The post-harvest period is the most important time for the farmer, since the management carried out during this stage determines the profitability of the next productive season.. EEarly soil conditioning should always be considered when we think about establishing sustainable production systems..
A successful post-harvest is characterized by:
- Accumulation of reserves
- Phytosanitary and abiotic protection
- Replenishment of nutrients and water reserves
Soil is the most important resource in agriculture given the multiplicity of functions it performs, among which the following stand out: supporting the plants, containing and exchanging with the crop the nutrients it needs and being the water reservoir from which the plants obtain their water requirements. In cherry trees, conditioning the soil during post-harvest and/or winter break allows for correcting the limiting factors of the productive expression of the orchard at a physical, chemical and biological level.
One of the most effective and sustainable practices to improve the soil is the periodic application of high-quality humic substances, as its positive effects have been consistently demonstrated over time. From the point of view of the soil's hydraulic properties, organic matter directly impacts porosity, moisture retention and aeration capacity, the latter being a key factor in achieving good root growth. Organic matter in the soil acts as a glue or cementing agent, which allows the different mineral particles that make up the soil, such as clay, sand and silt, to be joined and maintained together; these unions form aggregates of particles and the spaces that form between them are nothing other than the pores of the soil, through which water and air flow.
These pores constitute a network of channels of different sizes and capacities, thanks to which it is possible to achieve the circulation of water and air, and also allow the retention of water over time, ensuring a reservoir that can be available to the plants; also this volume of pores facilitates the exploration and growth of the roots, keeps the soil spongy and favors gas exchange. The result of this physicochemical modification carried out in advance of the profile ensures that the cherry orchard awakens in spring under optimal conditions to express its potential and therefore obtain higher yields.
From the perspective of efficient water use, its availability for irrigation is always scarce and critical, so post-harvest soil conditioning must also be a fundamental part of any strategy for cherry producers that aims to improve their management.
Another limitation in different cherry orchards is the poor soil fertility, the lack of microbiological activity and the low radical activity. To improve this condition and enhance management during post-harvest, various investigations have validated the biostimulant effect of the seaweed extract Ascophyllum nodosum, together with the protective action of roots from PGPR bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, with unsurpassed beneficial effects on poor, depleted soils, with low natural fertility or with a history of pathogens (Phytophthora, Fusarium, Erwinia or others) and at the same time activating natural defense mechanisms of crops in adverse situations.
It is for all the above mentioned that Early soil conditioning should always be considered when thinking about establishing sustainable production systems.
Post-harvest soil conditioning in cherry orchards allows:
- Increased soil bioactivity (structure, CEC, drainage)
- Greater water retention capacity (irrigation or rain)
- Radical biostimulation, better rooting and greater exploration
- Health and rhizosphere protection
- Promote the movement and washing of salts during the winter
- Optimize the thermal condition of the soil, providing a better environment for roots and microorganisms.
- Better conditions for sprouting and vegetative growth
- Stagger applications throughout the crop cycle.
AMecological is a leader in Chile in the development and use of products based on humic substances and biostimulants, thanks to the close collaboration with the company Humintech, which exploits the Leonardite deposits located in Germany; this material exhibits the highest levels of measured oxidation and bioactivity in the soil compared to other sources, which has transformed these products into references in their segments of use.
Considering this type of amendment in modern agriculture will not only bring short-term benefits, measured as productivity or quality of the final product, but will also allow us to preserve and enhance the qualities of the soils that are currently used for production, a fact that must be kept in mind when we understand that it is a finite resource, increasingly scarce and the basis of the food of future generations.
To achieve the above, we have BIOHEALTH® BS WGS, a soil improver and biostimulant for post-harvest with success in various crops, especially in cherry orchards. It is a soluble 100% formulation, unique in its kind, that integrates the power of the humic extract from German Leonardite, with the stimulating effect of the seaweed extract from Ascophyllum nodosum and support to the radical system by activating the natural defense mechanisms of crops against adverse situations thanks to the action of Bacillus subtilis.
BioHealth is especially effective in impoverished soils or in crops that are very sensitive to soil diseases, since It restores fertile potential, while stimulating and protecting plant roots, priority functions during the post-harvest period where a healthy and active rhizosphere is needed to accumulate reserves.
BIOHEALTH® BS WGS is a soil conditioner with a comprehensive effect on both plant roots and the soil itself, since, in addition to improving and restoring the general structure and being an activator of soil biota, it actively stimulates root growth, a fundamental stage prior to the winter break.
The only soil amendment with triple action:
- Improves physical and chemical condition of the soil (Structure, CEC, PAU, HAA)
- Increases microorganism activity and soil fertility – Activation of natural plant defense mechanisms (health) and promotion of microbial balance in the soil and rhizosphere
- Stimulates root growth – Biostimulation and radical strengthening to improve the accumulation of reserves and absorption of nutrients and resistance to abiotic stress (drought, salinity, high and low temperatures) and biotic stress (pathogens).
What determines the quality of humic substances?
- German origin: The nature of humic acids is determined by the parent material from which they originated, the prevailing climate, topography and the conditions of formation. Therefore, the deposits of humic substances in different countries of the world are not equivalent to each other.
- Bioactivity: Higher degree of humification, high level of oxidation and greater stability of the functional groups.
- Homogeneity: International certifications that guarantee the composition under ISO 19822 analytical method, certified by HPTA / AAPFCO / IHSS
- Concentration and viability of inoculums.
- Formulation: 100% soluble
- Scientific validation: hundreds of international publications, national technical studies and commercial applications.
