In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, farmers and agricultural professionals are always looking for innovative solutions that build better soil resilience and improve crop health whilst striving to lower their fertiliser inputs and their environmental impact. ActiV8-Bio, a unique biological product designed by SFS, is one solution that sparks curiosity and gains significant traction with a revolutionary approach to revitalising soil and boosting crop growth. But… before we get on to that, let’s delve deeper into what drives some of these decisions and promotes poorer growing conditions.
A ruler’s strength typically comes from the power of its subjects, so, if yield is king, yield is subject to this and subject to that.
Take a plant, for starters; as a seed, it gets thrust down into the soil’s hostile environment, fending for itself and scavenging for essential elements, all with one aim, to reach upwards and get its solar panels out of the ground quickly so that it can begin to make its food and support itself via photosynthesis. Sounds easy, right? After all, it’s a natural process; plants will do it anyway.
When you’re a young seed, the soil is not a nice place to be; everything down there wants to support itself first before lending its new neighbour a helping hand. Our new inhabitant has limited resources, so to bolster its dwindling reserves, it is keen to make new friends (quickly). Still, with all good relationships, things need to be mutually beneficial, which can be a bit of a sticking point for this fledgling seed; it ends up giving away some of its supplies to barter and attract the correct type of supportive partner, and unfortunately, the simple act of spending to survive, negatively impacts our seeds performance, but what choice does it have?
How about if there wasn’t such a panic to go upwards, and instead, the young seedling had the available resources to leisurely extend its rooting further, optimising its nutrient cycling capacity first, rather than desperately scrabbling for the surface? And what if the soil environment already contained billions of biological helpers supporting the seed and stimulating better soil health? Imagine building hardier growth with a plant that’s now less susceptible to stresses, insect and pathogen attacks.
Innovative biological starter products are more than fertilisers. They provide both soil and plant nutrition while reinforcing the soil microbial workforce. This departure from conventional fertilisers offers a more holistic and sustainable approach to agricultural production, inspiring a sense of responsibility and environmental commitment.
A blend of carefully selected ingredients that work synergistically to improve soil health and promote plant growth must be at their core. These elements should include humic and fulvic acids – crucial for enhancing soil structure and increasing aeration and water retention. These acids also play a vital role in chelating essential minerals, making them more accessible to plants.
In addition to humic and fulvic acids, ActiV8-Bio is enriched with a diverse range of beneficial micro-organisms, including
Phosphate fixers, Nitrogen fixers, plant protectors, and soil pathogen combatants. These micro-organisms work tirelessly to improve soil quality, enhance nutrient uptake, and safeguard plants from diseases and pests.
Trace elements may only be needed in tiny amounts, but this doesn’t make them any less critical to crop productivity, which can suffer when many of these elements are deficient in soils. For example, Zinc, Boron, and Manganese are all vital for early growth and development, and by providing a readily available source of these elements, growers can effectively address nutrient deficiencies and optimise plant health.
It all sounds good, but how does it work? Well, by establishing a symbiotic relationship between the soil and the plants, micro-organisms can do what they do best, and that means that both parties are kept happy: The plant gets an available version of the element it needs, like calling in a food delivery driver – Our driver (microbe) gets paid in sugars from the plant exudates.
Still, it goes further…those microbes will defend their territory and meal ticket, leading to a healthier root zone with fewer pathogenic organisms where a plant can prosper better. An excellent biological product will contain billions of these helpful microbes. Still, an exceptional one will go that one step further and provide the biological army with food, so that it doesn’t need to rob soil resources and can get to work immediately.
Imagine you’ve planted your seeds, and they’re starting to grow; but you’re worried about pests and diseases that could harm your crops. But what can a biological product do to protect them? One way is to introduce beneficial micro-organisms to your soil. These tiny creatures can help your plants grow stronger and healthier.
One such beneficial micro-organism is Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens. I like to call this one the guard dog: This bacterium can recycle nutrients in the soil, making them more available for your plants to use. It can also create a protective layer around plant roots, shielding them from harmful pathogens. It produces substances that can kill harmful bacteria and fungi. By doing all these things, Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens can help your plants grow bigger and stronger and improve soil quality.
The opposing argument would suggest that using N, P, K, S, and Mg fertilisers as a starter will do the same job; the plants would grow, and the soil would be fine. I am not suggesting that fertiliser is not required, but available nutrition is, and many fertilisers are inefficient – with losses expected, not only wasting money but also increasing the risk of environmental contamination.
Biological starters such as ActiV8-Bio provide accessible nutrients in a form a plant can readily use without oversupplying or forcing feed, creating a more harmonious ecosystem.
Whether you adopt it now or sometime in the not-too-distant future, biological products that offer a sustainable and effective solution for modern agriculture are the way forward. By enhancing soil health, improving crop growth, and reducing the reliance on chemical inputs, growers can improve profitability and contribute to a more bio-positive, sustainable system. If you want to know more about biological products supporting today’s plant and tomorrow’s soil, contact us at SFS.
