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.
PADK is an NGO dedicated to building capacity in regenerative agriculture techniques and soil science research. Their main initiative and focus, the Tropical Agriculture Research and Training Station (TARTS), is in the small village of Ngotto, in the East Region of Cameroon. The company’s objectives are to:
• Produce highly biodynamic and performant soil amendments.
• Restart the microbial activity of tropical soils, increasing nutrient availability, and alleviating the pressures of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• Increase local small-holder farmers’ knowledge of soil ecology and provide them with tangible resources to improve and regenerate their farmland.
A variety of logistical factors impeded their workflow while utilizing microscopy in their labs. Sampling was infrequent and irregular, tracking the F: B progression was difficult, and correlating with climate data and environmental parameters was near impossible.
In early 2022, Founder, Mr. Edmond Nader, came across the microBIOMETER®. Since then, they have accelerated their R&D efforts, and their results have benefited from more consistent monitoring. The benefits they have discovered while using microBIOMETER®:
• Process samples, measure the F:B ratio, and record the results using the mobile app’s Data Capture functionality, in about 20 minutes. The data capture has been a very welcome surprise as its simple to follow the evolution of substrates tested with the database and share results.
• Correlate data from other experiments and compare against our microscopy results.
• Accurately track the shift from bacterial dominance (i.e. thermal phase) to fungal dominance in their composting efforts.
“The microBIOMETER® has been an invaluable tool. It has helped our organization to better document results and follow the evolution of our efforts. We have found results to be accurate against most of our microscopy verifications and we trust the results. We are eager to share our experience with this tool with others and promote its use in sub-Saharan Africa, tropical climates, and elsewhere. There are few useful field tests available, especially useful in such rural areas as we work, the microBIOMETER® has been a very welcome addition to our laboratory and field studies.”
The images above represent microBIOMETER® soil testing results one year apart which show the mB levels have improved over 40%.
David Bray serves as the agriculture and livestock consultant for Omnicrobe Natural Solutions, an all-natural microbial amendment, and represents the company throughout the United States.
Omnicrobe Natural Solutions has performed soil tests in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas on a variety of crops. Their SOIL2 product breaks down the nutrients that are in the soil to become more readily available to the plant root system. Applying SOIL2 lessens the demand for fertilizer by utilizing the nutrients’ that are existing. They use microBIOMETER® to establish a base line reading then retest at various phases to determine how the soil is progressing.
Being able to track the microbes in the soil to determine the amount of SOIL2 microbes to apply, has proven beneficial to rebuild and maintain healthy soil. Application of SOIL2 can vary from in-furrow application, broadcast spray, irrigation, or drip tape.
David Bray was born and raised in Southwest, Oklahoma. He graduated from Cameron University, Lawton, OK with a degree in Agriculture Education and a minor in Agronomy. Retired from public education in July 2022, his passion now lies in plant and animal health,; leading to a healthier human.
Soil testing in Mexico
In the Pacific region of Mexico (state of Sinaloa), many vegetables are grown mainly for export to the United States and Canada. The soils in these crops have been greatly affected by the intensity of their management, which has unfortunately caused a considerable loss in their fertility and microbial biodiversity. In lieu of this, the use of biotechnologies based on microbial complexes is currently being highly promoted in order to inoculate the soils and recover part of the natural fertility. This is being performed alongside the use of other organic tools such as algae extracts, humic/fulvic acids, and liquid composts.
Mydagro LLC is using microBIOMETER® on vegetable plots where their biotechnology E-Microzyme (mix of beneficial bacteria) is inoculated into the soil. Their results have shown an increase in microorganisms and yield compared with the check plots. With the use of the microBIOMETER® soil test to measure the microbial increase quickly, it is now possible to better understand the behavior of microbiology and the positive effects of this type of horticultural crop.
“microBIOMETER® has proven that the use of biological and organic technologies can substantially help with the renewal of worn-out soils and gradually revitalize them to boost the productivity and health of the crops.” Fernando Cantu Galindo- Technical advisor Mydagro LLC Mexico
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.
BioHub Solutions, an Australian company that provides biological solutions to the agricultural industry, has incorporated microBIOMETER® into their business. BioHub Solutions believes measurements should be simple whenever possible to ensure their implementation and repeatability. microBIOMETER® has become an integral part of the BioPlan processes. Growers also like it because it provides instant feedback and accountability for Biohub’s biological strategies.
“Our trees continue to do well against the control in areas such as average plant height growth, trunk to height ratio, and fungi to bacteria ratio utilizing microBIOMETER®. This is pleasing so far and we will continue measurements.”
Green bean study in North Queensland.
Green bean trial in North Queensland (above). Initial samples taken 2 weeks before harvest. So far overall bean numbers are 36% improved over control. More importantly, marketable sized numbers are improved by 52%. This is where the margin is for the grower. Microbial biomass is also 28% higher than control which is pleasing. Looking forward to the full harvest figures if they reflect the initial samples taken.
Olive rootstock (below). The data has indicated on average, a 17% increase in stem diameter over the control. Root weight improvements of 47%, biology biomass improvements of 46% and fungal to bacterial ratio improvements of 56% over control. This illustrated that the BioHub solution achieved results in the manner the team had predicted. Photo depicts an example of the treated plug on the left and control on the right.
Olive rootstock – treated
Olive rootstock – control
Sometimes the wisdom we need to build a great future is buried in the past. Regenerative agriculture isn’t an entirely new concept, it’s actually more of a return to the wisdom of farmers from days gone by. What’s old is new again and its popularity is spreading around the globe like a prairie fire.
While regenerative agriculture gives a well-earned nod to the past, its relationship with science and technology allows it to effectively transform the way we currently grow food. microBIOMETER®, with their customers all around the world, are leading the way with technology that shows farmers when their soil health practices are working and when they are not.
“I believe biological agriculture is the way to regenerate and create more resilient soil that will supply nutrients and higher immunity to the plants. This is why microBIOMETER® has become an invaluable asset to my soil management efforts.” ~ Marcelo Chiappetta of Chiapeta Empresa Agricola in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Creating healthy soil may take the wisdom of generations of farmers, but microBIOMETER® supplies the knowledge farmers need to best manage potential outcomes.
Leeston Pastoral is a 5th generation, family owned farm in New South Wales, Australia. Historically, they have had a fine wool Merino & Hereford cattle breeding operation. Over the last 20 years they have moved to focus on cattle.
The 2019 drought forced them to reevaluate what operation they wanted to continue in. They decided to adopt a more regenerative approach and move from a cattle breeding operation to a cattle trading operation. They now have one large mob grazing holistically using short grazes and long pasture rest periods.
microBIOMETER® has allowed them to quickly, easily and inexpensively record existing benchmark measurements of their soil microbiology and now reassess the effects of stock movements and plant/soil amendments. They are excited to see the new F:B ratio measurement, as they want to make sure the soils stay fungally dominated so they can more effectively create stored soil organic matter.
They were happy to see their microBIOMETER® results showed an almost 30% increase in microbial biomass and fungal to bacterial ratio one month after holistic grazing. Studies have shown that a 1.5x increase in your soil’s F:B ratio can lead to a 3x increase in carbon sequestration. Thank you Adam for sharing your experience with us!
