Since Kelp is a plant itself, the macro and micro nutrients it provides are completely balanced and easily available to any plant. Thus, the addition of kelp to any fertilization program is probably the easiest way to increase the Brix value of the plant. So, adding regular doses of kelp to your fertilization program will increase the Brix of all of your plants, trees, flowers and grasses. The higher that Brix value gets, the less insect problems you will have. info from Michael Kaufman

Most plants these days (especially chemically grown ones – but also some organically grown ones) have such low Brix value (typically no greater than about 6 or 8 and often much lower) that insects will feed on them all day long (not to mention that, if they are edible plants, their nutritional value to us is about nil). Raising the Brix of a plant is really quite simple. Provide good nutrition, including a balanced diet of macro and micro nutrients and trace elements. info from Michael Kaufman

Unfortunately, it has become the norm to ignore those warning signs and simply kill off all the bugs – either with some toxic chemical or with some natural alternative. Of course, of those two options, the natural insecticide is certainly the better option, but it still does not address the central problem of this situation. The bugs are there for a reason. The plant is not healthy. Make the plant healthy and the sugar content of the plant will rise, the insects will move on to a more attractive food source, and we will have a nutritious and tasty little treat to snack on (high Brix fruits and vegetables actually do have much better taste than those of lower Brix value). info by Michael Kaufman

One reason Insect infestation, In order to properly digest sugar, one must have a liver. Most Insects do not have a liver! So, if an insect, which does not have a liver, ingests sugar, that sugar will eventually turn to alcohol and kill the insect. Interestingly enough, insects “know” this, and plants with high Brix value (and, as a result, high sugar content) will emit different UV light patterns and electrical charges which communicate to insects that they should stay away. Info from Michael Kaufman.

The higher the TSS or Brix value, the healthier and more nutrient/mineral rich the plant or produce is. Thus, as relates to farming and gardening, the produce from high Brix plants will also be high Brix and will offer the greatest nutritional and “energy” value to the one eating that produce. Thus, animals and humans will receive the greatest health benefit from fruits and vegetables having the highest Brix values (and from the meat of animals that have eaten grasses of the highest Brix value). a article by Michael Kaufman

The plot receiving the AGGRAND fertilization program realized increased vegetable yields over the leading inorganic chemical fertilizer, and in some cases produced larger crops. In addition, after one growing season, the soil had more nutrients remaining when compared to the other two plots. Longer term work will be conducted to determine soil fertility trends. Anyone interested in a copy, please email me for it.

The new document provides detailed technical information for comparison between AGGRAND fertilizers and an inorganic chemical fertilizer. “The AGGRAND fertilization program outperformed the plots fertilized with the leading inorganic chemical fertilizer and the control plots where only water was applied,” said Holappa. The growth plot study gives empirical data on four vegetables- tomatoes, green beans, potatoes and corn.

Pick firm, well formed sprouts starting at the bottom of the main stem. The upper sprouts will enlarge and ripen continuously under a canopy of kale like leaves. Brussels sprouts like an irrigated fertile soil with a pH above 6.

Fertilize with AGGRAND Natural Liquid Lime and Natural Liquid Fertilizer 4-3-3 when the first true leaves appear, at the rate of 3 ounces per gallon of water per 10 foot row. Repeat every two weeks until sprouts begin to form, continuing with liquid fertilizer biweekly until cool weather slows production.

“I can assure you that some of these will be followed up,” said Ronald Roy, a food safety specialist at the FDA. “When we have a clustering of non-permitted residues around a certain (crop) or with a certain grower, then we investigate to find the cause and correct the specific problem so that it doesn’t continue.

“We are not really sure why the cilantro came up with these residues,” said Chris Pappas, a chemist who oversees the Virginia based USDA pesticide testing, “Researchers suspect growers may have confused guide lines for cilantro and flat leaf parsley, for which more pesticides are approved.”