What is Nano-Technology?

Nano Collodial Technology is merely the continuation of the development of a discovery made some 120 years ago! The origin of colloidal chemistry can be traced back to the 1880's, when it was evolved by David Graham, a British chemist.
The emergence of Nano/colloidal technology is a major development in the quest for alternative treatments for threatening agricultural pests. With a technology so new that testing laboratories are being called upon to determine how it works, Nano/colloidal technology embodies the essence of the next revolutionary movement in scientific progress - nanotechnology. Nano/colloidal technology not only offers an environmentally friendly solution to many of today's agricultural problems, it does so in a remarkably efficient manner, so that today the farmer can solve most of his more troublesome gardening problems, in a totally non-hazardous manner, while at the same time, realizing a significant cost savings over previous hazardous commercial products.
 
Nano-colloidal solutions are blended from processed extracts of natural plants. When the extracts are blended at specific time intervals, temperatures, and sequences, they lose their former characteristics. New particles are created described as “colloidal micelles”. They are so small (.000,000,001 cm) that they can only be seen through a powerful electron microscope. Billions could be placed on the point of a needle. These micelles work on a sub-microscopic level. They are attracted to oils, grease, toxins, foreign substances, and other hydrocarbon molecules (the basis of nearly all cleaning jobs). It is this same type of molecular structure that characterizes garden pests. Billions of the micelles surround individual foreign molecules and separate (emulsify) them, Once separated; they lose their ability to attract and adhere and can easily be wiped or rinsed away.
 
Nano-colloidal solutions do not contain toxic chemicals such as butyl, chlorine, d-limonene, formaldehyde, hydroxides, phenols, phosphates, oil wastes, or other dangerous chemicals. They are, in fact, certified by the EPA as “Readily Biodegradable”. Unlike commercially-available pesticides and fungicides, they contain NO ingredients listed on the OSHA or CDC hazardous materials list.
 
THEORY
"Nano/colloidal technology immediately impacts the exoskeleton structure of the pest upon contact by disrupting the molecular structure of the chitin and other protein substances that protect the insect. This mechanism of action triggers the rapid and irreversible deterioration of the insect's spiracles and tracheal system, resulting in suffocation (as in the case of the adult mosquito).
 
The major benefit of this revolutionary method of insect control is the absence of undesirable side effects on human health and the ecosystem. Additionally, unlike standard insecticides in use today, no built-in resistance can be developed by the targeted insects, since this new approach does not act on the nervous system, but rather on the respiratory apparatus."
 
ADDITIONAL THEORIES
Fatty acids penetrate the insect's outer covering (cuticle), dissolving or disrupting cell membranes and cytoplasm. This disruption of cell integrity causes the cells to leak and collapse, destroying respiratory functions, which results in dehydration and death of the insect.
 
Nano-colloidal chemistry may act as an insect growth regulator interfering with cellular metabolism and the production of growth hormones during metamorphosis. Due to its carbon length, it can de-wax the pest's joints, leading to paralysis, which allows them to fall victim to other pests. It strips the pest's protective shields (wax, biofilm, etc), thereby rendering it defenseless against subsequent treatment. It has the ability to fit into the interstices of complex hydrocarbon chains within a plant's leaves and disintegrate the pests at this level. It emulsifies and separates bacteria, thereby stopping the reproductive cycle.
 

  PLANT GROWTH AND PHOTOSYNTHESES - BACKGROUND
 
In response to the earth’s gravitational field, the germinating seed produces an embryonic root (radicle) that grows into the soil. As new cells are added, the root elongates – producing hair roots and lateral roots. The roots remain interconnected, producing a network of living cells throughout the soil. Within the root, the inner cells are specialized to conduct solutes (water + dissolved substances therein) from the root to the shoot (via xylem) and from the shoot to the root (via phloem).
 
Flow from the shoot to the root is achieved by loading sugars produced in the leaves into the phloem. The sugar-laden solute moves downward, to sites of lower concentration in the root. The xylem carries solute from the roots to the shoot. It acts like a bundle of capillary tubes, supporting the water in a vertical reservoir. The leaves of the plant actively lose water through pores at the surface (transpiration), drawing the water in the xylem upwards. By this method, essential nutrients extracted from the soil are transported to sites of growth and production in the shoot.
 
The surface of the leaf traps energy from light (photosynthesis) and stores it as sugars and starch. Therefore, the upper leaf surface must be angled to face the sun, causing its surface temperature to rise 10 degrees C above the ambient air temperature. To control water loss, most leaves have a thick water resilient waxy layer. The specialized openings that control the rate of water loss (stomates) tend to be more numerous on the underside of the leaf. Accordingly, leaves are not adapted for taking up nutrients. It is the mass flow of solutes from the soil to the roots that provide the greatest amount of nutrients for plants.
(extracted from a tract written by Pam Pittaway, Landscape Consultant, Queensland, Australia)
 
ACCELERATED PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Nano-colloidal technology possesses a unique ability to substantially increase the level of sugar production within the leaves of a plant by a factor of 50% to 100%. This, in turn, acts to accelerate the function of photosynthesis with the result that the treated plant becomes healthier, more disease resistant, and faster growing. This has resulted in a larger crop size and output. To fully understand how this occurs and how it could be verified, we turned to Mr. L. Edwards, a botanical scientist now residing in Australia.
 
Why do plants sprayed with Nano-colloidal solutions appear to grow faster, look healthier, and yield larger crops? The explanation was attributed to a possible increase in the level of photosynthesis within the leaves. Accordingly, in June and August 2005, a series of tests were conducted by Mr. Edwards to determine the validity of this hypothesis. The question to be determined was whether this resulted from an increase in the sugar level as a result of being sprayed with a Nano-colloidal solution, or from some other cause.
 
The first tests were conducted in Zambia, South Africa. Several segregated plots of wheat were sprayed with a Nano-colloidal solution, with an adjacent plot being used as a control. Leaves were then crushed and the resulting fluid was subjected to a test reading by a BRIX meter to determine if there were any differences in the level of sugar content between the test plots. The reading showed an original count of five, increasing to nine (in the test plot) over a five-day period, for a gain of 80%, which the planters and their crop managers considered “extraordinary”.
 
Two months later, another series of tests were undertaken, this time in Australia. The crop was macadamia nuts. This test was more comprehensive and spread out over a longer period of time. The crops were in different, but adjacent fields. Spraying took place over a four-week period. One control called for spraying to cease after the first application, to determine what happened to the sugar content under these conditions. Additionally, a control was done on a direct comparison between the Nano-colloidal solution and two standard fertilizing treatments involving urea and humic acid, both of which were substantially exceeded.
 
These tests revealed that the sugar content of the leaves increased by a factor of slightly more than 50%, within seven days of spraying, compared with neighboring plants which were not sprayed. Even more interesting – as long as the plants were sprayed at 7 – 10 day cycles, the sugar content remained at an increased constant 50%+ level. Once spraying was discontinued, the sugar level returned to normal after about four to five weeks, indicating a direct correlation between the use and non-use of the spray.
 
A test report from China, October 2005, outlined the only study on crop size that has been comparatively measured. Up to this point, all testing had been solely concerned with Nano-colloidal technology’s efficacy against pests and disease. This report, on cucumbers, after listing its previously-confirmed effectiveness against various insects, concluded with the notation that productivity was 9.4% greater than a comparative test plot. This appears to confirm the increasingly spontaneous anecdotal reports from farmers and gardeners that their crops grow larger and have a more bountiful yield, with a corresponding increase in the size of individual fruits and vegetables.
 
NANO-COLLOIDAL STIMULATION OF THE ROOT STRUCTURE
 
When applied to bare root stock before planting, or saturating the root structure when in place, Nano-colloidal solutions act to stimulate new growth and development. They dissolve NPK from the roots, thereby enhancing nutrient uptake into the plant. Nutrient uptake is expedited from the inclusion of sodium within the Nano-colloidal formulation.
 
Sodium is a cation, which is an atom or group of atoms carrying a positive electron charge. The positive charge results because there are more protons than electrons in the cation. The negatively charged anions are attracted to the positive sodium cation. They attach themselves and hitch a ride into the plant. In other words, Nano-colloidal solutions are sodium transporters conveying nourishment directly into the plant. The reason for this improved nutrient effect is the miniscule size of the molecules, which allows them to enter the plant cells (in the leaves), where the sugar factory is located. This causes a maximized increase in photosynthesis, which is the basis for the starches, cellulose, waxes, carbohydrates, oils, and protein that are the building blocks for all plant growth.
 
This summary was compiled from data obtained through the research of public information, internet resources, anecdotal accounts, and Nano-colloidal technology advocates. It is not intended to make claims about any particular Nano-colloidal company or product, nor is it presented as first-hand research conducted by the author. It is intended to create an awareness of the potential for this technology and to encourage the pursuit of alternatives to toxic, harmful, and environmentally questionable agricultural practices.