Plants can be demanding in the best of times. Anyone from first time gardeners to experienced farmers can attest to this fact. There are numerous elements including soil conditioners that need to be carefully considered and monitored when raising anything from flowers to fruits and vegetables to growing grass. In order for plants to flower and grow properly, they need plenty of sunlight, water, nutrients, proper heat, oxygen, and space. Resources like sunlight, temperature, air, and space rely on location and the time of year, therefore, the grower is responsible for knowing when and where to plant their seeds.

The final two resources for plants are more difficult. You can certainly plant in an area with good rainfall and nutrient rich soil or use an irrigation system and fertilizers to ensure they get enough of each. However, even with these resources, the plants may not grow optimally. What it really comes down to, is the nutrient retaining capabilities of the soil. Different parts of the world have vastly differing soil types, as seen in this map that charts the 12 soil orders defined by the US Dept of Agriculture (USDA). Each soil has different levels of metals, minerals, silt, sand, gravel, clay, and organic material. Certain soil types will leach nutrients faster or are too porous to hold water for very long.

People tend to think of fertilizers as the ultimate solution for any issues with growing plants, vegetables or even grass, but many of them are merely nutritional supplements. However, there has been work done in developing fertilizer additives that, when combined with common fertilizers and applied to the application areas, will improve nutrient availability, condition the local soil, and increase the amount of moisture the soil can hold.

What is Power-Z granular soil conditioner media?

Genesis Water Technologies, Inc. has developed one such granular soil conditioner media known as Power-Z. This soil additive media utilizes a synergistic blend of natural bio-organic ingredients integrating the unique properties of the natural compound zeolite with other specific ingredients to improve the inherent qualities of the local soil, reduce water by up to 50% and optimize fertilizer use in the process.

Different types of zeolites have made great strides in the water treatment industry in filtration media and other specific applications. This mineral is a hydrated aluminosilicate that can be found in different parts of the world. These minerals have a microporous structure, allowing them to act as molecular sieves with additional adsorptive and cation exchange capabilities.

Integrating the unique characteristics of a hydrated aluminosilicate blended with other bio-organic ingredients can enable the ability of the planting soil to handle large amounts of water, absorb fertilizing nutrients, and slowly release both as needed by the plant root system while also trapping toxic contaminants that may be in the soil or irrigation water.

How can Power-Z be used? Why is it beneficial for the environment?

Farms, plant nurseries, golf courses, landscapes, and other large scale plant maintenance facilities can be susceptible to problems involving excessive water and fertilizer use, groundwater penetration, and or eutrophication with subsequent harmful algal blooms in local surface water sources. These critical issues are caused by improper retention and release of water and nutrients to root systems.

Fertilizers can leach into the ground past the plants root systems to where they cannot get to the nutrients. In addition, during heavier rains, loose fertilizer on the soil surface can be washed away in this storm water further polluting ground water and surface water sources with excess nutrients. Similar things happen with water, either it cannot penetrate into the ground depending on soil type, therefore running off or failing to penetrate below the topsoil. In such cases, plants may not be absorbing a significant portion of what growers supply to them. This has resulted in wasted resources that need to be replaced, driving up spending and causing algal blooms which are deadly to marine life.

When fertilizer nutrients are not absorbed by plants, they have to go somewhere. Two such places are groundwater and surface water sources. Groundwater is a big source for drinking water, therefore, contamination with plant nutrients would require additional water treatment prior to use before its safe to drink. In surface water sources, extra nitrogen from fertilizers can cause eutrophication, whereby harmful algal blooms develop, and aquatic life is deprived of oxygen as it is siphoned from the water by the growing population of these algae and bacterial colonies.

What Issues Can Power Z Solve?

Power-Z granular soil conditioner media solves essentially two main issues, these issues are optimizing plant growth and yield and significantly reducing nutrient leaching, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms and water usage.

Nutrients from fertilizers are absorbed into the molecular structure of the Power-Z granular soil conditioner media instead of becoming lost in the soil or leached from storm water. As plants require these nutrients, the media through its slow release ion exchange mechanism releases these nutrients to the plants root system. The Power-Z media provides a similar slow release mechanism for absorbed water, providing water to the root system as needed by the plants.

In this way, nutrients are not washed away or leached underground and water is withheld near the root system where it provides the most optimal value for growth, instead of running off into surface water or penetrating further underground.

Horticulture and agriculture growers can save money and increase potential profits by optimizing fertilizers and plant beds to withstand drought conditions and increase plant growth and harvest yields integrating the Power-Z soil additive media.

Do you want to know more about how Power-Z granular soil conditioner media can increase the quality and yield of your plant growing or landscape operations while reducing cost? Contact Power Z Agriculture, a dedicated agriculture focused division of Genesis Water Technologies by phone at 1-877-267-3699 or email us at customersupport@powerzagriculture.com to discuss your application and how GWT Power-Z can assist your agriculture or landscaping operations.