Hello everyone!
As I mentioned in the last newsletter, today we’ll be taking a closer look at horn silica, also known as Preparation 501. It’s a fundamental preparation for biodynamic agriculture, and it’s important to consider it the natural complement to horn manure. The two, in fact, work on opposite poles: while Preparation 500 (horn manure, to be precise) focuses on soil vitality, 501 targets the above-ground parts of the plant, accompanying it throughout the spring and summer seasons.
But how is this preparation made? It all begins with the pulverization of silica, or quartz crystals. This very fine powder is inserted into cow horns that are buried for a fairly long period, from spring to autumn. Once extracted, the preparation is stored in glass jars and exposed to sunlight. The silicon dioxide crystal, naturally transparent, allows light to pass through without reflecting it; For this reason, after being dynamized in water (exactly like 500), it is sprayed in very fine drops onto the leaves, using only 3 grams per hectare diluted in water. The goal is to bring a true “crystalline luminous quality” to the plants, thus stimulating photosynthesis and making them stronger.
The benefits are tangible: the use of horn silica improves the nutritional quality, flavor, aroma, and shelf life of both the leaves and, above all, the fruit. Its use, however, requires great care and must follow the progress made with preparation 500. The ideal time for application is dawn, when light refraction is sharpest. It is usually applied in spring, when the plants are in full vertical growth and the first leaves are emerging, but the treatment can also be repeated during fruit set, veraison, and close to harvest, to promote perfect ripening of the bunches. It is also a valuable ally in helping plants recover after a hailstorm.
However, caution is needed: 501 should never be administered to weak or diseased plants, and is strongly discouraged after long periods of drought. The risk is that it excessively increases plant transpiration when there isn’t enough water in the soil to compensate. For this reason, we use it in our vineyards only after recording a precise number of millimeters of rainfall. Living in a very arid area, we often manage to apply it in the spring on the earliest-ripening varieties like “Moscato”, and in the fall on “Nero d’Avola”. Fortunately, this winter we had an excellent water supply, which has allowed us, after so many years, to use it on all our vineyards.
Unlike 500, which has no contraindications, 501, if administered at the wrong time, can cause leaf burn or weaken the plant. It’s a preparation that requires great observation: you almost have to “feel” the right moment before deciding to apply it. 500 acts on the roots and 501 on the leaves, that is to say the apical parts: these are the most active parts of the plants, where the greatest cell proliferation occurs. The remaining part has more to do with the plant’s “memory.” Based on my experience and what we see with our own eyes every year here at Marabino, the results are truly tangible, especially when we have had the opportunity to use the 501 preparation close to the harvest, completing the ripening process that has given the fruit a juiciness and a unique energy to the wine.
Thank you,
Pierpaolo Messina