Download a full-size infographic here: advancingecoag.com/plant-health-pyramid At AEA, we have become well-known for helping farmers produce crops that show resistance to diseases and insects. As we have accomplished this in the field on many types of crops, we’ve noticed a gradual evolution of plant health as plants become healthier and healthier at different stages of nutritional integrity. In these slides, John Kempf outlines these different stages of plant health. Learn about the four distinct stages and: • The integrity of plant physiology at each stage • The pests which plants develop resistance to at each stage • The biological steps behind each stage This webinar is an in-depth guide to understanding plant health and how you can grow the healthiest crops possible, using the Plant Health Pyramid™. The pyramid, this webinar, and related content are copyrighted by Advancing Eco Agriculture in 2019. See the webinar here: https://youtu.be/D1wJefaFrVI

1. “Healthy plants can become completely resistant to diseases and insects.”
- John Kempf -
THE PLANT HEALTH PYRAMID
©Advancing Eco Agriculture 2011-2019

2. LEVEL ONE OF PLANT HEALTH
“Healthy plants can become completely resistant to diseases and insects.”
- John Kempf -
©Advancing Eco Agriculture 2011-2019

3. The volume of photosynthesis increases
anywhere from 150-600%* and the
carbohydrate profile changes to be
composed of a high propor!on of complex
carbohydrates with low levels of non-
reducing sugars in the plant sap.
*D. M. Huber
The Integrity of Plant Physiology at Level One
LEVEL ONE OF PLANT HEALTH

4. Plants develop resistance to soil-borne
fungal pathogens such as ver!cillium,
fusarium, rhizoctonia, pythium,
phytophthora, and others.
The Pests Plants Develop Resistance to at Level One
LEVEL ONE OF PLANT HEALTH

5. LEVEL ONE OF PLANT HEALTH
Plants require adequate levels of magnesium, iron,
manganese, nitrogen, and phosphorus* to reach this
stage of health.
*Phosphorus is not directly involved in photosynthesis but is needed for
photosynthate metabolism with the increased sugar produc!on.
Ac!ons Growers Can Take To Achieve Level One

6. LEVELTWO OF PLANT HEALTH
“Healthy plants can become completely resistant to diseases and insects.”
- John Kempf -
©Advancing Eco Agriculture 2011-2019

7. The plant begins conver!ng all of the soluble nitrogen
compounds to amino acids and complete proteins so
that 100% of all the nitrogen in the plant is converted to
a complete protein in every 24-hour photo cycle. The
result is there are no nitrates and no ammonium
remaining in plant sap in every 24-hour photo period.
The Integrity of Plant Physiology at Level Two
LEVELTWO OF PLANT HEALTH

8. Plants become resistant to insects with
simple diges!ve systems, especially larval
and sucking insects such as tomato horn
worms, cabbage loopers, corn borers, corn
ear-worms, aphids, lea"oppers, white flies,
and thrips.
The Pests Plants Develop Resistance to at Level Two
LEVELTWO OF PLANT HEALTH

9. LEVELTWO OF PLANT HEALTH
Plants require adequate levels of
magnesium, sulfur, molybdenum, and
boron* to reach this stage of health.
*Boron is not directly involved in protein synthesis but
contributes addi!onal pest resistance.
Ac!ons Growers Can Take To Achieve Level Two

10. LEVELTHREE OF PLANT HEALTH
“Healthy plants can become completely resistant to diseases and insects.”
- John Kempf -
©Advancing Eco Agriculture 2011-2019

11. Plants begin absorbing the majority of
their nutri!on in the form of microbial
metabolites which are extremely energy
efficient, and they begin storing surplus
energy in the form of lipids.
The Integrity of Plant Physiology at Level Three
LEVELTHREE OF PLANT HEALTH

12. Plants develop increased resistance to all of the
airborne fungal and bacterial pathogens such as
downy mildew, powdery mildew, late blight, fire blight,
rust, bacterial speck, and bacterial spot which land on
the leaf surface and release peptoly!c enzymes,
because the waxes and oils on the leaf surface serve as
a shield to prevent the enzymes from working.
The Pests Plants Develop Resistance to at Level Three
LEVELTHREE OF PLANT HEALTH

13. LEVELTHREE OF PLANT HEALTH
Plants require a very aggressive plant
microbiome in the rhizosphere to begin
absorbing the majority of their nutri!on in
the form of microbial metabolites to reach
this stage of health.
Ac!ons Growers Can Take To Achieve Level Three

14. LEVEL FOUR OF PLANT HEALTH
“Healthy plants can become completely resistant to diseases and insects.”
- John Kempf -
©Advancing Eco Agriculture 2011-2019

15. The plant’s immune pathways (SAR and ISR) are
triggered by microbes in the plant’s microbiome,
both in the rhizosphere and the phyllosphere or by
other immune triggers resul!ng in increased
concentra!ons of immune compounds and plant
secondary metabolites.
The Integrity of Plant Physiology at Level Four
LEVEL FOUR OF PLANT HEALTH

16. Plants develop increased resistance to the
en!re beetle family including Japanese beetles,
corn rootworm beetles, squash bugs, Colorado
potato beetles, cucumber beetles, and
marmorated s!nk bugs, nematodes such as root
rot nematodes, and viruses.
The Pests Plants Develop Resistance To Level Four
LEVEL FOUR OF PLANT HEALTH

17. LEVEL FOUR OF PLANT HEALTH
Plants require the correct microbes in the
plant microbiome to trigger the immune
response to reach this stage of health.
Ac!ons Growers Can Take To Achieve Level Four

18. THE PLANT HEALTH PYRAMID
The upper two levels are
ac!ve immunity and based
on vigorous biology.
The lower two levels are
passive immunity and based
on balanced chemistry.
“Healthy plants can become completely resistant to diseases and insects.”
- John Kempf -
©Advancing Eco Agriculture 2011-2019

19. “Healthy plants can become completely resistant to diseases and insects.”
- John Kempf -
The Complete Plant Health
Pyramid Infographic
The link to download the complete infographic is
www.advancingecoag.com/plant-health-pyramid
©Advancing Eco Agriculture 2011-2019

20. Plant Health Pyramid Links
Plant Health Pyramid webinar from John Kempf
Download full infographic
Addi!onal informa!on on the Plant Health Pyramid