One of the biggest challenges cannabis cultivators have to solve when it comes to controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is the removal of nature from the growing process. Without nature, plants can’t reach their full potential, which means cultivators have to spend a lot of extra time and money trying to make up for the missing elements.

In the natural world, plants evolved over tens of thousands of years to flourish in a symbiotic relationship with the microbiology found in soil. Plants signal the microbiology in their root zone when they need food, water, or help warding off harmful pests or pathogens. This symbiotic relationship is encoded into the DNA of plants. It’s the way plants maximize their yields and express the full potential of their chemotype.

In controlled environments, plants are cut off from the balancing ecosystem of nature. Many cultivators won’t use growing media that contains beneficial biology, because they hope to prevent accidentally introducing of harmful biology, which might lead to disease pressure or crop loss.

But there is a big problem. Growing in sterile, inert substrates has serious disadvantages.

Lower quality substrates that lack beneficial biology (many of which are chemical-synthetic products that preclude the possibility of organic certification if that’s something a grower wants to get in the future) produce lower-quality, poorer yielding crops that are more expensive to manage and more vulnerable to disease because the plants’ microbiological immune system has been removed.

The good news is there is a proven solution to this challenge today.

The Solution to the Challenge is Biomimicry and Technological Innovation

Based on the principles of biomimicry – a practice that combines the best of nature with technological innovation – bio365 created a new category of enhanced growing media and invented the world’s first living soilless media, so growers can safely bring nature to CEA.

Using our patented process, we culture a clean, wide-spectrum beneficial microbiology without using compost or worm castings. Our biology is cultured entirely indoors in HEPA-filtered, positive air pressure facilities that are tightly restricted, closely monitored, and located here in the USA.

Combined with our patented bioCORE biochar and organic bioavailable nutrients, the result is bioCHARGE®, the breakthrough solution that allows cultivators to use biologically active substrates in controlled environments.

Everything we do minimizes the risk of exposing your substrate to any source of contamination. Our rigorous 41-step quality control process ensures every batch is consistently the same – batch after batch, every season, and in every location – so growers get consistent, reliable outcomes.

What is bioCHARGE®?

bioCHARGE® is bio365’s multi-patented, activated and aged combination of clean, beneficial widespectrum microbiology anchored by our high temperature, high-carbon bioCORE™ biochar matrix. bioCHARGE® enables cultivators to deploy beneficial microbiology in controlled environments.

In simplest terms, bioCHARGE® allows plants grown in controlled environments to signal the clean microbiology in bio365’s growing media whenever they need nutrients, water, or assistance battling pests and pathogens.

bioCHARGE® maximizes efficient on-demand delivery of water and nutrition to your plants; increases plant health and resiliency; boosts yields; and enhances quality and chemotype expression.

What is bioCORE Biochar?

Developed in conjunction with Cornell University, bio365’s patented biochar is made in high-temperature, low-oxygen conditions and derived only from softwoods, never from animal waste. The result is an ultra-pure carbon matrix that does all of the following:

Acts as an ideal host for bio365’s clean microbiology
Stores bioavailable nutrients and water
Improves cation exchange
Improves fertilizer and water efficiency by working in conjunction with our clean biology to deliver them on-demand to the plant
Sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to combat climate change

What is Bioavailable Nutrition?

Our proprietary process transforms organic nutrients into their most bioavailable form, providing your plant the high-quality nutrition it needs to thrive. Our pH balanced and biochemical, dual-buffered soils help you grow cleaner crops and allow you to minimize fertilizer costs while maximizing results.

What is ultimateAIR™?

Our ultimateAIR™ technology delivers class-leading air-filled porosity. ultimateAIR™ combines specially selected coarse and fine coir, sourced from different continents and then engineered and combined in our US manufacturing facilities, without perlite. This allows cultivators the crop-steering flexibility to deploy a wide-range of irrigation strategies — from frequent micro-watering to dry-stressing the plant.

20 Measurable Benefits for Cannabis Cultivators

When you solve the biggest challenge of CEA and give plants the symbiotic relationship with the microbiology found in soil that they want and need to flourish, you’ll see measurable improvements in your results, lowered costs, and more. Our customers – from small growers to large multi-state operators – consistently report the following benefits and more:

Lower Costs

Nutrient savings
Improved water efficiency
Fewer amendments needed
Less soil used per plant
Reduced labor needs

Reduced Risk

Healthier plants
Easier, more forgiving media
Consistent and predictable outcomes
Decreased disease pressure
Less crop loss
No supply chain delays

Enhanced Quality

Better chemotype expression
More cannabinoids like THC and CBD
Increased terpenes
Easier crop steering through water management

Increased Yields

Less transplant shock
Faster crop cycles
Higher yield per plant

Higher Revenues

Higher quality crops can sell for higher prices
Faster crop cycles lead to increased sales

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Key Takeaways about Benefits Cultivators Get after Solving the Top CEA Challenge

The truth is plants need nature to reach their full potential. They need biology to thrive, and amendments are never adequate to replace the symbiotic relationship between plants and the microbiology in soil.

The team at bio365 invented the solution – the world’s first ever living soilless media. When growers switch to bio365, not only do they get better results, they can also check solving one of the biggest challenges of CEA off the To Do list.

Want to learn more about how bio365 benefit your grow? Contact us to talk to a soil expert or start a free trial.

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20 Benefits You Get When You Solve the Top Controlled Environment Agriculture Challenge