By Dr. Thomas T. Yamashita
Virgin Soil Versus Unproductive Tired Soils
Comparison and contrast studies between virgin soils versus unproductive tired soils reveal a consistent pattern. Virgin soils are always richer in diversity and population density of a varied ecology of microorganisms. Additionally, virgin soils will always hold a broad array of exotic minerals.
While textbooks state the necessity of about 16 elements for productive plant growth and development, our studies reveal the integral role of approximately 65. The other 49 generally exist in virgin soils at low concentrations at or beyond parts per billion. This factor, combined with the disrupted microbiology, is one of the reasons why virgin soils produce quantum yields for the first and possibly second year and then become somewhat unresponsive to what appears to be excellent fertility programs. That is, the margin for their depletion is very low.
The Science and Art of Soil Microbiology
The ultimate goal of soil microbiology is to “establish a coordinated, repetitive, ecological continuum of a diverse array of microorganisms in space and time.” The diverse ecological package of interacting soil microorganisms are coordinated in virgin soils.
In their natural setting, virgin soils host unique populations of plants and animals that grow and are recycled back into the soil. The soils themselves can be diverse in texture and chemistry. The climate of the respective area also varies from place to place. That is, all virgin soils host their own unique set of environmental conditions and the coordinated microbial community is also unique to a particular niche of virgin soil. Thus, the rebuilding of virgin-quality microbiology is not necessarily one of adding the microorganisms so much as creating conditions to repopulate and reactivate the unique set of indigenously adapted species.
The Most Effective Means of Rebuilding Highly Productive Agricultural Soils
The makeup of most microorganisms is about 50% carbon, 8% hydrogen, 20% oxygen, 14% nitrogen, 3% phosphorus, and minor amounts of various other elements. Since farmers commonly apply nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements, what becomes limiting in the continued growth and development of microorganisms is the unavoidable deficiency of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O), three components that account for over 78% of body mass. Undisturbed virgin soils have a natural, recycling of plant and animal biomass but commercially farmed soils necessarily disrupt this recycling of C, H and O.
Ground covers and amendments such as compost are excellent, long-term additions that can help reestablish virgin quality. However, extensive pilot studies on bioremediation of various toxic soil conditions (from petroleum, insecticides, PCBs, herbicides and other chemicals) have taught us another important and necessary component for quick and thorough reestablishment of virgin quality: attention to the microbial activity level and rate of metabolism.
Important principles established in the bioremediation arena form a basic foundation for applications to the rebuilding of agricultural soils. On a comparative rating scale of 0-100 composts and ground cover generate an activity rating of 15-25, far too deficient to be used in the remediation of toxic spills. Preferential, complex, liquid substrates we have developed to enhance beneficial microbiota, however, when added to the soil, generate the rapid proliferation and degree of metabolic activity necessary for a quick and thorough bioremediation of various types of contaminants. These rich, liquid microbial foods easily generate an activity rating of 100+. They have now been reformulated for specific applications to rebuilding agricultural soils.
Fusion 360 Products Which Can Rehabilitate Tired Soils
Fusion Soil and Iota: Fusion Soil is a unique liquid microbial food specifically formulated to favor proliferation of beneficial microbiota and supplemented with essential plant elements. Iota is a superior inoculant specifically designed to treat unproductive soils by activating soil microbiology, improving water infiltrations and/or compact textures, ultimately improving the strength of the soil and increasing the levels of natural resistance in crops. When used together, Fusion Soil and Iota have repeatedly converted unproductive to better than virgin quality soils.
(Thumbnail source: Pixabay, licensed via Pixabay license.)
