BIO-DEGRADABLE: Capable of decomposing back into natural elements. It is a term often used in relation to ecology, waste management, biomedicine, and the natural environment (bioremediation) and often associated with environmentally friendly products.

BIOWASH: Trade name for a proprietary blend of processed extracts from natural plants (phyto-chemicals) such as coconuts, corn, grain, grass, potatoes, rice, soy, sugar cane, trees plus minute amounts of bio-based wetting agents. The trade name is registered to 1st Enviro Safety, Inc.

BRIX: The sugar content of an aqueous solution. Increased sugar in plants is found to reduce insect damage because many insects cannot effectively digest sugar. Higher sugar content also reduces the temperature at which plants suffer frost or freeze damage.

BROWN ROT: A fungal condition that attacks stone fruit, commonly affecting cherries, peaches, pears, apples and plums. It causes small brown circles on the fruit, which gradually spread over the surface of the fruit. Once the fruit is entirely infected, it shrivels up and develops a fuzzy coating of fungus. Brown rot can also infect the flowers, leaves and stems of the tree, causing serious damage. In severe infections, an entire crop of fruit can be destroyed in just a few days

CATION: An ion with fewer electrons than protons, giving it a positive charge.

CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY: In soil science, cation-exchange capacity (CEC) is the maximum quantity of total Cations, of any class, that a soil is capable of holding, at a given pH value, for exchanging with the soil solution. CEC is used as a measure of fertility, nutrient retention capacity, and the capacity to protect groundwater from cation contamination.

CHLOROPHYLL: A green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyan bacteria. Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light.

FERTILIZER: Any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin (other than liming materials) that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants.

FERTILIZER BOOSTERS: Any chemical or natural additive that increases the effectiveness of fertilizers.

FIRE BLIGHT: A contagious disease affecting apples, pears, and some other members of this type of plant family (Rosaceae). It is a serious concern to producers of apples and pears. Under optimal conditions, it can destroy an entire orchard in a single growing season.

HYDROPONIC: A method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. ION: An atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. Substances that allow a current to pass ("go") between electrodes in a solution, when an electric field is applied.

PERIODIC LAW: A scientific law which states that certain properties of elements repeat periodically when arranged by atomic number.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS: A chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight.[

POWDERY MILDEW: A fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Infected plants display white powdery spots on the leaves and stems. The lower leaves are the most affected, but the mildew can appear on any above-ground part of the plant.

TOXIC DRIFT: Term for wind borne toxins that affect properties adjacent to where they originate.