Microbes – Shotgun or Sniper?
It’s becoming more and more clear that a rich microlife is one of the most important factors for healthy plant growth. Microbes preform a myriad of different functions in your substrate ranging from nutrient conversion, to bio-stimulant production, to rhizosphere protection, to nutrient transport and much more! (Click here to learn more about the functions beneficial microbes perform)
There are all kinds of products on the market containing microlife, but no two products work the same. In general, these are two different philosophies in applying microbes to your substrate, namely:
Both methods have their benefits and drawbacks. We chose to use the Sniper method for our microbial soil inoculation products, using specific bacteria, for these key reasons:
- By targeting the ideal blend of bacteria, we can guarantee immediate/lightning fast population establishment and activity.
- Even without detailed soil analysis we can know more precisely what’s happening in the root zone which allows better troubleshooting.
- Bacteria work faster than fungi so are more suitable for terminal-crop cycles.
The two most critical functions our research shows are:
- Rhizosphere protection/antagonism (soldiers that keep out the bad guys)
- Nutrient conversion (workers that turn unusable minerals into plant food)
We chose two specific strains of bacillus subtilis shown to be the most effective and used massive populations. The research shows that by overwhelming the soil with high populations of these strains, locked up nutrients are quickly made available and more resistant to leaching. Plus, any invading pathogens are quickly destroyed.