Agriculture

How Glass Benefits The Organic Agriculture Industry

Growth in pesticide use across all agriculture crops has created concern about the potential effects of pesticides on food safety, air and groundwater quality, worker safety, and wildlife mortality. In the United States, many pesticides have been removed from the market due to stricter environmental and public health regulations. For example, methyl iodide was regulated in California as a replacement for MB in 2010, and was quickly withdrawn in 2012 due to worker and public health impacts. Similarly, in 2015, a series of regulatory actions at both the federal and state levels curtailed the use of several fumigants. The use of toxic pesticides is expected to be further limited as we learn more about the effects on plants, mammals, and our soil.

Not only are organic and non-synthetic chemical pesticides like SiONEER powder safer and less hazardous to both plants and people, but they meet stricter environmental and public health regulations, and do not carry negative societal pesticide perceptions. Of these alternative options, dusts containing amorphous silicon dioxide (active in all SiONEER products) have proven to be suitable alternatives to chemical insecticides as they are residue-free, effective against chemical-resistant species, and typically very persistent.

Key Benefits of Using Organic Silicon in Agriculture

• Increases plant resistance to climate stress, drought, and frost damage
• Manages pest control by acting as a natural pesticide
• Strengthens defenses against disease and pathogens
• Counters the negative effects of excess sodium in soil
• Improves soil fertility

The Science Behind Silicon in SiONEER

Silicon is an available nutrient for all plants grown in soil. It interacts with other plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, and influences their uptake. Silicon can lead to increased uptake by directly absorbing nutrients and therefor making them more available to the plant. Silicon can also increase climate stress resistance, improve drought resistance, increase soil fertility, and provide a number of other benefits including protection by reducing insects, pests, frost damage, and countering the negative effects of excess sodium in the soil.

Research has also indicated that silicon increases plant resistance to pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and insects. Silicon is deposited in to the plant cell walls as solid amorphous silica – providing structural rigidity and strength to the plant. This strengthens the outer epidermis, allowing it to defend against pests and provide greater resistance against disease and pathogens, such as fungi or mildew.

The Difference Between SiONEER Powder and Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth (DE), a form of amorphous silica, has been sold in the US for over 100 years and has been widely accepted in applications such as filtration, pesticides, livestock feed supplements, and soil augmentation. SiONEER has the ability to produce a much higher quality product at a lower cost, saving those in the agriculture industry substantially. The activation of the silica in our patent pending process will allow the ground glass to act not only as a natural pesticide similar to DE, but has the added benefit of also being able to physically strengthen the plant. While diatomaceous earth contain small amounts of naturally occurring crystalline silicon oxide, SiONEER’s organic replacement contains virtually none and has no toxic side effects on mammals.

How Does SiO2 Work On Insects?

Amorphous silica, an absorptive dust, has the ability to cling to or be absorbed by the waxy layer on the outside of most insects. This outer layer is called the epicuticle and acts as a protective barrier to excessive loss of water from the body. When SiONEER dust is applied to a plant or soil, and comes in contact with an insect, the dust is absorbed by that protective outer layer. As the epicuticle is ruptured by the dust, the insect is eradicated by desiccation.

Applications Benefiting In The Agriculture Industry:

DE Replacement

Replace harsh chemicals with an organic pesticide that is similar in nature to diatomaceous earth, but superior in its ability to physically increase plant health and stress resistance due to new SiONEER technology.

Organic Gardening

Use for large-scale field crop insect management or at home gardening. Apply directly to fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers to safely manage pest control without causing harm to you or your crops.

Organic Pesticide

A safe and non-toxic alternative for organic farmers looking for a residue-free and effective option that will not only protect their plants from pests, but have no negative side effects on the growers, plants, or soil.

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