DoctorSteve
10-06-2010, 02:05 PM
So I got a sample of a product called Azos from a company called Rainforest Technologies International | Reforest.com (http://www.reforest.com/)
The product is a bacteria that fixes nitrogen in the soil. After talking with one of the companies representatives about bananas and the forum he offered me a sample to try. Here is what he wrote in an email:
Pricing is $22.50 for the 6oz bag, and $39.99 for the 12oz size. The bacteria is macro-encapsulated and has a shelf life of at least two years.
Although Azos is relatively new, it has actually been used in for hundreds of years. It's a fundamental part of soil biology, and is still mainly used in 3rd world countries where either nitrogen fertilizer is too expensive, or the abundance of farmers cause dead zones in seas and oceans due to the run-off of the fertilizer. In fact, in Mexico, the state offers azospirillum brasilense for free to farmers, however because of a lack of understanding of the bacteria, not enough of the people take advantage of the offer.
Other than fixating nitrogen from the atmosphere (by converting from N2 to NH3) Azos naturally encourages the production of IAA (indole-3-acetic-acid) within the plant, a growth hormone which boosts root growth, (allowing for greater surface for mykos to colonize) and helps keep the fruit on the vine longer, giving larger growth.
I told him I would post the results,so here are some before and after pictures. Sorry I am not the best photographer.
Goldfinger before
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37293&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37293&ppuser=7090)
Goldfinger after
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37294&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37294&ppuser=7090)
Goldfinger leaf before
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37295&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37295&ppuser=7090)
Goldfinger leaf after
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37296&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37296&ppuser=7090)
Pisang Raja before
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37300&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37300&ppuser=7090)
Pisang Raja after
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37299&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37299&ppuser=7090)
Azos
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37304&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37304&ppuser=7090)
As you can see the leaves have become a darker green which became much more apparent to me in the pictures. Before the pictures I did see a change in color especially in the GF. The pictures just showed how much. Sorry about the after pictures, I was taking them before the sun was setting, so if it looks like I just darkened the pictures, I didn't.
The product is a bacteria that fixes nitrogen in the soil. After talking with one of the companies representatives about bananas and the forum he offered me a sample to try. Here is what he wrote in an email:
Pricing is $22.50 for the 6oz bag, and $39.99 for the 12oz size. The bacteria is macro-encapsulated and has a shelf life of at least two years.
Although Azos is relatively new, it has actually been used in for hundreds of years. It's a fundamental part of soil biology, and is still mainly used in 3rd world countries where either nitrogen fertilizer is too expensive, or the abundance of farmers cause dead zones in seas and oceans due to the run-off of the fertilizer. In fact, in Mexico, the state offers azospirillum brasilense for free to farmers, however because of a lack of understanding of the bacteria, not enough of the people take advantage of the offer.
Other than fixating nitrogen from the atmosphere (by converting from N2 to NH3) Azos naturally encourages the production of IAA (indole-3-acetic-acid) within the plant, a growth hormone which boosts root growth, (allowing for greater surface for mykos to colonize) and helps keep the fruit on the vine longer, giving larger growth.
I told him I would post the results,so here are some before and after pictures. Sorry I am not the best photographer.
Goldfinger before
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37293&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37293&ppuser=7090)
Goldfinger after
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37294&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37294&ppuser=7090)
Goldfinger leaf before
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37295&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37295&ppuser=7090)
Goldfinger leaf after
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37296&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37296&ppuser=7090)
Pisang Raja before
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37300&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37300&ppuser=7090)
Pisang Raja after
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37299&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37299&ppuser=7090)
Azos
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37304&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37304&ppuser=7090)
As you can see the leaves have become a darker green which became much more apparent to me in the pictures. Before the pictures I did see a change in color especially in the GF. The pictures just showed how much. Sorry about the after pictures, I was taking them before the sun was setting, so if it looks like I just darkened the pictures, I didn't.