The ingredients used to formulate GMS are low in heavy metal concentration. This helps to make GMS safe to feed to animals. Our experience with chemical analyses of various fertilizers and feeding minerals have shown that the heavy metal concentrations of GMS are the lowest in the organic fertilizer, the inorganic fertilizer, and the animal mineral businesses.

As a side note, we have learned that the type of testing procedure is very important to determine the correct levels of heavy metals in the finished product or its raw ingredients.

The minerals used in GMS are pure. Many times, the fertilizer industry uses very low cost materials that tend to be high in concentrations of heavy metals. Many agronomists disregard the heavy metals concentration in fertilizer. They believe the soil will absorb the heavy metals, thereby detoxifying those minerals.

GMS is formulated differently than most fertility materials with the idea of using ingredients that are low in heavy metal concentration. This is one reason GMS is safe to feed to animals. Other fertilizers could be toxic to the animals.

All plant tissue is composed of 96 to 97% carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).

Let's grow 150 bushels per acre of corn. According to a current study ("Nutrient Removal by Corn Grain Harvest"); we would need 219 pounds of nutrients. Remember the three most abundant elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are free. Growers Mineral would recommend 8 gallons of GMS, which is 91.2 pounds with another 80 pounds of nitrogen to give us 171 (91+80) pounds of applied elements.

We now have a gap of nutrients of 48 pounds per acre (219-171). Using the Growers Composition of Soil chart (Section 2) for silt loam soil, we arrive at 61,725 pounds of elements for an acre of soil that is 7 inches in depth.

In conclusion, if we are going to "wear out" soil by keeping roots in the top 7 inches of soil, we need 1,286 years (61,725/48) for that "wear out" to occur.

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The preferred limestone should have a percentage of calcium close to 8 times higher than the percentage of magnesium. Limestone with high levels of calcium and low levels of magnesium will not raise the pH of the soil to levels where nutrients are unavailable. To determine the exact needs of their particular operation, a producer must set up comparison plots.

High calcium and low magnesium limestone required

When discussing limestone, it is important to define the chemical composition of that limestone. For implementing the Growers Program, the percentage of calcium in the limestone must be to be close to 8 times higher than the percentage of magnesium.

Calcium and pH

When applied to soil, this limestone will change the pH of the soil much less than limestone that is higher in magnesium. According to the article "Rely on pH for Calcium Needs?" (Section 3), calcium does not make the pH of the soil rise to levels that would injure a growing crop.

Many people have seen the Nutrient Availability chart of Soil pH and believe all limestone will increase soil pHs to levels that create nutrient unavailability. Limestone with high levels of calcium and low levels of magnesium will not raise the pH of the soil to levels where nutrients are unavailable.

Amounts of calcium

At this point, there is some confusion about the Growers Program. The casual investigator often concludes that the program needs high quantities of limestone to make it a success.

Dr. Tiedjens was only concerned for the farmer's economic success. He wanted the farmer to apply only the amount of correct limestone that would improve the farmer's financial footing.

Comparison plots

High organic matter soils and high clay soils that have strong buffering capacities often require large quantities of limestone. However, this is not always the case. Comparison plots are the best method to determine a particular field's needs.

Field experience

Our field experience has taught us that using GMS in combination with high calcium lime on the soil produces the best results in sustainability. Many times, however circumstances are such that using both parts of the Growers Program are not possible. The operation may only use the GMS part of the program.

Without applying high calcium lime, farmers can still have success with GMS. However, always remember that if GMS stimulates excellent root growth, the growth will be much more successful in porous soil than in dense soil.

Balanced fertility approach

In today's agriculture, the fertility emphasis centers on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. There is very little being said about using a balanced fertility approach.

When the balanced fertility of GMS is applied, either as a starter, in the transplant water, or as a foliar feeding material, the health and quality of the plant are superior. When the plant is "hog feeding" on individual elements, the imbalanced plant can give high production if no stress is present. However, under stressful conditions, the unbalanced condition can cause severe production or quality problems.

Quality raw materials

GMS is produced with top quality and pure raw ingredients. Any heavy metal contamination introduced into the plant or the soil environment will weaken the biological complex. In this situation, environmental stress will affect the plant more directly.

Thus, in years when the environment remains ideal for plant growth and production, the introduction of toxins is not important. However, in environmental stressful years, any toxic introductions, past or present, will cause quality and production problems. Both quality raw materials and balanced fertility influence the long-term sustainability of agriculture.

Using only GMS

There are many times customers use only GMS without using high calcium limestone. Typical examples include; GMS as a starter or foliar spray on rental ground, and adding GMS as a supplement in foliar herbicide sprays to rented land without applying high calcium lime.

GMS can be used quite successfully without applying high calcium lime. Always remember that if a clean, balanced, and high phosphorus nutritional source stimulates excellent root growth, that growth will be much more successful in porous soil rather than in dense soil.

Since the beginning, vegetative feeding has existed with all forms of plant life. In the early 1950's, scientists proved conclusively that plants could absorb minerals through their above-ground parts. In general, they proved that 95 percent of the minerals applied to the above-ground parts of the plant were absorbed into the plant. Only 10 percent of the minerals applied to the plants through the soil were absorbed.

Origins

Foliar feeding has existed with all forms of plant life. The marine algae and most other aquatic plants live in a one-phase water environment. The entire plant surface absorbs all the necessities of life, including minerals.

Leaf absorption research

As early as 1844, published reports demonstrated the use of the salts of various minerals as sprays for leaf feeding. In the early 1950s, Michigan State University scientists proved that plants could absorb minerals through their above-ground parts. They used radioactive isotopes of the minerals and tracked them with a Geiger counter.

The idea that plants absorb nutrients through their roots is commonly accepted. Nutrient transportation then occurs to other portions of the plant. MSU researchers Bukovac, Teubner, Tuky, and Wittwer proved that the reverse of this process also occurs: there is an uptake of nutrients through the stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of plants.

Research conclusions

These MSU researchers stated that minerals are absorbed by the above-ground plant parts and move rather freely in the plant. The amounts absorbed may seem rather small, but to offset that problem, the efficiency is very high. In general, they proved that 95 percent of the minerals applied to the above-ground parts of the plant were absorbed into the plant. While plants absorbed only 10 percent of the minerals applied to them through the soil.

The theory of GMS and the Growers Program is completely different from the accepted philosophy of the industry. Over 65 years of experience in the agricultural business has shown us that to cultivate a knowledgeable customer, we must use education to promote our program.

In the past. Growers Mineral put the majority of advertising funds towards the education of our sales force and customers. Our main approach to sales has been word of mouth. Due to this, the opportunity to learn about Growers Mineral Solutions (GMS) and the Growers Program has not been available to some general areas of agriculture. More recently, Growers Mineral has added other marketing channels.

Introducing Growers Mineral Solutions (GMS) directly to the seed and root or when sprayed on the plant is the most efficient use of mineral resources. The plant has direct exposure to GMS. To be effective, the raw materials in GMS must be very clean and contain the smallest amounts of toxic heavy metals. This extra purification comes with a significant added expense. The efficiency of using smaller amounts of minerals can decrease input costs while achieving higher quality results.

The heavy metals that may be present in conventional fertilizer may also affect the biological life of the soil environment. Lowered heavy metal concentration in the soil environment, can improve the biological life of the soil. This can improve productivity with minimal input cost.

A very good reference book that discusses the quality contents of fertilizers is Fateful Harvest by Duff Wilson.

Direct plant exposure requires clean materials

The philosophy of GMS and the Growers Program is to bring a small amount of mineral nutrition to the plant at crucial times in its life cycle. The minerals are applied directly to the seed, the roots at transplant, or on the plant during reproductive growth. The plant has direct exposure to the minerals.

Hydroponics background

Early on, Dr. Tiedjens experimented with hydroponics, the science of growing plants in a nutrient-rich solution. The plants have no soil system to buffer the changes in the liquid surrounding their roots. To have direct exposure to the plant in solution, the minerals in the solution must be very clean and contain only a small amount of toxic heavy metals. Larger concentrations of heavy metals cause severe damage to the plant tissue.

Purified minerals are more expensive

To overcome this limitation, Dr. Tiedjens used purified minerals to formulate GMS. Only then could GMS be used directly on the seed, roots or for foliar spraying. More energy expense is required to achieve the extra purification. This is a significant added expense.

Purified minerals improve product quality and can decrease input cost

Smaller amounts of purified minerals are required to achieve the same or better results. This quickly recovers the added purification expense. Many times the use of purified minerals improves the quality of the finished product. Depending on the crop and market, higher quality may bring financial benefits, which helps to offset the higher cost of purification.

Heavy metals that may be present in the conventional fertilizer may also affect the biological life of the soil environment. Many times, by lowering the heavy metal concentration in the soil environment, the biological life of the soil improves. This provides a soil environment that yields very healthy and abundant production. Healthy biological life in the soil gives very good production with minimal input cost.

A very good reference book that discusses the quality contents of fertilizers is Fateful Harvest by Duff Wilson.

You should have no problems with 100 mesh screens applying 4 gallons of GMS and 1 gallon of water. Make sure your tank is clean. Do not allow any dirt or particulate matter to get into the tank.