Why test for soil Life? Part 4
The ratios of active and total bacteria and fungi are vital to a fully functioning soil that will yield the benefit of more efficient plant nutrient uptake and disease suppression.
Why test soil for life? Part 3: Fungi
in this short article we have a look one of the more complex soil organisms that many growers are on the quest to elevate the numbers of – fungi.
Why test soil for life? Part 2: Bacteria
Last time we touched on the importance of moisture to help support the fundamental needs of a healthy and active soil biomass. This time we look more closely at the tiny, single celled organisms that are incredibly important in maintaining a fully functional community of life.
Measuring the population of bacteria is the first step in understanding the health of soil and planning for any subsequent biological treatment or amendment to the growing area. At MBS we always recommend developing the more full picture of activity in your soil and grow media by capturing key metrics at key stages of crop growth. A system with secure data and analytics to manage your soil is the way forward. By looking at the level of Total bacteria (TB) for a given quantity of soil, we obtain an indication of the abundance of food for predators (life forms higher up the food chain that will consume bacteria) and overall nutrient capacity, as well as the general diversity of the bacterial population.
By contrast, measured Active bacteria (AB) is the fraction of Total bacteria that is metabolizing the oxygen. The relative range of these two numbers for optimal growing conditions, varies based on the crop. If you need to determine this for your soil or grow media, get in touch with SoilBioLab for help testing this as well as guidance on the effectiveness of your treatments.
Now at this point it is worth explaining briefly a little about the units used: µg/g. Expressed in words this is micrograms of bacteria per gram of (dry) soil. In simple terms this means that for the tested sample we have a representative value of mass for the organisms that we can attribute to one gram of substrate. The higher the physical count observed by the laboratory, the higher the concentration of bacteria in the soil.
In the right environment, these critters can be incredibly useful in combatting disease and accelerating the rate at which nutrients can become available to plants, by their programmed habit for feeding and multiplying in numbers. This tendency for rapid reproduction is fully utilised in the process of compost tea and compost extractions, which can be exploited by growers to help manage the levels and balance of bacteria in the soil. Ready-to-go solutions to increasing microbial life also provide a great means to increasing the biomass.
Simon runs Mind, Body & Soil and is Co-founder of SoilBioLab. He specialises in services and solutions for soil fertility management. You can follow him on twitter @peat_free or email him at simon@mindbodysoil.co.uk
Why test soil for life? Part 1: Moisture Content
In the first part of this mini-series we dangle our proverbial toes (or green fingers) in to the ground for a quick dip on understanding the importance of soil moisture and the relationship with microorganisms.
Moisture content
Soil Moisture is calculated for soils and solid amendments, such as compost. There are many different ways to determine this value, the most usual method for a soil analysis lab being the loss on drying method. In this form, the value represents the level of moisture in given a sample as a percentage, that is to say the amount of, or mass, of a sample that is liquid (water) on an as-received basis.
The measurement will lie between 0 and 100%. A zero value would indicate the complete absence of moisture, whereas 100% would probably have trickled to floor before it made it to the laboratory oven for drying! It is sensible to track this metric throughout the season as climatic conditions change. If you need help with setting up a mechanism to capture and analyse you soil data, get in touch with MBS and ask for information on their Soil Surveillance System.
The importance of soil moisture being correct cannot be understated enough for a correctly functioning soil. It is a key parameter on any test report as the subsequent analysis for bacteria, fungi and protozoa depend directly on this value.
In the real-world, the liquid component is vital to the health of the soil ecosystem – assisting microorganisms with the fundamental requirements for their own survival as well as helping to mobilise nutrients to plants and allowing for movement between soil particles. With a complete absence of moisture is unlikely that your microscopic workers will last for any great length of time, dying off or turning inactive until conditions change. On the other hand, saturation will reduce the oxygen content, starving the microbes of the basic requirement of life forms and turn the soil anaerobic, promoting condition for harmful organisms. In these extremes it is highly likely that you will have already observed the demise of your crop and taken to rowing across you field instead.
If you would like to get ahead and test your own soil for moisture content, health and more get in touch with Soibiolab and ask for more information on their services.
In the next installment of our series we will cover off Bacteria.
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A holistic approach
The ongoing challenge for growers is how to survive in an economically and environmentally challenging climate. The goal posts seem to keep changing and the biological clock is ticking.
7 Reasons to Measure Soil Biology
Introduction
It is still fairly commonplace to manage a growing environment by measuring the chemical and physical aspects. But this is only part of the story…
Whilst you could look at conditions in isolation what about the workforce that underpins a correctly functioning, healthy grow system?
Well, I firmly believe that you should practice what you preach and since beginning my journey in to understanding the ‘life beneath our feet’ I have adopted the same principles that I now help others to introduce in to their lives and businesses. So far, I have not stopped picking cucumbers and tomatoes this season!
We want to give you a few reasons why should should start testing the micro-organisms in your grow media or soil and convince you to look in to the benefits of getting soil life to work for you!
So here it is. Sit up, listen and take heed:
Reason #1 Detect disruptions to the natural processes
By measuring the range and quantity of microorganisms in grow media it is possible to identify system failures. This could be a simple decrease in the bacterial or fungal activity or changes in the ratio of fungal to bacterial biomass relative to that expected for a particular plant or system. This could be an indication that unwanted changes are happening. If you want to start testing soil biology, you should contact a suitable laboratory www.soilbiolab.co.uk
Reason #2 Increased efficiency
Careful management of ever hungry microbes will drive production and often increase the rate of growth. As an ecosystem becomes more productive, the total amount of available nutrients within it increases. In order for these to be mineralised and made available for plants, interaction between the different groups of organisms is required – a sure route to fertility.
Reason #3 Minimise losses
Optimal use of available nutrients sits hand in hand with minimising those which escape. The smaller the loss, the more tightly that nutrients are cycled from retained forms to plant available. That means that you need to put in less.
Reason #4 Save money
With a management system in place that encompasses soil biology, it is possible to save on the volume of applied inputs and often decrease the harvest interval. Speak to other producers, growers and gardeners and hear what has and hasn’t worked for them in the biological domain. Alternatively you could always get external advice.
Reason #5 Plants remain in control of the soil interactions
You wouldn’t force feed a baby. Microorganisms will respond to the signals, acids and enzymes released by plants. This means that the crop will absorb what it requires, when it needs it. Bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes respond to changes in conditions and can make scarcer nutrients become more available.
Reason #6 Disease is suppressed
Soil health is ensured when the rhizosphere is loaded with beneficial organisms and the chance of infection lessened as space for harmful organisms is reduced, by overwhelming competition. It is therefore very important to keep the these guys topped up, to minimise the likelihood of attack. Try regularly applying microbes either in the form of compost or by applying a liquid soil and plant feed as part of a planned programme.
Reason #7 Reduce your workload
OK, so there are always things to do, but at least you can enjoy your new role as a micro-livestock farmer! You will never look at soil in the same way again and begin to appreciate the intrinsic link between Physical, Chemical and Biological and how changes to one can have massive implications on the other, especially the soil food web. Working with organisms in the substrate can provide access to many of the difficult to reach places under the surface and help you to get back and maintain soil fertility by realising the full potential of your grow media.
Conclusion
Once you know what you have got, relax! Put your feet up and feel safe in the knowledge that there is a whole plethora of microbes working away for you. Start planning ways to look after and nurture these microbes and they will take care of your plants.
Happy grazing!
If this has wetted your appetite and you just can’t wait to get started in your greenhouse, tunnels or fields, why not get in touch with us and let Mind, Body & Soil help you get started or refine an existing system with our products and hands on advice?
Contact us directly at info@mindbodysoil.co.uk or hit the button below…