PreparationDemeter certification

Dynamisation & application for demeter certification

The contribution, measured

72 /100

Time horizon: Ongoing

How it contributes

The dynamisation and application method is part of biodynamic know-how and the record-keeping Demeter requires.

What to measure for this pairing

Per-plot recordsTraceability

Why this goal matters

Demeter is the leading biodynamic certification. It requires the organic base plus the use of the biodynamic preparations, managing the farm as an organism, biodiversity quotas and its own cellar rules.

In practice, gaining and keeping Demeter is mostly a matter of doing — and proving. Every preparation application, operation and input has to be logged and traceable for the annual audit.

Goal indicators

Recorded preparation applicationsInput traceabilityBiodiversity area met

Market & certification: The Demeter seal is a strong market differentiator and the formal goal of most biodynamic projects.

How to apply the practice

  1. 1Dynamise the preparation in water for ~1 hour.
  2. 2Apply right after, with the right droplet (coarse on soil, fine on canopy).
  3. 3Respect the time of day suited to each preparation.
  4. 4Log preparation, rate, time and plot.

Frequently asked

Can dynamisation be mechanical?

Yes — there are mechanical dynamisers that reproduce the vortex and reversal, useful over larger areas, as long as they respect the method.

Why does the time of day matter?

500 and CPP are applied at day’s end on the soil; 501 early in the morning on the canopy. It is part of the biodynamic application method.

Same practice, other goals

Same goal, other practicesDemeter

Related reading →Biodynamic preparations: how and when to apply 500, 501 and the compost preps

How GrapeFlow helps

The proof Demeter certification demands — logged by plot and date.

Preparations & application log

Every application of 500, 501 and the other preparations logged by plot, date and rate — the history the Demeter audit asks for.

Biodynamic calendar

Root, leaf, flower and fruit days and the lunar phases in GrapeFlow, to plan preparation applications and work in step with the calendar.

Electronic field notebook

All operations — compost, cover, animals, dynamisation — logged by plot, ready for certification.