I spray with a soluble kelp , humic and fulvic all individuals bought in bulk on kelp for less a spray of braggs liquid aminos and away grow I use it to feed microbes in my Rez too
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A little reading on hormones for ya
ABSTRACT: Several types of plant biostimulants exist but plants generally are capable of producing those they need. In many instances, however, it has been demonstrated that their external additions by foliar spray or to roots has provided added benefits to plants. The scientific studies in this field have been going on for close to 70 years but there are still unknowns and commercialization has been relatively minor. Growth inhibitors are about as important as growth stimulators. Some plant residues like seaweed, kudsu, and yucca are believed to be good sources of some biostimulants. Processed humic acid is marketed with some claims of stimulation. The on going debate about whether compost is more valuable than uncomposted materials involves the possibility that some microbes produce biostimulants in the composting process. There is some reason to expect that use of materials by soil application that contain biostimulants can often be a best management practice to interact favorably with other such products to improve the efficiency of crop production. More research is needed.
Among the legal definitions of the California Department of Food and Agriculture is one for Auxiliary Soil and Plant Substances: " any chemical or biological substance or mixture of substances distributed in this state to be applied to soil, plants, or seeds for soil corrective purposes; of which is intended to improve germination, growth, yield, product quality, reproduction, flavor, or other desirable characteristics plants; or which is intended to produce any chemical, biochemical, biological, or physical change in soil. Does not include commercial fertilizers, agricultural minerals, soil amendments, or manure's. This category includes all of the following: Synthetic polyelectrlytes, lignin or humus preparations, wetting agents, to promote water penetration, bacterial inoculants, microbial products, soil binding agents, and biotics. Biotics are all materials for which claims are made relating to organisms, enzymes, or organism by-products."
Several different types of products are included in this list. Only those which are considered as biostimulants are the subject of this paper. This brief discussion is an introduction only to a broad field of study which has resulted in some but not enormous technologies. a more comprehensive review in the near future is warranted especially since one of the goals of biotechnology is to produce biostimulants to enhance plant growth. Microbes and enzymes are not considered in this report. By and large, foliar applications of substances which may stimulate growth or fruiting are not specifically considered at this time. Of concern mostly are those that may be applied in soil or both ways.
Many reports exist where claims are made for certain natural products like kelp (Smitte 1991), kudsu, and yucca to have stimulating effects on plants when applied to soil usually in very small quantities. humus products derived from alkaline solutions of lingites often with some oxidation are claimed to have similar effects. Some composts are believed to contain biostimulants which is a basis for claiming that adding composts to soil is better than adding non composted materials. when stimulation occurs, it is the result of some specific compound usually identifiable. Usually plants, but differentially, are able to synthesize needed "phytohormones". Some specific categories are gibberellins, cytkinins, and auxins. "Roots" is a popular product that claims biostimulation which is partly caused by the iron which it contains(Schmidt 1990).
The gibberellins have been known, researched, and used on a limited commercial scale since the 1920s (Stowe and Yamaki 1957) or about 70 years. This parallels the pattern for many other technologies (fertilizers and water-soluble polymers in agriculture) when many decades go by before general acceptance.
"Biostimulants are materials that promote plant growth when applied in small quantities. They also help plants withstand harsh environments. The best biostimulants that we have encountered for enhancing turfgrass growth are cytokinins (plant-synthesized growth regulators) and cytokinin-like materials.
Although researchers knew as early as 1913 that plants produced a cell division-stimulating substance, it took until 1955 to identify it as a cytokinin. In 1963, scientists isolated zeatin from corn. It was the first example of a naturally occurring cytokinin.
By 1969, they were experimenting with topical applications of seaweed-extracted cytokinin on various plants. From this work weâve learned that besides enhancing cell division, cytokinins: enable cells to differentiate into various plant organs, retard plant senescence or aging, stimulate chloroplast formation, help seeds break dormancy, and enhance flowering in some species.
Along with this work, researchers learned in 1972 that some systemic fungicides, such as triazoles, have cytokinin-like properties. Two of these are turf fungicides: propiconazole (Banner) and triadimefon (Bayleton)." (Schmidt 1990)
CLAIMS FOR SEAWEED
Seaweed extract is being marketed and supposedly has special benefits when supplied with iron (Nabati et al. 1994). The following comments are extracted from a gardening article on use of seaweed (there are various species of seaweed which may differ in composition that influences biostimulation.(Smite 1991): "Seaweed is a rootless plant in the Fucus family that floats freely or clings to rocks by holdfasts (root-like or disk shaped plant parts that attach seaweed to rocks but donât absorb nutrients). Seaweed photosynthesizes the sunlight that reaches it through shallow water and it absorbs nutrients from sea water through its leaves. Since the ocean receives runoff from the entire earth, it contains all known minerals, trace elements, and vitamins. This primal supermarket supplies a more complete diet for sea plants than any plot of rich soil or fertilizer provides for land plants. Seaweed contains 60 or more minerals and several plant hormones. It is not however a complete fertilizer. It has a fair amount of nitrogen and potash, but very little phosphorus, a major plant nutrient.
Only a few seaweeds are harvested commercially. Norwegian kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum), a brown algae is the seaweed most used in gardening. Norwegian kelp is gathered off the coasts of England, Ireland, Norway, and both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America where it is called rockweed. Gulfweed (Sargassum), a floating sea plant, is harvested off the coast of North Carolina. Giant kelp(Macrcystis) is collected in the Pacific Northwest.
Seaweed is constantly worn down by tides and eaten by fish, so it must grow rapidly to survive. Studies at the University of California showed that a frond of seaweed can grow a foot or more a day, given optimal conditions. The same growth hormones that prompt such rapid growth in seaweed , when applied to plants as a foliar spray, can increase the rate of cell division and elongation in those plants. The hormones also increase root growth when applied to the soil as meal or when seaweed extract is used as a root dip.
In recent turf tests at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, plots sprayed with seaweed extract had 67% to 175% more roots than untreated plots. Plots treated in fall showed a 38% increase in spring growth over untreated plots and showed 52% more roots.
In tests at South Carolina's Clemson University, seeds soaked in liquid seaweed extract showed rapid germination, and the resulting seedlings had increased root mass and stronger plant growth than seedlings from untreated seeds. They also had a higher survival rate. Soaking plant roots in seaweed extract reduces transplant shock and speeds root growth. Seaweed foliar sprays promote faster, stronger stem and leaf growth, and earlier blossoming and fruit set when sprayed on leaves and flower buds."(Smitte 1991)
Many books and reviews have been made on plant growth regulators even by the early 1960âs (Thimann 1963). There are at least four major groups. Thimann discussed three of them thirty years ago.
"Unlike the animal hormones, each of which has its target organ or tissue, the most obvious property of the plant growth substances is not only that their functions are multiple but they overlap. For any given process their actions may be similar or opposed, or synergistic, or entirely different. For instance, kinetin reacts with auxin to produce callus growth, it opposes auxin in lateral bud development, resembles auxin in inhibiting root elongation, does strongly what auxin does only weakly in promoting protein synthesis, and acts the same way as auxin to cause cell division; in the last case, however, auxin action may be dependent on endogenous kinins already present, so that this action may fall into the first category.
Finally, it differs completely from auxin in not being readily transported. Similarly, gibberellin acts like auxin in promoting elongation of etiolated stems and formation of parthenocarpic fruit (though it generally delays fruit-set), reacts with auxin in producing elongation of isolated green stems, acts more powerfully than auxin on elongation of intact stems, does what auxin cannot do in causing flowering of long-day plants on short-day photoperiods, and the elongations of monocotyledonous leaves and leaf sheaths. Yet it acts in the opposite direction to auxin on root formation by cuttings and leaves and apparently also on the tensile properties of pea stems. Auxin favors formations of pistillate flowers, gibberellin of staminate. Generally, all gibberellins act in the same way as one another, and the same is qualitatively true for auxins, with certain exceptions.
The multiple actions of auxin have often been discussed. Here it needs only be mentioned that the growth inhibiting actions are probably at least as important as the growth promoting ones. The inhibition of lateral bud development is of major importance in integrating the plant body, and and parallel phenomena to it are found in ferns and mosses. Thus auxins should not necessarily considered only as growth promoting substances."(Thimann 1963)
In the 1960s we made some studies with humates derived from leonardite (Wallace and Khadr 1966). Some interesting results were observed but caution was used in the interpretation. " an unfortified humus product seemed to have auxin-like effects in plants in that it increased periodicity of root pressure exudation and hastened time of flowering. there are many reports that indicate the value of soil organic matter in crop production is not confined to supplying plant nutrients, to increasing the availability of plant nutrients, or to improving the physical properties of soil. There is no doubt that a large number of components of the soil organic matter can be absorbed by plant roots from the soil and translocated to other parts of the plants. The relationship of molecular weight to this type of absorption is unknown, but it is known that nucleic acids can be synthesized in some cells and translocated to others. Recent work has shown that quinone groups in humic substances stimulate some plant enzyme systems related to respiration.
Many low-molecular weight compounds that are products of decomposition of organic matter have been observed to promote plant growth. Creatinine is an example. B-indoleacetic acid, which has a powerful effect in stimulating root growth. These substances include vanilin, benzoic acid, some aldehydes, and dihydroxystearic acid. Many workers seriously doubt that humus-like materials or breakdown products from them can have auxin-like effects in soils." (Wallace and Khadr 1966).
SOME RECENT REPORTERS ON BIOSTIMULANTS
Chen et al. 1994: The properties of humic substances originating from composts were studied and compared to soil derived humic materials. A small fraction of lower molecular weight components of humic substances can be taken up by plants. These components are considered to increase cell membrane permeability and to exhibit hormone-like activity. In soils, addition of compost was found to stimulate growth beyond that provided by mineral nutrients. Addition of composts to container media mixes resulted in significant yield increase which was attributed to humic substances. Water extracts obtained from composts exhibited auxin-like activity.
Albuzio et al. 1944: The addition of a molecular size fraction compatible with direct uptake by roots and translocation to the vegetative compartments, induced sharp enhancement in chlorophyll contents. Apparently, low molecular size compounds are able to enter the roots, be translocated to the leaves and be metabolically significant.
Schmidt et al. 1991: By 1969 experiments with applicants of seaweed extracted cytokinis were being conducted on various plants. From 1972 triazole fungicides were shown to have biostimulant properties. In the mid 1980âs, extracted seaweed, benzyladenine (synthetic cytokinin) and selected triazole systemic fungicides were shown to stimulate turfgrasses. Various studies with cool season turfgrass have shown that biostimulant application improved photosyntesis, reduced senescence effect, increased leaf and shoot numbers, improved leaf water potential, and enhanced shoot and root mass. Cytokinis with iron helped warm season grasses retain color in the fall and stimulate spring green up. Recent research documented that biostimulants conditioned turfgrass to tolerate drought and salinity irrigation.
Yan and Schmidt 1992: Plant growth regulator like propiconazole and 1H-1, 2, 4-triazole and fortified seaweed extract increased the salt tolerance of perennial ryegrass by adjustment of cell membrane composition.
Ono et al. 1993: Promain (GA4 + GA7 + N-(phenylmethyl)-1H-purine-6-amine) at 50 mg/L, was the most beneficial in enhancing seed germination.
Mate and Katalin1993: The chlormequat + ethepon + microelements treatment beyond the height reduction also increase the yield. Plant growth regulators used alone had no effect on yield.
Russo 1991: Yale Univ., New Haven, CT USA. A thesis on the action of "Roots".
Basnizki and Goldschmidt 1994: Under field conditions, GA3 rep;aced the cold requirements of line ÎHU 271â, thereby enabling the start of flowering during autumn. Another clone flowered without GA3 treatment.
Suzuki 1992: A review discussing use of growth retardants.
Hood 1994: The Cytokin treatment significantly increased lint yield over the other treatments 1992. There were no statistically significant differences between the non-treated check and any treatment in 1993.
Balyan et al. 1994: Triacontanol increased the plant height, number of leaves and leaf length. It had a positive effect on herbage yield, which was increased by 21.35 percent over control.
Perez et al. 1994: The best treatments were mixtures with endosulfan, befenthrin of profenfos. There was a significant improvement in yield and fiber quality.
Takahashi and Yamaguchi 1994: Plant growth-regulating agents containing kojic acid and/or its salts applied tostems and leaves of fruit and vegetable plants accelerated their fruit maturity.
Beltrano et al. 1994: A humic substance obtained from the feces of the earthworms at a concentration of 1 mg carbon per liter cause root development from leaf explants that appears to be similar to indole acetic acid induced activity, while the control did not develop roots. Humate induced longer roots than those grown in indole acetic acid but with fewer hair roots.
REFERENCES:
Albuzio, A., G. Concheri, S. Nardi, and G. DellâAgnola. 1994. Effect of humic fractions of different molecular size on the development of oat seedlings grown in varied nutritional condition. Humic Subst. Global Environ. Implic. Hum. Health, Proc. Int. Meet. Humic Subst. Soc., 6th 1992; 199-204. Chem. Abstracts 121:229751 (1994)
I hate that most companies are so greedy they feel the need to have you burn your plants up just so you'll use a few more cents of their product faster. When will they ever learn? Looking forward to the results.