Latest News

PSA Stopped Spreading – The Reason is Shown Below

This is a trial running on living with PSA issue and has been tested in 3 locations throughout NZ
Te Puke orchard
This orchard has been using air8tors services for the last 3 years.

It contracted PSA the same week the Rena hit Astrolab reef.  Last season the 16A block produced 15000 export trays which was about  85 % of what it was forecast to produce before PSA arrived.  No summer pruning was done as it was considered too risky and would spread the psa  cutting into the canopy.  This left a very poor selection of canes to tie down for the 2013 crop.  PSA spread through the 2 blocks and only 900 trays were harvested this season.  The owner kept the 16A through too harvest in order to learn what PSA did and possibly how to control it.  Before harvest the decision was made to graft over to G3.

This enable air8tors to do one last trial before it was cut out.  A mix of Soilm8, Zinc, Iodine, Selenium and a few other products was sprayed on 20 rows  (10 rows of each block) of the orchard on April 10th either side of the gap where the shelter had been removed.  Thus leaving 2 sprayed blocks and 2 control blocks.  There was no new exudates showing on the leaders.  There was still a small amount of die back in the canes but no fresh exudates

The workers were in cutting out the leaders of the 16A to get it ready for grafting to G3 when they noticed as soon as they got out of the “Sprayed area” they  got back into the PSA infection.

It was noticed that despite the cold […]

You may wish to download more information by visiting our download page

Growth only showing since
last spray on 22/9/12

If you think….

If you think current farming practices might be damaging the biology just ask yourself, How long is it since you saw frogs in the drains and mushrooms in the paddocks? Most of you will say “when I was a kid”

These things we take for granted, are basic indicators of what has changed in the soil. They are not necessarily pests!

GLYPHOSATE TOXIC EFFECTS

Below is a copy of an article supplied to me by the soil foodweb showing the latest developments with Roundup.

GLYPHOSATE TOXIC EFFECTS

Rethinking Roundup

August 5, 2005 publication of Environmental Health Perspectives.

A recent study of Roundup presents new evidence that the glyphosate based herbicide is far more toxic than the active ingredient alone. The study, published in the
June 2005 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, reports glyphosate toxicity to human placental cells within hours of exposure, at levels ten times lower than those found in agricultural use.

The researchers also tested glyphosate and Roundup at lower concentrations for effects on sexual hormones, reporting effects at very low levels. This suggests that dilution with other ingredients in Roundup may, in fact, facilitate glyphosate’s hormonal impacts.

The evidence presented in the recent study is supported by earlier laboratory studies connecting glyphosate with reproductive harm, including damaged DNA in mice and abnormal chromosomes in human blood.

Evidence from epidemiological studies has also linked exposure to the herbicide with increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and laboratory studies have now begun to hone in on the mechanism by which the chemical acts on cell division to cause cancer.

A Canadian study has linked glyphosate exposure in the three months before conception with increased risk for miscarriage and a 2002 study in Minnesota
connected glyphosate exposure in farm families with increased incidence of attention deficit disorder.

Studies have also documented glyphosate’s toxicity to wildlife and especially to amphibians.

Recently, studies conducted in small ponds with a variety of aquatic populations have presented evidence that levels of glyphosate currently applied can be highly lethal to many species of amphibians.

Using Fulvic acid with roundup or Glyphosate.

Quite a few of our customers have started mixing Fulvic acid with half the usual volume of Roundup or Glyphosate.

This gets just as good a kill rate but uses half the amount of roundup. Tests done by a large user of roundup showed that when they use this to spray the weeds on the sides of drains, there was no residue of Roundup in the water.

This contractor has now gone from using 8000 liters of roundup to 4000 liters a year. The reason we like this is we have seen evidence that repeated use of roundup does have an effect on the soil biology and the people around it (see article below)

Breakthrough News

BREAKTHROUGH NEWS!!
from AIR8TORS

We have completed some very exciting trials using new, scientifically proven methods

Application of this new microbially-active product has resulted in the following benefits:

An increase of 48% endo-mycorrhizal fungal colonisation of kiwi-fruit roots
An increase by 100% in ecto-mycorrhizal colonisation of kiwi fruit-roots
Drastic reductions in root-feeding nematode numbers
Enhanced soil micro flora biomass and activity
Massive increase in beneficial, free-living and decomposer fungi
Improved soil structure, aggregation, water-retention and thus oxygenation of soil
Earthworm population increases
Nitrogen cycling increased, improved nitrogen-availability to plants from previously plant-unavailable sources in the soil
Increased root and plant vigour
Huge increases in desirable fungi and beneficial nematodes which enable plants to defend against diseases like Armillaria
Scientifically tested

Turning dirt into healthy soil

The Mix

Compost Teas are known for their benefits to soil microflora (Ingham, 2000).

I have worked on this for 9 months, with assistance from the Soil Foodweb Institute, to find the right mix.

We targeted improvement in Mycorrhizal colonization, by encouraging the indigenous and native species present in our soils, in beneficial fungal activity, and desirable nematodes. Plants need 40 – 80% of the root systems colonized by Mycorrhizal fungi, and with our product, we have achieved these levels, or better.

Balanced fungal diversity is needed to maintain nutrient retention, soil aggregation and structure, and to combat disease-causing fungi. Desirable nematodes help ward off root-feeders as well.

Scientific Research Summary

Pre-trial tests

Frustrated that our worm castings and Trichoderma mix did not always improve plant chances to combat and ward off Armillaria, we set about improving the biology in our products.

In May we started trials on Joyce Road, in Tauranga after we tested the soil, using the Soil Foodweb Institute (SFI), for initial levels of fungi, bacteria and nematodes.

Lab results from Australia showed no Mycorrhizal fungal colonization at all, either […]

Leading by Innovation

Armillaria treatment and control
Phytophthora treatment and control
Specialising in Mycorrhizal colonisation
Microbiology directly injected into the soil using compressed air
Increase carbon and dry matter by improving Mycorrhizal fungi colonisation
Thatch control in pasture, turf and golf courses

View our research trials or browse through some of our latest news & articles.

Based in the Bay of Plenty and all over New Zealand Air8tors specialise in using compressed air and Microbiology to improve soil aeration, organic matter and soil carbon.

Air8tors was setup in February 2002 by Clive Umbers to service the horticulture industry in the Bay of Plenty and has now covered most of the North Island at various times and franchised in Northland.

The business was established treating Armillaria and Phytophthora in the kiwifruit and avocado industries. Improvements in our methods have led to increases in yields and plant health in both conventional and organic kiwifruit orchards.

Having young children has become Clive’s driving force. The best way to improve our children’s future is to do something about the lack of nutrients in our food supply that is effecting the health of everyone around us. We are only as good as the food we eat!

Mycorrhizal fungi colonisation is our specialty. Our unique blend has established Mycorrhizal colonisation rates of 100% in 3 months. This is now leading to an increase in organic matter and Carbon sequestration in the soil.

We specialise in stopping the spread of fungal diseases like Armillaria and Phytophthora in the soil using compressed air to change the soil structure and deliver the microbiology directly to the root zone of kiwifruit, avocado’s, grapes and citrus.

Innovation has led to constant improvements and consistent results. Read our latest news