However, GROWERS GOLD with the correct soil biology, goes to work to fight of potential diseases in the soil and certainly overall, by boosting the plants natural immunity system through improved health. (Many growing issues are a direct result of synthetic chemicals.)

NGP 4: Soil Structure

The simple test is to apply a steel rod into the ground and feel for the increase in pressure as you push down. At a certain point there will be a dense layer which is hard to penetrate, this indicates hardpan compaction. Rebuilding soil structure is then very important. It determines root distribution, plant stability, the useable soil and nutrient availability for the plants, soil moisture including permeability (drainage) and water storage capacity, and other important soil characteristics.

GROWERS GOLD focuses work on rebuilding soil structure lost from “conventional” farming practices, from the soil biology and SOM that has been most often lost. It rebuilds soil with soil biology. They go to work and “crumb” the soil into small clumps which create gaps between the crumbing and allow water, air, nutrients and roots to move much more freely through the soil. They also stop soils from silting over when rain hits the soil surface, which blocks the water from penetrating causing potential for severe erosion in heavy rain events. In extreme examples of this, water doesn’t penetrate the soil at all!

NGP 5: Nitrogen

The use of urea as a synthetic application of nitrogen results in large losses of carbon with every application. Carbon in the soil must join up with the synthetically presented form of nitrogen for your plants to assimilate it. For every 1 nitrogen gained, 6 carbons are lost from your soil and carbon is very important in your soil!

Air is 78% nitrogen. Urea is not required when using GROWERS GOLD as it provides nitrogen naturally in plant available form. Soil biology works the air that enters your soil naturally when your soil structure is open. It processes the air into plant usable form naturally and in the right amounts. There are both nitrifying microbes and denitrifying microbes in GROWERS GOLD and whatever is required by the plant can be adjusted to in an intelligent manner by this soil microbe combination.

NGP 6: Carbon & Organic Matter

Carbon being a vital part of living material, is vital component for good healthy productive soils/plants. Your soil quality can be measured by the carbon percentage in your soil. 5% is healthy and 1 % is very unhealthy and sadly, now commonly found on many farms, although most originally started with around 5% or more and it has been lost through poor farming practices.

Loss of carbon through poor farming practices is responsible for around half of carbon now in the atmosphere causing climate change. A shift back to healthy farming practices world-wide could recover much of the climate change concern. Climate change is already having a big impact on growing conditions with more severe weather and unpredictable seasonable patterns putting bigger strain on both crops and farmers, not to mention soils being more severely eroded etc.

We strongly suggest increasing organic matter on the soil surface around plants. This not only protects your soil and the soil life within from the weather but also breaks down quickly with the soil life activity introduced with GROWERS GOLD beginning the restoration of carbon content within your soil.

Organic matter is completely natural on the soil surface in natural growing conditions…just walk into any forest! Its role is very important, and it must be respected. In the Philippines, the mindset of thinking “clean bare soil is good for growth” must change. Learn by observing nature and make life much easier by not fighting nature but rather working in harmony with her. It is a lot less work, much more efficient and can regenerate your soil’s health relatively quickly. Then your plants can thrive.

NOTE: A 1 % increase in SOM in the top 15 cm of the soil, leads to well over 100,000 php in nutrient value returned to the soil. Plus, it increases soil moisture storage capacity 60,000 litres; (6 litres/sq.m.). Your soil wealth bank is your growing wealth!

NGP 7: Soil Moisture

Soil moisture storage capacity within soils increases strongly as carbon/SOM levels are increased. Also, organic matter on the soil surface (as mulch) protects the weather from drying out your soil. More water storage with good soil structure means more growth for longer periods of time. With less stress on plants they stay healthier too. Fruiting periods can be extended leading to higher market value when other growers may struggle. GROWERS GOLD helps open soil structure & build SOM.

During heavy rain, the soil’s ability to permeate the water is significantly increased. Water is a valuable resource and as much as possible should be stored in a healthy soil. When water runs off the surface because it cannot enter it causes erosion and is lost to the waterways along with valuable topsoil. This also leads to pollution in waterways and flooding.

Microscopic example showing root, water & minerals.

NGP 8: Limited Digging

Digging damages soil structure. It most often leads to a hardpan compaction layer just below the area dug. This can lead to several growing issues. Digging also breaks up existing root channels that have decayed and otherwise would help soil structure. GROWERS GOLD naturally softens and opens soil structure and digging is only required to get the plant or seed in the ground and no more. Use other methods for weed control; (see below).

NGP 9: Dealing with Weed "COMPETITION"

Avoid chemical spray of grass/weeds between crops as it severely damages your soil life and therefore soil health, continuing the cycle of dependence on chemical sprays. Be patient in not using chemicals and you will soon see positive changes. By applying GROWERS GOLD instead, you begin to improve soil health and will naturally reduce due to the change in conditions. The type of weeds existing in an area indicate the conditions of the soil so, as the conditions are improved, weeds naturally reduce. This is a natural process however, to speed up the process some alternatives may be used…

• GROWERS GOLD naturally softens soil and soon the soil is much easier to pull out weeds.

• Companion Planting...grow grass/plants to compliment your crop e.g. nitrogen fixing plants or plant combinations.

• Mulch area (not allowing grasses/weeds to grow) = nourishes the soil/plants.

• Physically slash grasses/weeds by hand or machine e.g. brush cutter.

• Use alternative to chemical poison...e.g. a drop of detergent, strong vinegar and water mix… Note: Spray in hot sun.

• Some organic weed killers are now on the market.

• Blanket cover area with sheeting until it dies off.

NGP 10: Diversity

Monocultures is man’s way of creating work efficiency. Natural growing systems mostly do not work this way because the work is already taken care of. In nature plant diversity also allows for insect diversity. Both diversity of plants and insects allow for an ecosystem to develop which is largely self-maintaining in health and nutrition. Note that in a natural system, there are many more insect types that are beneficial than non-beneficial.

The key we sort here is in recreating some of the benefits of diversity while keeping a main crop focus. The following suggestions are given to be considered depending on your crop type and situation…

· Companion Planting/ Intercropping...grow grass/plants to compliment your crop; Google plants that suit your crop.

· Cover Crops…are planted in between crops including between fruit trees or row crops etc. They prevent weeds and can be slashed, roller crimped or harvested depending on your needs. Select cover crops which compliment your main crop, for example, those which add nitrogen to the soil such as beans or those that increase mulching potential.

Crop rotation…in some cases this is the best alternative, helping to rebalance nutrition.

Key Summary:

Returning closer to natural growing systems that have evolved over millions of years starts GROWERS GOLD. We then make our farms naturally more efficient, reliable and productive. Not only this but we reduce costs and dependence on synthetic chemicals and continual complicated soil analysis. We start to regenerate farm soils and the environment beyond. Food security will increase as will the wealth of all growers who embrace GROWERS GOLD

Communities that fail to change away from the current destructive “conventional” farming, will at some time collapse. The principles here alternatively, are not complex and are quick to learn. Begin to grow your wealth and future prosperity today!

More on Key Steps...

1. Reduce Chemical Use

2. Reduce Digging

3. Organic Matter

4. Cover Crops

AVOID Artificial Growing Methods:

Synthetic Chemicals, Heavy Digging, Little Organic Matter Mono-crops, Kill to Control (Weeds, Insects, Fungi etc)

(See Images:)

MOVE back to Nature's Principles:

GROWERS GOLD, Less Tillage, Build Organic Matter, Diversity, Encourage Natural Productive Eco-systems

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse