American BioChar Company is a Michigan-based company run by longtime green industry couple, Mark & Laurie Mann. For more than two decades, they have been researching and developing programs and products to improve soils, root conditions, and plant growth in urban, rural, and agricultural landscapes.
Over the last 3 years, they have conducted trials on blueberry farms in SW Michigan, using the microBIOMETER® and other soil-metric tests. The trials compared soils of blueberry bushes treated with their VITAL Blend soil amendment to those with untreated soil. Data was collected in the spring, summer and fall each year to demonstrate the natural ebb & flow of microbe communities in soils. Not only does the data show the steady increase of soil microbial biomass, but overall the trial sites have improved soil structure and more nutrient dense crops.
“The biggest impact we have in using the microBIOMETER® is demonstrating the successful transformation within the soil, following applications of our different biochar blended soil amendments. It provides confidence in our product and helps move the client conversation toward the biological benefits of our product. When a client is able to see and track the fungal to bacterial ratio for their soil overtime, it is very empowering.”
American BioChar is also undergoing several other trials throughout the mid-west with corn, cannabis, soybeans, and tree rhizospheres, using both their VITAL Blend and their new GRATEFUL Blend living soil. As both blends provide active and fixed carbon to soil, these trials were aimed to enhance and increase soil biology and restore nutrient density. Pre- and post- application photos can show how these products improved overall crop production.
Recently, Laurie Mann and microBIOMETER® president Laura Decker participated in Heart & Soil Magazine‘s Soil Summit discussing “How to Increase the Speed of Microbe Growth”. Click here to watch!
American BioChar Company is a Michigan-based company run by longtime green industry couple, Mark & Laurie Mann. For more than two decades, they have been researching and developing programs and products to improve soils, root conditions, and plant growth in urban, rural, and agricultural landscapes.
Overton Environmental Enterprises, Inc. is a Canadian company that develops innovative biotechnology solutions that reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Their EcoTea™ products and research are focused on helping farmers work with soil ecosystems instead of against them. In their years of research they have proven direct results from using broad spectrum biology but the impacts in the soil and changes in soil quality have been harder to showcase.
Three seasons ago they discovered the microBIOMETER® testing system. These tests have given them a way to benchmark pre application conditions, the post application changes and most importantly the improvements over time. This real-time way for farmers to see the unseeable has given them confidence in the value of biology for their soils and programs. They use microBIOMETER® to augment field data (i.e. help correlate scores with plant health data and yield). microBIOMETER® has allowed them to show how EcoTea™ can influence root bacterial to fungal ratios and determine (at least in part) the amount of resources the plant is allocating to the rhizosphere.
The microBIOMETER® has given us another way to showcase how re-introducing biology can help our soils and the hard-working communities that rely on them.”
EcoTea™ is a biological product with biodiversity like no other, built on the vision of soil biodiversity enhancing professional success. EcoTea™ combines a wide array of plant-supporting microorganisms fortified with added biostimulants to enhance soil quality and nutrient function. Diversity is the key, allowing our products to adapt and meet your individual site needs, based on plant response and requirements. Our proprietary process built with ecological engineering provides the functional microbial community associated with healthy crops and soil.
Soil and plant microbial communities have a mutualistic relationship where they provide what the other needs to thrive. There are many factors that can influence this relationship, such as soil structure, composition, and humidity, but soil pH has one of the most profound impacts on the growth and survival of plants and microbes.
When we measure pH, we’re actually measuring the local concentration of protons (hydrogen ions, known as H+). When there are too many H+ ions, the soil is acidic, resulting in a low pH. When the proton concentration is low (or a scarcity of H+ ions), the soil is alkaline (or basic) and has a high pH. Soil chemistry largely determines which microbial communities can get established in the soil.
Soil microbes are just as much affected by high pH as they are by low pH. When soil pH is in a neutral range (6.0-7.5, which is close to the pH of water), plants are more easily able to uptake the nutrients they need. For that reason, this is generally their optimal range. However, there are some plants such as blueberries or Rhododendron, that favor a more acidic soils. Not all microbes necessarily favor a neutral pH – fungi actually prefer soils with a lower pH. As acidic soils reduce the availability of certain nutrients, fungi are able to increase access to those limited nutrients for the plant to uptake. Still, challenges can arise for microbial communities when the soil pH deviates from its optimal range. While soil pH will naturally lower in time due to geochemical and metabolic processes, the soil pH can decrease rapidly with the input of certain fertilizers.
For example, when ammonium-based fertilizers are applied to the soil, bacteria use oxygen to convert the ammonium nitrogen (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3–), a more plant-usable form, and H+ ions, through a process called nitrification. Bacteria do this to obtain energy. If a plant needs some potassium, it will exchange one of its positive hydrogen (H+) ions for a potassium cation (K+) in the soil. This exchange helps maintain electrical balance through a natural process called cation exchange. However, this balance can be thrown off by over-application of fertilizers. As plants take up certain nutrients, it leaves a deficit of other nutrients, which can cause a decrease in pH levels.
If more fertilizer is continuously applied, more H+ ions are released, which can cause an imbalance in the soil and lead to soil acidification. The increased amount of H+ ions will directly affect the functionality and structure of the soil microbial communities. A low soil pH can disrupt plant cell membranes – altering enzyme production and limiting cell reproduction. Enzyme production and activity work best in more neutral pH ranges. As well, low soil pH can limit the exchange signals between root bacteria (rhizobia) and plants, which reduces root nodule formation, and alters the symbiosis that allows plants to fix nitrogen.
Overall, maintaining a balanced soil pH is crucial for ensuring nutrient availability and more importantly, microbial diversity in your soil. As deviations in pH can disrupt essential processes like nutrient uptake, enzyme activity, and the communication and functioning of symbiotic relationships between plants and soil microbes.
Can Grow Crop Solutions, a company focused on providing market-leading fluid solutions and service, has been incorporating microBIOMTER® into their business with positive results. Shawn Brenneman, Director of Commercial Growth & Strategy at Can Grow, shared a bit about their company and the testing they are performing.
Vibrant, diversified soil biology is essential in growing crops for maximum yield and quality, Can Grow works with farmers on getting the most out of their cropping systems. They do this through increasing nutrient use efficiency, reducing crop stress, and helping soil/biological systems function at higher levels. Utilizing microBIOMETER® allows their customers to have a greater understanding of how soil type and management practices impact soil biology and advise them on potential solutions to improve performance.
The microBIOMETER® helps Can Grow and their customers determine a baseline of organisms within an entire field or production area that may be high or low yielding. It allows the company to track the improvements their solutions make on the balance and diversity of micro-organisms in the soil. Microbial systems are often hard for growers to understand because they can’t be seen. microBIOMETER® creates a clear picture by quantifying which solutions work in supporting soil health and which ones do not.
In a bio-fertility trial, ReNew (bacteria/fungi team from Biodyne USA) was applied in furrow with water to corn, Can Grow then evaluated the microbial diversity in the root system of the microbial treated area vs. the non-treated area. The untreated soil had a F: B ratio of fungi 4% and bacteria 96%. This level was much lower than what they wanted for yield optimization. However, it was consistent with what they generally see in tilled, high crop protection use fields. The ReNew treated area had a F:B ratio of fungi 29% and bacteria 71% showing the biology was colonizing the root zone area and providing fertility benefits to the crop.
About Can Grow: The company is much more than a fluid fertilizer company. They have a long, successful history of innovating, adapting and manufacturing fluid solutions to maximize plant potential and soil performance. As a manufacturer, they have the technology and knowledge to innovate and adapt proven fluid solutions to meet changing needs in any market. They assist their clients in addressing factors beyond their control, such as changing environmental conditions, through foliar combinations for application throughout the season.
Find out more at: www.cangrow.com
Can Grow Crop Solutions, a company focused on providing market-leading fluid solutions and service, has been incorporating microBIOMTER® into their business with positive results. Shawn Brenneman, Director of Commercial Growth & Strategy at Can Grow, shared a bit about their company and the testing they are performing.
Anelia Marais a research technician at the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape performed a study evaluating microBIOMETER® and other soil health indicators in three different soils of the Western Cape Province.
There is growing concern about degradation of the health and quality of soil, due to, amongst other things, climate change and increasing pressure on farmers to produce more food. In order to monitor something, it must be measured.
Amanda Foxon-Hill, a chemist by trade, is working with Mid Lachlan Landcare in the region of NSW, Australia. Mid Lachlan Landcare is a community organization committed to the regeneration of land. Their work includes Regenerative Agriculture, Box Gum Woodland Conservation, Superb Parrot Habitat, Community Gardens, Education & more. Cowra is the main town in their Landcare region which consists of various soil profiles. It is rich in farming land with cropping and grazing.
Amanda designed and performed a soil research project funded by the BCT (Biodiversity Conservation Trust). She took soil samples from farms, conservations and public land across the region to map their soil microbiome. Her goal was to see if she could establish a ’normal’ or ’typical’ range of microbes for each type of landscape and soil.
Amanda looked at grazed vs ungrazed land, mono-cropping vs mixed pasture etc. but that was really secondary to the soil geology and microbe link as there was a short window to complete this round of tests and farm management decisions such as what crop to grow, for instance, requires testing over multiple time points.
As part of the project, Amanda trialed microBIOMETER®. Microbes are essential for soil fertility and almost all plants work cooperatively with microbes to access the nutrients they need to thrive. The relationship between plants and microbes is dynamic; changing with the season, how the land is managed, plant species and life-stage, climate and the soil structure and composition.
“Overall, we feel this project has successfully delivered insights into how the Mid Lachlan region’s soils microbiome functions with respect to landscape features and management decisions although it’s clear there’s still a lot more work to do. Also, after putting the microBIOMETER® through its paces we believe it’s a useful tool for those looking to gain a deeper understanding of their soil. Our advice would be to use the microBIOMETER® or similar microbiology assessment tool/ protocol alongside your existing soil testing tools, at regular intervals to monitor the effect management decisions have on the soil microbiota over time.”
Amanda Foxon-Hill, a chemist by trade, is working with Mid Lachlan Landcare in the region of NSW, Australia. Mid Lachlan Landcare is a community organization committed to the regeneration of land. Their work includes Regenerative Agriculture, Box Gum Woodland Conservation, Superb Parrot Habitat, Community Gardens, Education & more.
Ithaca Central High School science teacher Robert Tuori is conducting a study to examine short term changes in soil health at Nook And Cranny Farm, a diverse vegetable farm, as an independent research project for the USDA Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Fellows.
Utilizing both the microBIOMETER® and Cornell Soil Health Assessment, Robert and students will compare tilled vs non-tilled soil in 4 crop beds, each containing either brassica or cucurbit, and flipping crops midseason.
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