If you came here to learn how biology can improve ROI in your professional greenhouse… well, phones away, because class is in session!
Return on Investment is the most important consideration for every business. What you create with your business is as important as what you get out of it, especially when it’s your livelihood! Improving your ROI comes in two main forms: decreasing costs and increasing revenue. Biology can help you with both!
Decreasing Costs
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Making Applied and Existing Nutrients More Available
Applied fertility is a major cost factor for greenhouse growers. When your growing space is highly customized for specific crop success, you often rely on a carefully cultivated nutrient program to target your plant needs. In many cases, amendments are applied to the soil, but are not fully available. This can lead to overspending on fertility inputs, overapplication of nutrients, and a lower ROI.
Diverse microbiology helps to break down your fertility inputs and makes nutrients readily accessible. Published estimates on fertility efficiency have shown that plants only have availability to 30-70% of applied Nitrogen, 30-60% of applied Potassium, and 5-30% of applied Phosphorus. When you’re applying nutrients that your plant can’t access, you’ll apply more than needed, which still may not significantly increase your yield. Microbes can free up the nutrients in soil and break down fertility inputs so they are easier for plants to consume. You can get more out of your nutrient program while applying less!
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Resisting Pests, Diseases, and Seasonal Stress
Ensuring plant success means that growers may face some hurdles as the season goes on. Pests and diseases are detrimental in enclosed greenhouse spaces because they can be difficult to prevent, and even tougher to treat. When your crop is faced with common summer pathogens such as white mold, powdery mildew, and nematodes, diverse microbes can come to the rescue! Pathogens thrive in environments where there is little competition for resources. Living soils with broad-spectrum biology will naturally out-compete pathogens, and in some cases can directly combat them. Beneficial microbes work directly with your plant, acting as an extension of their immune system. When your plants are stronger and healthier, it is easier for them to resist pests and disease pressures. Microbes can not only save your crop from destruction, but limit biocides and pest-prevention needed for a safe harvest.
Increasing Revenue
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Bigger Yields
Nutrient availability is directly linked to crop size and yield size. As we mentioned earlier, much of the applied and existing nutrients in your soil are not readily mobile without the help of biology. Microbes working in your soil allow for nutrient breakdown and availability.
Additionally, beneficial microbes in your soil will develop symbiotic relationships with your plants and work directly at the root site to facilitate nutrient exchange. This exchange between microbes in your plants allows for the production of amino acids. Increased amino acids creates greater growth capacity for your plants, forming more flowering/fruiting sites on things like tomatoes and peppers. You may also see greater tip fill in corn, larger produce, and a shorter time to harvest for crops with biology applied at planting!
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Improving Profit through Better Crop Quality
Healthy plants produce root exudates, which microbes use as fuel to convert minerals and other nutrients into a bioavailable form that plants can then consume. The more microbially diverse your soil’s ecosystem is, the more your plants can consume different nutrients that are present in your soil. Better macronutrient uptake and secondary nutrients are important for plant function. However, micronutrients and trace nutrients are often ignored in this equation and can play essential roles in growing nutrient-dense produce. Greater microbial diversity means that more species are working in your soil to get your plants the inputs they need. More nutritious crops have a better flavor, brighter colors, a naturally extended shelf life and are worth more to consumers.
The diverse microbiology in Activated Compost and BIOACTIVE LiquiLifeTM goes beyond creating healthy living soil. Microbes can support your business by decreasing your fertility and management costs, and increase both yield and crop quality. Learn more by talking to our team of experts!