Microbial

Microbial is used to stimulate a plant's inbuilt immune system, thus improving overall plant health and increased resistance to attacks from pests and diseases.

With soil based horticulutre many of the bacteria present are beneficial to plants in terms of breaking down organic matter and enabling the mineral elements contained within to be readily absorbed by the plant. In a hydroponic environment these beneficial bacteria are not present, therefore the potential for problem airborne or soil borne micro-organisms attacking hydroponic crops is very high.

Even with a good preventative maintenance program in place, problems can still occur such as algal blooms, pythium outbreaks, mould and mildew attacks. These can occur because of pH shifts, lack of oxygen, poor environment control and imported organic materials transferred by growers from other sites. Indoor hydroponic environments are especially at risk to such pathogens, and the grower must effectively become mother nature by instigating an effective preventative maintenance programme.