microbial balancing in agriculture · 2009. 12. 8. · biological farming practices to enhance...
TRANSCRIPT
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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,
[email protected], 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, [email protected]