Founded in 2003 UK based Wildflower Turf Ltd has pioneered and developed a soil-less growing system which has transformed the concept of turf growing.
Working with soils a fair bit, it being the substrate into which their products are grown, they are interested in understanding the relationship between plants and soil. This involves investigating things such as soil structure, nutrient content, and more recently microbial content, at their R&D testing facilities in Hampshire.
Gurpreet Kaur, a PhD student with the Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) at Cornell University, has been working with microBIOMETER® soil testing kits to evaluate the impact of dairy manure application and field history on soil health and yield in corn fields in New York.
This project is part of a larger “New York Value of Manure Study” funded by New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) and Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP).
With support from the Toward Sustainability Foundation and microBIOMETER®, soil health assessments were done for three trials in 2023. The team selected three fields, differing in manure history from no manure history to yearly applications, and took soil samples at three different timesteps during the growing season. Among other measurements, Kaur is valuating microbial biomass and fungal to bacterial ratios using the microBIOMETER® test kit. Preliminary results obtained to date show the impact of field manure history on microbial biomass. As part of the project, several Cornell University undergraduate students are learning how to conduct the microBIOMETER® test as well.
Gurpreet Kaur, a PhD student with the Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) at Cornell University, has been working with microBIOMETER® soil testing kits to evaluate the impact of dairy manure application and field history on soil health and yield in corn fields in New York.
This project is part of a larger “New York Value of Manure Study” funded by New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) and Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP).
The Central High School Special Education 9th and 10th grade science class reached out to the NOFA/Mass Food Access Team to assist in preparation of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams.
Mr. James Wilkins, the Department Chair, in collaboration with Sis. Anna Muhammad, Food Access Director, created a year long session that features garden techniques, soil health, cooking, nutrition and food preservation.
The microBIOMETER® test is at the core of these soil health sessions with the students practicing taking soil samples and using the test. Below is feedback from two of the students:
“I really like the tools and using the microBIOMETER® App on my phone. It was so quick and learning to handle soil and the fact that it has the same minerals that I have was really fun to learn. I look forward to taking more soil samples.” – Anthony, 9th grade
” I thought it would be hard to use, but it was really easy and I liked the app on the phone. ” – Xavier, 10th grade
Please click here to view more uses of microBIOMETER® in the classroom!
The Central High School Special Education 9th and 10th grade science class reached out to the NOFA/Mass Food Access Team to assist in preparation of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams.
Mr. James Wilkins, the Department Chair, in collaboration with Sis. Anna Muhammad, Food Access Director, created a year long session that features garden techniques, soil health, cooking, nutrition and food preservation.
Worm Power, a world leader in organic vermicompost products, helps growers improve crop yield and plant performance through increased root development and plant nutrient uptake. Worm Power’s Vermicompost Liquid Extract is shelf-stable soil amendment from liquid worm castings that have hundreds of diverse bacteria species.
The company currently utilizes the microBIOMETER® test to evaluate field trials on how their product is impacting the soil when compared to an untreated control.
The image here shows an example of before (control) and 4 weeks after application.
Worm Power, a world leader in organic vermicompost products, helps growers improve crop yield and plant performance through increased root development and plant nutrient uptake. Worm Power’s Vermicompost Liquid Extract is shelf-stable soil amendment from liquid worm castings that have hundreds of diverse bacteria species.
The company currently utilizes the microBIOMETER® test to evaluate field trials on how their product is impacting the soil when compared to an untreated control. They like having the ability to show growers that the product is functioning as intended for increasing microbes in the soil.
Many specialty crops sterilize the soil to avoid pathogens. The addition of Worm Power’s products strives to bring soil back to a healthy and functional microbiome. microBIOMETER® provides the grower a visual measurement of the microbial community over time and the improvements gained with each application of their product. Healthy soils promote healthy plants and having a diverse microbe population is critical to this process and the microBIOMETER® provides a great tool to support their efforts.
“microBIOMETER® lets us see immediate results rather than waiting to see the increase in yield at the end of the season.”
Holganix utilizes the microBIOMETER® test as a baseline for their customers to see the fungi and bacteria levels present in their soil. These results act as a starting point. Most of the soil initially tested is bacteria dominant. That is what the company is trying to change. The Holganix product used to amend the soil is fungal and protozoa dominant. By increasing these levels, they are increasing the soil health on their customer’s farms.
microBIOMETER® acts as a dashboard or gauge that shows where growers start, where they are during the course of the season and where they are at the end of the season. Holganix uses this information to build a database that records year over year results; with the goal of increasing the biology in the soil.
These two photos from the microBIOMETER® app show one of their check fields vs. the same field with their product. This is an accurate representation of how they like to package the information for their growers.
“microBIOMETER® is a simple to use test that opens the eyes of our growers all across the Midwest. When they see the real time results, they begin to understand how important living biology is for their soil.”
About Holganix: As the only true plant probiotics, Holganix Bio 800+ products contain an entire microbiome or community of organisms that is both abundant and diverse. In a single tote of Holganix Bio 800+ there are more than 800 species of active microbes, microbe food, and nutrient enhancers. Working together, the microbes in Holganix Bio 800+ unlock nutrients already present in the soil and optimize the uptake of nutrients you apply, maximizing nutrient efficiency and minimizing loss. Microbe food helps obtain the rapid establishment of beneficial microbes, while nutrient enhancers work with the microbes to promote strong root growth and healthier plants.
Holganix utilizes the microBIOMETER® test as a baseline for their customers to see the fungi and bacteria levels present in their soil. These results act as a starting point. Most of the soil initially tested is bacteria dominant. That is what the company is trying to change. The Holganix product used to amend the soil is fungal and protozoa dominant. By increasing these levels, they are increasing the soil health on their customer’s farms.
There are many soil tests on the market so it can be difficult for farmers to ascertain whether or not they’re choosing the right one. The truth is, there are pros and cons to every soil test. Therefore, it boils down to finding which ones align best with your farming goals and which are easily and readily available to you without needing to stretch your resources too much.
Since microBIOMETER® is a relatively new soil test on the market, questions are often raised on how this test compares to other commonly used soil indicators such as the Haney Soil Test and PLFA test.
