In contrast to conventional practices, Bio-Generators® work to promote life in irrigation reservoirs rather than destroy it. In order to understand the theory behind how a Bio-Generator [i] maintains a healthy reservoir you must first be familiarized with the ecological concept of succession.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the ecological concept of succession as the “unidirectional change in the composition of an ecosystem as the available competing organisms and especially the plants respond to and modify the environment”[ii]. A simpler and more straightforward definition from the same source puts it as “a group, type, or series that succeeds or displaces another”.
Succession follows a disturbance to the environment, such as the clearing of a forest, pollution of a lake, or in the case of irrigation reservoirs; the application of copper sulfate. If no more disturbances take place succession will continue over the course of many years to produce an environment the same as or similar to the one that was originally disturbed. Succession never truly ends, but the further it progresses the more stable and diverse the environment becomes.
The early stages of succession following a disturbance are generally populated with undesirable opportunistic organisms. Some examples of early succession of plants are pigweed, Johnson grass, nightshade, and vine weed. Not exactly desirable plants, but as the years progress those plants will disappear and a forest or prairie will begin to take shape.
A more poignant example would be of a natural lake. Undisturbed natural lakes, or even man made ones that are left alone have clear waters and their surface is free of floating particulate. This is because their ecology has progressed to the point of stability. In those lakes exists a diversity of organisms that work against and or with each other to create balance, in which there is no visual or actual dysfunction. If one were to treat one of these lakes with copper sulfate, however, within days blooms of opportunistic filamentous blue-green algae would begin to appear, the waters would become cloudy, and debris would accumulate on the surface.
While it is not possible to allow an irrigation reservoir to sit undisturbed for years to allow a stable ecology to establish, it is possible to obtain one.
Through the addition of selected microorganisms the early stages of succession, those populated by undesirable and problematic organisms, can be bypassed. With the bypassing of the early stages of succession irrigation reservoirs can rapidly, within a few weeks rather than a few years, be brought into the more stable latter stages of succession. Once these selected micro-organisms have been established they will maintain a stable ecology even when water turnover is high. This is precisely the concept behind the Bio-Generators.
Bio-Generators continually cultivate a diverse group of microorganisms, mainly single celled green algae, and adds these cultures at a low rate throughout the season. This allows for a stable ecology absent of nuisance organisms to be established and maintained throughout the season despite disturbances common to irrigation reservoirs.
About ILSRC
Within the Global Organics Group, the Integrated Life Science Research Center® (ILSRC) works as the research and development arm of leading plant health division BioFlora®, and human and animal health division, Mineral BioSciences®. As such, the ILSRC investigates a wide variety of subjects, including: agronomy, microbiology, chemistry, plant pathology, and human and animal physiology, just to name a few. To support these markets, the vision of the ILSRC is to promote and develop sustainable practices, products, and services by utilizing pioneering techniques, disciplines, chemistry, and methodology. For more information about Global Organics Group, or to interview CEO and Managing Partner Luke Blotsky, please contact Sarah Van Wyk at svanwyk@globalorganicsgroup.com or visit www.globalorganicsgroup.com.
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[i] Bio-Generators are a naturally active algae and micro- organism nutritional system, designed to enhance the biodegradation of harmful pollutants in reservoirs and other water and soil environments.
[ii] Merriam-Webster. (2016). Succession. Retrieved from Merriam-Webster: http://www.merriam-webster.com/- dictionary/succession