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Microbial Balancing in

Agriculture

A new direction in soil and water management

CONSORTIUM

&ENVIRONMENTAL

RESEARCH

INFORMATIONCONSORTIUM

&ENVIRONMENTAL

RESEARCH

INFORMATIONCONSORTIUM

&ENVIRONMENTAL

RESEARCH

INFORMATION

© Environmental Research & Information Consortium Pty Ltd www.eric.com.au

Rob Gourlay Managing Director

Part BApplications

Microbial Balancing Uses

Microbial balancing context

• Method of using natural beneficial and effective micro-organisms to improve environmental health.

• A method of growing and applying good microbes to soil, organic wastes and water

• Re-establishing high populations of micro-organisms to soil and water.

• Probiotic technology: opposite of antibiotics.

• Specific microbes for increasing overall diversity and activity of soil and water biology.

Applications

• Soil conditioner

• Water conditioner (ponds, dams)

• Foliar fertilisation and plant protection

• Compost integration or management

• Handling food wastes

• Livestock probiotic from water or feed

• Livestock stables and manures

VRM products for Agriculture

Product Nutrient Content

(% weight per unit volume)

20.021.56013Trooper NKS

20.020.16.81.714Old Max

0091200.5KS Special

30.0502111Nitro

100.11.3315Hi Carb

50.10.5417Bio Base

Organic C

CaSKPNProduct

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BioBase

• BioBase is the core liquid fertiliser and soil conditioner for grazing, cropping and intensive agriculture– Provides the bridge between chemical and

organic fertilisers– Delivers nutrients in a liquid from and in a plant

available form

– Builds microbial populations to continually feed plants long after fertilising

– Enhances carbon sequestration and nitrogen fixation by microbes to build soil humus in the critical root zone

– The balance, diversity and abundance of the microbial populations improves soil structure, chemistry and biology

The soil impacts from conventional farming..

Principles in agriculture

• Production of safe and nutritious food to

enhance human health or wellbeing.

• Development of economic and social benefits to

both producers (farmers) and consumers.

• Sustainability and viability of the enterprise and

and ease of practice by every one.

• Conservation of the environment.

• Production of sufficient, high quality food.

Conventional farming• Ploughing can create a hard pan that results in soil

structure decline and adverse salinity

– causes anaerobic subsoil conditions

– impedes the deep infiltration of water

– flushes carbon and nutrients through increased lateral flow of water

• The over use of fertilisers and chemicals reduces biological activity and favours bad microbes

– produces loss of plant nutrition

– creates a treadmill of remedial fertilisers and chemicals to remediate adverse impacts

• There is a major loss of soil moisture retention due to soil structure decline associated with the loss of soil health

Big 4 adverse impacts on microbes

Tillage Fertiliser

Pesticides Burning OM

Gaining v. losing carbon

The downward

spiral to degraded soils

Conservation tillage

and retention of soilorganic matter

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Inorganic fertilisers in waterways

Inorganic fertilisers and waste water/ sewage outflows are major sources of nutrient to creeks and rivers, and promote water weeds and algae.

Industry initiatives in healthy soil management..

Biological farming practices to enhance microbial balancing applications

• Increase the soil volume of organic matter to about 4-5%.

• Use minimal till ploughs with liquid fertiliser injection technology

• Restore and maintain a cover of perennial native grasses (don’t overgraze)

• Minimise chemical fertiliser applications to about 20kg per hectare and mix/spread with organic matter, eg. rock dust, manures, compost, grape marc, etc.

• Retain crop stubble, plant roots, and top soil intact• Apply microbial balancing products before and

after crop production.

No or minimal till/ Direct drill ploughs

www.ecoplow.com.au

Soil water retention Cropping within native pasture

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Cropping with native pasture

• Native perennial pasture species + 41%

• Annual weeds – 43%

• Sub-Clover no change

• organic matter increase

– from 2% in 1995 to 4% in 2005

• Increased plant numbers, diversity and biomass

• Increased grazing quality and higher yielding crops

• Reduced fertilisers inputs

• Improved management of soil acidity and salinity

Changes in pasture composition and performanceIrrigation soil water

Significant savings can be made in soil water storage and irrigation water requirements when the soil carbon levels are raised to at least 5% of soil volume and microbial activity is increased. EM can be added to the irrigation water and the soil, as a spray or drip application

Spray unit for microbe applications

EM mixes can either be prepared in the spray unit or in a tank as bulk and pumped into the spray unit. Spray units can range

from 600 L to 5000 L.

Liquid injection with minimal till

The combination of

minimal till machinery with liquid fertiliser inject is the ultimate

means of placing the EM in the top soil or planting zone.

Healthy sugar cane soil treated by microbial balancing applications

• Soil became friable and easy to work with a plough

• Earth worms and many other animals emerged.

• Organic trash was incorporated into the soil by the soil microbes.

• Crop growth and health increased significantly.

• Plant BRIX (sugar) values increased from 11 to 14.

• Production increased from 9,000 tonnes to 22,000 tonnes.

Healthy sugar cane treated with microbial balancing applications

High uptake by microbes of OM trash on soil surface

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Compost and microbes in healthy soil management..

On-site farm composting

Warwick’s objective is to foster the biology in the

soil by unlocking the natural nutrients and building

immunity in order to reducedependency on

commercial inputs.

Homemade Bokashi technology

Bokashi is a mixture of rice, wheat and barley bran with EM

and used as a compost conditioner, soil conditioner and

feed supplement and inoculant/probiotic for animals.

Compost fermenting

Compost fermenting requires less labour

than the alternative of continuously turning the pile to create

aerobic conditions.

Compost/ organic matter spreading

Farmers, community and local government collaborating to establish the recycling of organics

and its use in agriculture.

Soil conditioner

• Soil conditioning restores soil vitality and health

• A soil conditioner is formulated from a combination of paramagnetic rock dust, carbon, minerals, microbes. – the raw material can also include vermicast, manures, carbon

ash, paper, grape marc and straw

• The formulations can vary depending on the nature of the application.

• Products are available in bags or bulk.

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Guaranteed more roots...

With Soil ConditionerNo soil conditioner

Increased root density and depth. Increases plant capacity for water and nutrient uptake - significantly increases plant health.

Microbial Balancing in Agriculture

Microbial balancing: beneficial impacts

• Promotes gemination, growth, flowering, fruiting and ripening in plants..

• Enhances the photosynthetic capacity of plants

• Increases the efficacy of organic matter as a

fertiliser.

• Develops resistance of plants to pests and

diseases (immunity).

• Improves the physical, chemical and biological

environment of soils.

• Suppresses soil borne pathogens and pests.

Performance parameters

Parameter Conventional Organic EM

Yield Medium-high Low-medium Medium-high

Quality Low-medium Medium-high Medium-high

Cost High Low Low

Toxicity High None None

Environment Damaged Protected Improved

Viability Medium term Medium term Longer term

Sustainability Unsustainable Sustainable Sustainable

More than 150 farmers in Qld with over 4000 ha of bananas and sugar cane use VRM formulations

Bio-fertilisers in actionMicrobial balancing basics

• The microbial balanced products are a liquid concentrate that is added to water and ready to spray as a soil conditioner.

• Other ingredients can be added to the VRM products including liquid fertiliser and worm juice, fulvic acid, compost teas, liquid manures, etc. for soil conditioning.

• VRM Biobase is available with a balanced population of microbes at a price better than chemical fertilisers, compost teas and worm juices.

• EM is mixed with good quality water at a rate of 1:10 and sprayed at a rate of 5 litres of concentrate (or 55-80 litres of mix) per hectare.

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Timing applications

• Soil preparation as a liquid spray at the time of

spreading other soil amendments (eg. fertilisers

or organic soil conditioners, eg. rock dust,

manures, grape marc, compost, etc.)

• During plant growing management as a foliar

spray and to add microbes and nutrients to the

soil.

• After harvest to replace microbes and nutrients,

and to sequester soil carbon, etc.

Measures to sustain soil health

• Maintain grass cover (ie. native perennial grasses).

• Minimal tillage to avoid carbon burn-off.

• Avoid over use of chemical (acid/salt) fertilisers, and pesticides herbicides.

• Avoid fire that combusts soil litter and carbon.

• Add to the diversity and abundance micro-organisms (ie. Apply EM, worm juice, vermicast).

• Increase the level or volume of soil organic matter to 3-5%.

• Do not overgraze or bare the soil to intense sun radiation.

EM and chemical use

• Chemicals can kill or adversely affect microbial

balances, diversity and abundance

• Reduce the pH of the chemical mix, eg. add

vinegar and beneficial acid (eg. phosphoric,

fulvic, humic, etc.)

• Limit the use of chemicals and increase use of

EM.

• Avoid mixing EM with chemicals during

applications.

Benefits in agriculture

• Decreased use of chemicals (fertilisers,

herbicides and insecticides).

• Increased efficiency of fertiliser and organic

amendments.

• Improved nutrient uptake (high yield).

• Improved nutrient availability in the soil.

• Improved profit (low cost).

• Increased shelf life and stability of produce

after harvest.

• Better health of farm workers and the

environment (no toxicity).

How microbial balancing products enhance soil health

• Feed and sustain microbes in the soil food web

• Help rapidly decompose organic matter (to produce humus) and enhance soil structure

• Promote Nitrogen fixation that promotes plant root growth (ie. pathways for soil oxygen and water)

• Help keep nutrients available in the root zone and out of surface and groundwater – includes Calcium and Phosphorous

• Compete with disease causing organisms

• Filter and degrade pollutants as water flows through the soil

• Catch and process Carbon from the air to build

soil humus

Increased nutrient uptake

Increased effectiveness of water use

Less soil loss to run-off

= MORE $ TO THE FARMER

AND ECO-FRIENDLYSOLUTION

Summary of benefits

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Microbial balancing in water and waste applications

Activated microbes

A microbial culture fermented in water prior to application to water

Biological waste treatment systems Biology to the ponds

Regular program of biology treatment through

sprays that produce water that is finally pumped as

clean water to the river

Monthly spray from tanker Daily dosage of biology

Biological management of waste ponds Bokashi conditioners for composts and household cleaners

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Microbial balancing in animal production

Animal health

• Microbial applications can be added to the environment of animals as a probiotic.

• Microbial balancing assists in the production of anti-oxidants, vitamins, amino acids, etc. in the gut.

• Improves the environment: controls ammonia and sulphur-containing (smelly) compounds.

• Controls disease, eg. Coli, salmonella, etc.

• Improves animal growth/ weight.

• Reduces need for antibiotics and hormones

• Inoculates manures for soil.

Conclusion..

Conclusion

• Microbial balancing is a key to sol health, along with

the % volume of soil carbon.

• Microbial balancing is a very cost effective

alternative to inorganic fertilisers when combined

with other organic fertiliser materials, eg. manures,

compost, rock dust, grape marc, blood and bone,

etc.

• Microbial balancing has a broad farm application for

soil health, water/dam conditioner, stock feed

inoculant, odour control, and the animal housing

environment, etc.

Conclusion 2

• Understanding and applying soil biology is the

key to sustainable agriculture

• The human wellness revolution can only be

sustained through improved soil health

• There is a strong link between soil, plant and

animal health and human health (ie. the nutrition

pathway)

• There is a significant shift in Australia from

conventional agriculture to biological agriculture

that is self-sustaining

Conclusion 3

• The business opportunity for soil conditioners and

microbe management will expand significantly

through local clustering of materials supply and

production effort, and collaboration of local

communities in biological farming applications .

• The Australian, state and local governments need

to be interested in recycling organic materials,

rural industry growth, community wellbeing and

promotion of regional and sustainable

development.

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Conclusion 4

• Soil health management is the key to mineral

management, microbe management, plant

management and pest management.

• Move to biological farming practices that focus on

soil health management and away from inorganic

fertilisers and chemical sprays

• Individuals or farmers can undertake actions on

their own properties to significantly improve soil

health through soil microbe management practices.

For example, an appropriate level of inorganic

fertiliser may be as low as 20 kg/hectare

Conclusion 5

• Start the process with a comprehensive soil test

that includes total soil organic matter levels (%),

oxygen levels, cation exchange, calcium and

magnesium ration and paramagnetism.

• Increase the use of organic or other composted

fertilisers to increase SOM levels in the soil

• The key to sustainable farming is to hydrate the

landscape through soil health improvement

measures (ie. store considerably more water on

the farm). Also, minimal-till ploughing and

construct chains of ponds where appropriate.

Key messages

• Where organic matter declines, soil water and biological activity declines along with plant production and food nutrition

• 80-90% of soil biological activity involves bacteria and fungi

• A warm soil, without organic matter and moisture can not support microbes and is therefore dead

• Maintain adequate grass cover, pasture grazing rotation, enhance organic matter inputs to the soil

• Add minerals and microbes to soils to maximise soil health

• Agricultural fertiliser inputs have both positive and negative impacts on microbes, however minimise the rate of inorganic fertilisers and herbicide/ insecticide applications to bare soil

• The challenge to agriculture is to minimise nutrient losses and to maximise soil nutrient cycling

Contact Details

• www.eric.com.au (access to research papers on

soils, soil testing and advice and microbial

balancing) or contact Rob Gourlay on 48428182,

rob@eric.com.au, 0418 462 443 for supply of VRM

products

• www.healthysoils.com.au (join and get access to

soil health articles and papers) or contact Rob

Gourlay on 48428182, rob@healthysoils.com.au