The Biotic Fertilizer™ Advantage

How does a biotic fertilizer™ work? It works as a biological fuel. For about 150 years turf management agriculture has been mired in the mistaken belief that the soil is mostly a chemical medium. Now we know that soil fertility is the result of biological activity. Chemicals can affect this activity, in both a positive and a negative manner. The very best soils are and always will be the result of topsoil microorganisms storing nutrients from decomposed organic matter in the soil, in the form of stable carbon-structured nutrients. The very best of nature’s soils do not require any fertilizer. Biotic fertilizers™ are designed to mimic and surpass nature’s ability to build soil fertility. Biotic fertilizer™ nutrients transform into stable fertility nutrients far more efficiently and quickly than nature’s own cycle of annual nutrient replenishment and fertility build. 
Soil scientists believe that an acre of healthy topsoil contains about one ton of bacteria, one ton of fungus and two to three tons of other living microorganisms. These living microorganisms are the source of soil fertility as a result of their actions and populations. Topsoil bacteria are the first responders to a flood of new organic nutrition into the topsoil. When organic nutrients are provided to the topsoil, bacteria go to work to devour the food, and their population “blooms.” With an increase in food comes an increase in the population of beneficial soil bacteria. 
Bacteria can double their population within to an hour. They live only a short time before they divide and then die. The waste materials from this process are the materials that stay in the soil in the form of stable soil acids. 
Soil acids are the complex pigmented polymers that contain all the nutrients in the bodies of the bacteria and, in turn, are available to provide soluble ionic forms of nutrients to plants and turf. Eventually, as the nutrition is used, the entire mass of the bloom is left and incorporated into the topsoil. 
By building large populations of microbes in soil, a turf manager can increase soil fertility naturally. By providing adequate amounts of Biotic Fertility™ to soils, nutrients in soil can be efficiently increased on a cost-effective basis. Providing sufficient nutrients to allow the turf to reach its full genetic potential. At the same time, the usable nutrient levels in the soils are being amended and made sustainable.

The Unique Advantages of Perfect Blend Biotic Fertilizers
Complete Biotic Nutrition 
Perfect Blend biotic formulations are nutritionally complete and balanced. Perfect Blend formulations are complete with a balanced formulation of the primary, secondary and trace mineral nutrients necessary to achieve the highest level of microbial growth. As a result, Perfect Blend avoids the problems that occur when soil microbes receive only partial nutrition, which results in a slower pattern of stop-and-start growth of microbial populations. 


pH-Balanced Formulations 
Perfect Blend biotic fertilizers are made using proprietary stepped algorithms to lower the pH of the manure feedstock from a mid-seven range to the low-six range that is ideal for use by soil microbes. This process provides a pH-balanced formulation that soil microbes find much more favorable than unbalanced blended compost or mono-ingredient formulations. 

Homogenized Formulations 
Fertilizers that are simply blended are not necessarily homogenized. Perfect Blend biotic fertilizers are homogenized, maximizing the efficiency of transformation from a solid state into forms that are microbial accessible. 

Chelated Nutrients 
Mineral nutrients in Perfect Blend biotic fertilizers are chelated during manufacturing. This allows the mineral nutrients in Perfect Blend biotic fertilizers to be immediately available in proper ionic form for use by plants and soil microbes. Perfect Blend biotic fertilizers avoid the need for in-ground chelation, which is a process required of other fertilizers and soil amendments.


THE BENEFITS OF SOIL ACIDS 
These powerful humic substances are the foundation of all good soils. Soil acids – and their moisture-rich forms, soil acid gels – are universally found in healthy topsoil all over the world, in all climates and in all soil types. 
Soil Acids Store Nutrients from Decomposed 
Organic Matter 
All elemental nutrients from decomposed organic matter are stored in the form of soil acids until needed by plants or soil organisms. 
Soil Acids Feed Plants Directly 
Fulvic acid is trans-cellular, meaning it can easily pass into turf roots, carrying with it the stored primary, secondary and trace mineral nutrients critical to a plant’s health. 
Soil Acids Feed Plants Indirectly 
Soil acids are a primary source of food for soil microbes. As they reproduce and die, the microbes leave behind their protein-rich bodies, which contain 14% nitrogen as well as secondary nutrients. 
Soil Acids Enrich and Protect the Soil 
Soil acids collect and hold moisture in their structures up to 98% of their volume, forming gels that separate soil particles and create aggregation. In heavy rainfall, these gels protect soil from erosion. 
Soil Acids are a Primary Chelation Mechanism 
Soil acids act as a primary chelating agent to render elemental minerals into a chelated carbon molecular form that plants and microbes can easily use.

The Benefits of Mycorrhizal Fungi
What are mycorrhizal fungi? 
Mycorrhizae is a root fungus, often thought of as the bio­logical cornerstone of plant life on earth, dating back to the beginning of time. More than 90% of plants in nature have established a highly beneficial, symbiotic relationship with this unique group of soil organisms. Mycorrhizal fun­gus colonies grow in and around plant roots, sending out thousands of tiny tubes into the surrounding soils to find and uptake plant nutrients. These hollow tubes, known as hyphae, are primary conduits of minerals, soil-contained amino acids, phytochemicals, moisture and a multitude of other nutrients. The mycorrhizal fungus feeds the plants, and in return the plants provide CO2 and other nutrients to the fungus. The fungus also stores any excess, unneeded nutrients for future plant use in the form of glomalin, a high-grade nutrient source. The tiny mycorrhizal hyphae are vital in forming high-grade organic soils, as is glomalin, which becomes an important component of soil organic matter. 
Vital mycorrhizal colonies can vanish due to over-fertilization, compaction or previous misuse. Perfect Blend fertiliz­ers reinforce existing colonies and re-start new mycorrhizal colonies in soils where natural colonies have been lost. The high-quality nutrients provided by Perfect Blend fertilizers are formulated at the right pH and nutrient balance for optimum mycorrhizae growth. 
Should you use mycorrhizae in your turf program? 
Perfect Blend has documented higher-quality turf grasses from mycorrhiza-inoculated fertilizers. To find out whether your golf course would benefit from mycorrhizae, give us a call today and ask for a technical consultant who will help you make that determination. 
What are the other benefits of mycorrhizal fungi? 
Increased drought protection, better moisture manage­ment in root zone profiles, increased soil values and more robust plants are all benefits derived from mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhiza is not a silver bullet that will immediately correct abused soils or poorly cultivated turf. It is, however, a valuable tool for superintendents who want to maximize the genetic potential of their courses.