Why N-P-K is not sufficient

Pangaio Living Soil Humus (microbe enriched) can function as an organic fertilizer with excellent fertilization, plant protection and soil improvement properties. It is produced from carefully selected biomass such as wood chips, leaves from native trees, fresh green field cuttings and hay. On the basis of an aerobic thermophilic composting process, the humus is enriched with beneficial microorganisms. Pangaio Living Soil Humus (microbe enriched) has a laboratory-controlled high quality.  

Macro and Micro Nutrients

Pangaio Living Soil Humus (microbe enriched) contains all the standard nutrients that are essential for the plant. 

However, this is more or less just a positive side-effect.

The main benefit stems from the beneficial microorganisms. In communication with the plants (through root exucdes), the soil food web will provide plants with all the nutrients they need!

Not just N-P-K. This is the key to healthy soil. And the key to abundant plant growth. 

Micro Nutrients

So let’s talk about micro nutrients.  

Practically every aspect of micronutrient chemistry is related to organic binding or chelation (Stevenson 1972b), but micronutrient deficiencies are difficult to show through standard soil or tissue analysis. 

Soil is crucial for micronutrient storage such as Br, Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe and Cl, which can reduce the severity of plant disease by increasing disease tolerance and resistance of plants to pathogens. 

In particular, micronutrients have significant effects on controlling soilborne plant fungal diseases. Micronutrients can reduce disease to a satisfactory level or at least to a level at which further control by other conventional organic biocides or traditional practices is cheap and more fruitful. 

That is why the soil microbiome is so important – it can provide the micronutrients which and when and where they are needed. 

Phosphate Challenge – Solved by Microbes 

Only 10–20% of the fertilizer phosphate applied to soil is absorbed and utilized by crops (Holford, 1997). 

Most of the rest becomes immobilized in the inorganic and organic fractions of the soil, i.e. not available to crop roots. The other small portion flows to rivers, ponds, lakes, etc., causing their pollution. 

Inorganic phosphate forms insoluble salts with counter cations such as Fe3+, Al3+, and Ca2+. 

In other words, farmers have paradoxically stored up great amounts of fertilizer phosphorus in their fields, not available to plants! 

Phosphate solubilizing micro-organisms can turn these build-ups into plant available phosphate again.  

The importance of organic matter 

The nutrients contained in Pangaio Living Soil Humus (microbe enriched) are retained inside and attached to the organic matter, in a form that can be absorbed gradually by the plants. This way without immobilization in the soil or leaching out through watering or rain. 

Due to this and to the continous work of the microorganisms contained in Pangaio Living Soil Humus (microbe enriched), nutrients are release gradually and slowly, inline with the absorption by the plants.  

Chemical fertilizers feed plants only with selected elements, usually nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K). Plants that are fertilized with chemical fertilizers are therefore undernourished concerning other elements. This may not be immediately reflected in crop yield. But soil and plant health will suffer, showing as reduced plant vigor (and especially underdeveloped rootsystems), increased sensitivity to adverse climate (drought, cold) and of course the taste and nutrient density of the crop.