Mineral MAX AG Ingredients
“The effective integration of carbon, minerals, and microbes in farm and forestry management provides solutions to nutrient loss and helps mitigate point source solutions of primary nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.”
—Tom Vanacore, Rock Dust Local, rockdustlocal.com
The Mineral MAX AG formula is highly mineralized; all ingredients enrich and add minerals to9 soil and compost, promote vegetative and root growth, increase fruiting and flowering, enhance the flavor of produce, increase plant resistance to diseases and pests, boost plant starts, and reduce plant water needs. They play a major role in chlorophyll development and the photosynthesis process. All mineral ingredients contain silica and trace elements.
Blue-Green Algae (Aphanizomenon Flos-aquae): Blue-Green algae is packed with biologically active vitamins, enzymes, chlorophyll, fatty acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, trace minerals, pigments, and other essential growth factors. Our Blue-Green algae is sustainably harvested from Klamath Lake. For more information, please see the several articles and web links on Blue-Green Algae under the Articles and Links navigation buttons on this website.
Oregon Tilth, WSDA & CDFA certified for organic crops
Icelandic Kelp: Kelp is a brown-colored marine alga that has been used as a mineral-rich plant fertilizer since the beginning of agriculture. It boosts soil fertility, improves water retention capacity, and contributes over 70 minerals and vitamins to soil which benefits plant health. Kelp increases chlorophyll production in plants which allows plant root systems to grow faster and develop greater mass resulting in stronger and larger plants. Its restorative effect on plants is largely due to its high levels of cytokinin, a natural growth hormone. Kelp provides resistance to disease and cold temperatures and mitigates transplant shock by augmenting plant defenses. It is popular worldwide rinsed and mulched in many gardens and farms.
The fronds of this Kelp are harvested from a bay in Iceland. The cold-water nutrient-rich trace minerals contain a high amount of Potassium and 1% Nitrogen. Thorvin makes a highly concentrated rapid-dissolving powder suitable for foliar application, liquid solutions, or any combination of fertilizers. It can also be applied separately.
The nitrogen contained in this material is organic and in a natural form, so it does not cause burns. The fronds uptake nutrients from seawater. Kelp collects minerals, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and other bioactive properties. This material is sustainably harvested using naturally occurring geothermal drying. Kelp helps nourish the microbial communities in the soil. It re-mineralizes the soil providing the essential minerals for plant growth and development. It boosts nutrient uptake which supports plant growth and vigor and contributes to the nutrient density of crops, grains, vegetables, and fruit.
Kelp can be used while watering and transplanting herbs, flowers, vegetables, fruit, lawns, trees, and specialty crops. This material can be added to compost, used as a top dressing, or added to compost tea. Kelp is an essential part of our Mineral-Max formula. Kelp can be applied at any time, but the optimum times are early morning or late in the day.
(1% Water Soluble Nitrogen, 0% Available Phosphate, 18% Soluble Potash)
OMRI listed, USDA Organic Program; Icelandic harvest of Ascophyllum Nodosum Kelp; Thorvin thorvin.com
Humates DG (25% Humic acid, 25% Fulvic acid): Humates are dark-colored compressed organic carbon compounds that remain in the soil after the natural degradation of biomatter. Humates have long been recognized for their many beneficial impacts on soil and plant growth. They contain growth promotants that enhance cell division and cell elongation. Beneficial microbes and fungi such as mycorrhizal fungi are encouraged to flourish. They stabilize nitrogen and carbon and increase their efficiency while increasing the solubility and stability of phosphorous & potassium. Humates help stop carbon leaching while supporting water, nutrients, and oxygen intake to the soil and slow down the release of water. Microbes break down the size of the nutrients for plants to absorb them more easily. They can be applied in every possible way. Humates are cost-effective, holding up to 20 times their weight in water (including providing worm tunnels). This reduces the amount of water needed for crop irrigation. .
Humates are classified into three distinct categories: Humic acid, Fulvic acid, and Humins; they complement each other and enhance their overall effectiveness. Humins are large-sized molecules whose primary role is to improve soil structure and increase water-holding capacity. Humic acids function as essential ion exchange and chelation agents. Humates help plants handle stress more effectively and promote more rapid recovery when needed.
CDFA, OMRI listed, New Mexico
Humic Acid: Elements easily bind to humic acids in a form that can readily be absorbed by turf roots and microorganisms. They increase cell wall permeability which also enhances nutrient uptake. They chelate toxic metals preventing harmful material from entering the plant. They stimulate microbial activity in soil, increase water retention, and stimulate root and shoot growth, therefore resulting in improved soil texture.
Fulvic Acid: Fulvic acids are smaller molecules that consist mostly of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Like humic acids, they are formed through microbial decay. They contain twice as much oxygen as humic acids and are more biologically active. The principal benefit of fulvic acids is their ability to bind to nutrients and transfer those nutrients to plants. They can carry a nutrient amount many times their weight. Fulvic provides slow vital nutrient release, chelates toxins & magnifies root growth.
AZOMITE® Volcanic Ash Deposit (Micronized Grade): A 30-million-year-old highly mineralized volcanic ash complex formed in Grand Mesa, Utah from an ancient volcanic eruption into an inland seabed. The seawater cooled & fused volcanic rock dust. AZOMITE® is micronized rock dust. It is organic and contains a variety of trace minerals including Calcium (1.8%), Magnesium (0.5%), Silicon, Manganese, and Potassium. In addition to adding minerals to soil, AZOMITE® also helps soil retain moisture, strengthens plants, helps plants resist pests and diseases.wakes up its microbial, and encourages root growth. The benefits of using AZOMITE® include larger crop yields and more flavorful and colorful produce with a greater nutritional value.
CDFA, OMRI listed, Utah
Charcoal Powder is a great additive to soil. Coconut charcoal increases the nutrient and water retention capabilities of soil, provides a beneficial home for microbes, and helps protect plants from bacterial and fungal growth.
OMRI listed, NOP compliant, Canada
Orange Oil (Florida, steam-distilled D-Limonene): This powerful cleaning agent with a pleasant aroma helps reduce plant stress.
Mineral Max AG Intrinsic Factors
The intrinsic factors of a nutrient refer to its genetic, hormonal, and chemical makeup. Amino acids are an example of an intrinsic factor; blue-green algae and Icelandic kelp have high amounts of amino acids. Plant growth regulators and carbon are also intrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors work together with the other minerals to uptake and keep nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen in the soil.
Aminos: Amino acids in plants are organic molecules that are synthesized from nitrogen and are absorbed through the roots. They are the building blocks of protein and act as precursors for growth hormones. They stimulate roots and increase nutrient and water uptake in plants. They help protect plants against insects, diseases, and stress. Aminos fuel carbon production and increase a plant’s metabolism. They support germination and seed growth. Klamath Blue-Green algae are very high in amino acids and other bioactive compounds. This is also true of the Azolla fern and other aquatic species that nourish the soil. All of this including the mycorrhizal fungi contributes to the humic acid exchange causing higher uptake of plant nutrients.
Silica (Silicon): Silica is a mineral compound made up of Silica and oxygen (SiO2). It is formed by land and sea volcanoes. Being a protein transporter that feeds beneficial microbes, it increases the carbon exchange in soil and improves soil texture. It assists with the uptake of phosphorus and improves the ability of soil to retain water. Silica enhances the strength and rigidity of plants. It helps plants develop stronger roots, stems, and foliage and provides a foundation for its structure. Silica helps seedlings photosynthesize further which creates a higher chlorophyll content. The higher chlorophyll content helps plants grow taller and become more robust. The antifungal properties of silica improve plant and seedling tolerance to environmental stresses and attacks from pests and disease which increases crop yields. Silica helps leaf stomata regulate moisture and temperature. Most of the components in Pacific Plant Nutrients Mineral Max have high levels of silica.
Mycorrhizae: “Mycorrhizal fungi are a class of fungi that live in close symbiotic association with plant roots. They are capable of mining phosphorus from the soil and supplying it to plants in exchange for root exudate nutrients.
Many soils have plenty of phosphorus which is essential for plant growth but not in a form that is available for plants to use. Phosphorus is a chemical that is tightly bound up in soil and not easily solubilized. Mycorrhizal fungi produce and release phosphatases, enzymes that break off phosphate groups from other molecules to which they are attached and deliver them to the roots of the plants from which they feed. Some fungi are even capable of turning phosphorus into phosphoric acid that is then used to dissolve other valuable minerals out of rock particles.
Most often, plants are thought of as only taking up minerals through the root system to feed their foliage. Few are aware that a great deal of the energy captured by the plant through photosynthesis in its leaves is used by the plant to manufacture nutrients and other chemicals that it will use to feed its partners in symbiosis, underground in the rhizosphere.
The importance of root exudates and multispecies symbiosis in the rhizosphere has only recently come to the awareness of agricultural researchers. It was indeed a matter of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ As a result, these processes are poorly understood. A proper study of root exudates has only just begun and they will be investigated for many years to come.
The bacteria and fungi that feed in the rhizosphere are at the bottom of the food chain. In turn, they are eaten by larger microbes such as nematodes and protozoa (amoebae, flagellates, and ciliates). These, in turn, become prey to a multitude of macrofauna of various sizes. From the tiniest bacteria and fungi to the largest insects and animals that feed on them, it is correct to think of these as packages of fertilizer. As they live and excrete, as they are eaten and excreted, the nutrients that pass through their bodies, or are contained in their bodies, become distributed through the soil so that they become available, ultimately, to plants.”—Arthur Ziegler, Seawater Concentrate for Abundant Agriculture, 2012, 49-52
Fungal inoculants help form the basis of soil including its structure. They help plants uptake water and nutrients. Mycorrhizal fungi mine phosphorous & trace minerals. Sugars (exudates) and carbon enter the soil. Mycorrhizae improve plant growth and yields. They contribute to the humic acid exchange which minimizes nutrient and water loss in their spongy structure.
Naturally Occurring Plant Hormones
Naturally occurring plant hormones, also known as phytohormones, are organic substances produced within plants that play an essential role in plant growth and development in all stages of life, from seedling to flowering and even to the decline of the plant. Plant growth hormones regulate plant functions at the cellular and molecular level. They determine the formation of the root, stem, leaf, and flower while facilitating fruit development and the shedding of leaves. Plant growth hormones play a crucial role in helping plants adapt to stress including difficult soil conditions and the presence of heavy metals. Plants, even ones that are weak or nearly dead, can re-establish themselves and thrive once they are given proper nutrition. The five main plant hormones are Gibberellins, Auxins, Cytokinins, Abscisic acid, and Ethylene gas.
Gibberellins: Abundant in seeds, young leaves, and roots, gibberellins regulate various developmental processes including stem elongation, seed germination, leaf expansion, transition into flowering, and the development of fruit buds, and flowers. They promote Growth hormones and nutrients that cause cell elongation and help produce new leaf nodes and buds while mitigating stem growth and elongation. This results in taller plants with greater fruit production. Gibberellic Acid digests amylase and converts it into simple sugars which help lipase break down into fatty acids and help proteins break down into aminos. Aminos are considered to be critical building blocks for protein utilization.
Auxins: A growth hormone that causes cell elongation. They are found in the growing regions of plants such as the buds and the tips of roots and shoots. Auxins also influence the orientation of stems toward the light (phototropism) and against the force of gravity (geotropism). They also play a role in cell division, cell differentiation (the process of a cell changing from one type of cell to another such as from a less specialized cell to a more specialized one), fruit development, root formation from cuttings, and leaf shedding.
“During the daytime when a plant is receiving solar radiation, the solar chemical factories in its leaves are busy making up to 100,000 different chemical compounds for its growth and reproductive needs. Of prime importance are the growth hormones: auxins, ethylene, and gibberellins. These are signaling molecules that initiate and regulate cell specialization. They determine which tissues grow upward and which grow downward, leaf formation and stem growth, fruit development and ripening, plant longevity, and even plant death. Hormones are vital to plant growth, and lacking them, plants would be just a mass of undifferentiated cells.”
—Arthur Ziegler, Seawater Concentrate for Abundant Agriculture, 2012, 47
Cytokinins: “Another important group of plant growth regulators are the plant cell signaling molecules called cytokinons. These are a class of proteins that promote cell division in plant roots and shoots. They are involved primarily in cell growth and differentiation. As more knowledge has been gained, the lines have become blurred between the formerly distinct categories of hormones and Cytokinins as one has been found to blend into the other. A research agronomist with Cornell University has referred to Sea-Crop® seawater concentrate as having cytokinin-like effects.”
—Ibid, 47–48
Cytokinins are produced by plant-associated micro-organisms, microalgae, and insects. They are also involved in numerous aspects of plant growth including seed germination, fruit and flower development, leaf shedding, and enhancing plant resistance to pathogens.
Abscisic Acid (ABA): A stress hormone named for its role in response to stressful environments. Abscisic acid is a growth inhibitor and is associated with physiological functions such as seed maturation, seed germination in a stress-free environment, dormancy formation, and the storage of compounds. The leaves help with dormancy by keeping the stomata closed to prevent water loss.
Ethylene Gas: Gaseous hormone and growth inhibitor that stimulates germination, activates fruit maturation, inhibits elongation, increases horizontal growth, and programs cell death as the cycle is completed. An example of this is bananas ripening in a bag as gases are released.
Archived Components
We strongly considered using these three additives below in our Mineral MAX AG formula. Although these additives are good materials, they were not appropriate for this formula; we were seeking out the most highly soluble material to use. In addition, some of the materials listed below were not readily available.
Basalt Rock Dust: A dark, fine-grained volcanic (igneous) rock that contains several micronutrients including iron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, zinc, and soluble silicon, all of which are absorbed by and greatly benefit soil. Rock Dust has a high water-holding capacity. Basalt rock dust increases microbial activity and root growth therefore allowing greater uptake of nutrients by plants. It contributes to the building of humus complexes and supports soil fertility. Basalt also contains soluble silicon which strengthens plant stems and cell walls resulting in taller plants that capture more light for improved photosynthesis. It bolsters crop resistance to pests and disease, improves crop yields, and enhances the flavor of edible crops. Basalt feeds microbes which advance land vitality and plant hardiness. Klamath Lake is perched atop of basalt, which stretches throughout the Northwest.
CDFA, OMRI listed, Oregon
Green Glacial Rock Dust: Past Ice Age expansion & contraction re-mineralizes soil & enhances its vitality. This natural fertilizer helps release enzymes in soil to feed plants (rhizosphere activity). It improves plant structure, root growth, the cation exchange capacity & enriches compost including water retention in crops. This rock dust is an excellent source of magnesium, (which helps store chlorophyll) manganese, zinc, silicon, iron, and other trace elements.
ECOCERT Certified, Canada
Green Sand: A mineral-rich blue-green colored glauconite that is harvested from ancient ocean floors. It contains a high quantity of important nutrients, including potassium (up to 3%) to enrich and mineralize soil for easy uptake by plants. Green Sand slowly and gently releases its nutrients which avoids root burn. It helps loosen soil, improves moisture retention due to its porous nature, softens hard water, increases root growth, and strengthens cell walls. It can retain water up to one-third of its weight. Another benefit of Green Sand is that it can break up clay soils to increase drainage and allow oxygen into the soil. It can also hold loose, sandy soils together and can be used to enrich compost.
OMRI listed, Brazil
Sea Crop® Ocean Mineral Concentrate: SEA-CROP® is composed of organic matter and minerals derived from pristine seawater with a reduction of 95% of sodium chloride. Sea Crop® contains 50,000 organic substances. It is a solution of minerals in ionic liquid form that has never been dried or subjected to heat; heat can destroy organic compounds. Sea Crop® aids enzyme formation and is intended to be used as part of a fertility plan per the product website. See the Links page on this website for more information on Sea Crop®.
Oregon Tilth, WSDA & CDFA certified for organic crops
Note: Additional information about topics in this document can be found on the Links page of this website.