REBUILDING SOIL BALANCE

When talking with groups of growers and soil managers I always ask if they understand the difference between SOIL and DIRT, and I am often confronted with puzzled looks.

Dirt on one hand is made up of sand, silt and clay particles, it has mass but by itself it is quite unstable. Soil on the other hand is a living thing - in addition to sand, silt and clay particles it contains a multitude of beneficial organisms, organic materials and minerals all of which perform vital functions for the plants that rely on the soil for their survival. This is why rebuilding and rehabilitating soil health needs to take all of these primary soil components, the chemical, physical and biological aspects of the soil into account.

These three vital components are like the legs on a three legged stool, they combine to build and maintain soil and plant health and balance. Unfortunately we seem to have overlooked one of these legs and the stool is getting a bit unstable - the importance of soil biology. In reality the strength and vitality of any soil based enterprise is closely linked to the balance, diversity and health of its biological population.
 
Soil biology is a complex web of interdependent, mutually beneficial organisms ranging in size from microscopic bacteria, to fungi (the largest organisms on the planet), to protozoa, nematodes, micro-arthropods, worms and beetles. The food web develops good soil structure by binding pieces of soil (clay, sand, silt, organic matter, roots) together and by building airways and passageways through the soil. This encourages a good movement of air and water which are vital to the health of plants and the soil food web itself.
 
The way in which the soil biomass manages the soil is truly complex and amazing. For example, good soil structure allows water to efficiently enter and drain from the soil, but it also enables the soil to store water more efficiently reducing the impact of drought and reducing the need for irrigation.

When considering living organisms, it is true that "everything eats, everything excretes, and everything is food for something else". Bacteria and fungi feed on plant residues, breaking them down and consuming the nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, etc.) and holding them in their bodies which are glued and bound to soil particles. This is the way that soil biology takes care of long term plant nutrition, in the short term the nutrients are prevented from being leached, but as the fast-paced cycle of life in the soil continues these nutrients are released in a form that is easily digested by the plant.  
 
Plants excrete foods for the soil biomass from their roots, to build their number and strength, enabling them to perform their many functions including protecting the root from pathogens and pest attack. The soil food web protects all plant surfaces from disease-causing organisms and other pests, often by out-competing them for food, sometimes simply by eating them or by occupying the plant surfaces so the pathogen cannot gain access, and at other times by altering the soil conditions so the disease-organisms cannot thrive.
 
Rebuilding the vitality and biological balance of the soil is primarily about inoculating and encouraging the growth and survival of beneficial biological species. Ideally we need to examine and measure your soil to identify the best strategy and products to use. We can’t just use any biological product however, because success is linked to diversity and balance, there are numerous examples of so called biological products which have simply not provided any long term benefit, because they are based on a single organism or a narrow group of beneficial  species.
 
The key to success is diversity -- nature is built on it — so we have developed a range of products and programs that have a broad bio-diversity and offer long term benefit. They are also based around indigenous Australian biological species which are suited to our climate and soil conditions.     


SO WHERE CAN WE GO FROM HERE?
 
After some years of research we now believe that we are able to offer soil managers a comprehensive way forward, providing a way to restore soil health and improve crop yields and returns within the requirements of commercial farming or land management operations - whilst gradually reducing the need for chemical intervention.

The technology includes accurate diagnostic and measuring tools, backed by a range of diverse biological inoculants and stimulants.