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All defintions

This reasoning system involves putting all scientific knowledge to work in terms of soil and plant functioning to help growers make technical choices.

Bioturbation is the mixing of soil or water layers by living organisms, mainly animals. If you place several different colored and textured layers of soil in an aquarium and then introduce several earthworms, taking care to maintain optimum moisture, a few months later the layers will be mixed and the color homogenous. Certain earthworm species (endogeic) displace material horizontally; others (epi-endogeic) bring material to the surface or bury it, enriching and creating a homogenous surface soil horizon. In temperate zones, the entire top twenty centimeters of grassland soil passes several times through the digestive tube of earthworms.

A substance which produces a chemical reaction or accelerates a reaction without being modified itself. Example: Chlorophyll catalyzes the transformation of light energy from the sun into chemical energy which can then be used by plant cells.

The cuticle is a fine layer of cutin (a polymer) and waxes which coats plant leaves.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (often abbreviated as DNA) is a molecule found in all living cells. DNA is considered the building block of heredity or genetics, because it makes up the genome of all living organisms and transmits itself, completely or in part, during reproduction. DNA determines protein synthesis. DNA extraction is a technique used to isolate DNA from cells, tissue or soil. In biology, studying DNA has become an important tool for classifying species.

Enzymology is the branch of biochemistry which studies enzymes.

Much used in biochemistry or molecular biology, this technique sorts molecules by size (their molecular weight) by applying an electric field which causes the molecules to migrate through a gel. This technique can be used to separate DNA or proteins.

This certification is issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and allows its holder to conduct officially recognized tests which can then become a part of an approval procedure of a new plant protection product. It certifies a working method which respects the traceability and safety rules required to conduct and follow-up product testing.

Used to describe something which is not harmful or toxic.

When the health of a flock or grassland falls into decline

In soil science, lixiviation occurs when soluble mineral elements in the soil are dissolved and carried away by water. "Leaching" is the term most commonly used.

A term generally used to designate all reactions through which an organism's cells produce and use energy, maintain their identity and reproduce. All living organisms, from single-celled algae to mammals, depend on certain simultaneous and precisely regulated metabolic reactions to survive - beginning with conception, for growth and development, and until death. Each of these reactions is initiated, controlled and carried out by enzymes or specific chemical catalysts, and each reaction is coordinated with many other reactions within the organism.

In biology, an inducer is a substance which sparks a biochemical reaction. The novelty of PRP's technique is to use the properties of mineral salts to trigger biochemical reactions at the cellular level (in general) and with microorganisms (in particular).

Soil contains a significant amount of all kinds of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae). The number of microorganisms is estimated to be between 10 and 100 million per gram of soil. Within this living mass are a multitude of communities, both large and small. Nonetheless, minority communities (thus designated with respect to activity) are considered just as important for proper soil functioning. PRP SOL's biological action strengthens the role of these minority microbial communities, promoting a balanced diversity.

Molecular biology is a scientific discipline involving genetics, biochemistry and physics. The purpose of molecular biology is to understand how cells function at the molecular level (DNA).

Mineral substances returned to the soil by plant debris, organic inputs (manure, compost, slurry) and fertilizers are meant for different purposes (retrogradation, to be used by microorganisms, lixiviation, to be absorbed by plants...). The soil and the plant are able to recycle nutrients thus mobilizing these new substances in order to feed future crops.

The amount of organic matter in livestock waste varies depending on the microbiological processes fostered by the conditions of any given location. Asphyxiating conditions will foster anaerobic fermentations, thus destroying organic compounds and leaving room for only minerals, gases and water. Conversely, the presence of oxygen will encourage microflora- induced humification to develop, thus preserving the organic value of the waste. The overconsumption of a soil's organic matter represents the extreme deterioration of its organic compounds.

Oxidation means "combined with oxygen". A reduction is "the extraction of oxygen from a metal". Oxidation-reduction is a chemical phenomenon combining the two processes. This reaction is generally understood through electron transfer (oxidation = loss of electrons, reduction = gain in electrons). In inorganic chemistry, the degree of oxidation-reduction measures the intensity of oxidation or reduction of an atom. This oxidation-reduction degree modifies the physical and chemical properties of the mineral. The availability of substances in the soil, notably fertilizing substances, depends on the solubility of each substance, which itself is linked to its degree of oxidation-reduction. Example: Fe2+ (ferrous iron) is soluble but Fe3+ (ferric iron) is highly insoluble. Another example: The nitrogen cycle connects different nitrogen states through oxidation-reduction reactions. NH3 (ammonia) is the reduced form. NO3 (nitrate) is the oxidized form.

Oxidative stress (or oxidizing stress) is when the production of free radicals harms the components of a cell. A free radical is a chemical substance having one or more unpaired electrons on its outer layer. All aerobic organisms produce free radicals and this production does not create a situation of oxidative stress because the cell possesses a complex system of detoxification involving enzymes and small molecules (Vitamin E, Vitamin C). But when the system is overwhelmed, the organism finds itself in a situation of oxidative stress, potentially pathological. Oxidation engenders a biological modification akin to chemical modifications.

These organisms, also called phytopathogens, are microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) likely to infect plants and cause disease.

The oxidation-reduction state of a plant's cells. UV radiation and other aggressors generate oxidizing compounds. To repair itself, a cell must limit oxidizing species with enzymes using trace elements to catalyze the reduction of any toxic species (hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen...). Strengthening a plant's redox state helps it combat the increase of oxidizing phenomena within its cells.

By promoting a larger variety of minority microbial communities, PRP SOL works to create a diverse selection of produced enzymes, thus balancing the biological functions conducted by these enzymes, notably for recycling organic matter or breaking down plant protection molecules.

Sourcing is an Anglo-Saxon expression (search for a source) used to describe the process of researching, locating and evaluating a supplier in order to respond to an identified need (in terms of goods or services) expressed by a company.

An enzyme is a molecule which can accelerate (up to millions of times) the metabolic chemical reactions occurring both inside and outside the cell. Regulating enzymatic activity effectively regulates the cell's metabolism. Enzymes work at a low concentration and are themselves unchanged by the reaction: They are biological catalysts (otherwise called bio-catalysts). An enzyme, like all proteins, is synthesized by living cells using information coded inside the DNA. The diversity of microorganisms in the soil directly impacts the diversity of any produced enzymes. This diversity is called the spectrum of enzymatic activities.

Ecotoxicity is the study of toxic pollutants in ecosystems and the entire biosphere. To measure a product's toxicity to humans and the environment (ecotoxicity), internationally-recognized standardized testing protocols were developed by scientists using live organisms like rats, bacteria, springtails (collembola), earthworms or daphnia. Results are recognized by the various public authorities.

A biological association which benefits both organisms. Example: Mycorrhization is a symbiosis between a plant's roots and a fungus.

Translocation occurs when carbohydrates (starch, sugars) and proteins accumulated in the leaves and stems migrate toward the plant's energy supply and reproductive organs. This migration means that water needs to circulate through the plant, a situation facilitated by the establishment of deep roots.