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For years, soil was merely considered the ground we walk on, build on, and grow plants in. However, recent research has highlighted its crucial role in both human and planetary health. Central to this newfound appreciation is the diverse microbial ecosystem within the soil, often referred to as the 'subterranean workforce.'
Why Soil Microbes Matter
Not visible to the naked eye, soil microbes play a significant role in sustaining life on Earth. They possess diverse forms and processes with significant roles, including:
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Soil Erosion Prevention: Microbes hold soil together to prevent soil erosion. Biofertiliser can be applied to multiply soil microbes and make soil more difficult to erode.
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Water Conservation: They provide water-holding capacity of soil. Incorporating biochar soil and soil boosters can also facilitate the water-holding capacity of soil, keeping plants watered during droughts.
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Facilitating Plant Growth and Resilience: Microbes help in nutrient uptake, making plants resilient. Organic fertiliser can also facilitate this by supplying plants with nutrients necessary for their growth.
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Revealing Environmental Pollutants: They decompose pollutants, inducing soil health. Compost accelerators can speed up the decomposition process of organic matter within compost to create nutrient-rich soil.
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Fighting Climate Change: Microbes sequester and store carbon from the atmosphere, mitigating climate change. By integrating biofertiliser and compost bin systems, we can increase microbial diversity and soil health towards carbon sequestration even more.
Aside from these benefits, recent research shows that the soil microbiome has a beneficial impact on human health too. It has the potential to make us more resilient by enhancing our immunity and making the food we consume more nutritious and tasteful.
The Historical and Contemporary View of Soil
Soil, previously, was always associated with all the harmful effects, such as pathogenic microbes and toxins. The discovery of the microbes in soil has led to inventions such as antibiotics, which are a byproduct of the microbes themselves.
Recent studies show that children raised on farms, where soil microbes are prevalent, have lower allergy and asthma rates compared to children raised in urban environments. This diversity results from microbial richness in agricultural environments that functions to modulate immune status and influence nutritional content in plants. Compost bin and compost accelerator use can contribute to restoration activity of the soil microbial population, and thus long-term health benefits in plants and human beings as well.
The Relationship Between Soil Microbes and Plant Roots
Plant microbes are symbiotic to plants:
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Nutrient Transfer: Microbes release substances to nourish microbes, which in turn help the microbes to nourish the plants, rendering the plants able to absorb required nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
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Phytonutrients production: Microbes enable the production of antioxidants that protect plants from pests and stress and enhance flavour, colour, and nutrition in food. Organic fertiliser and soil boosters render the process easy to obtain, with plants left well-nourished and producing phytonutrients.
These phytonutrients benefit humans by assisting in hormone balancing, immune system stimulation, and cancer cell growth inhibition. This causes one to say: 'healthy soil equals healthy people.'
The Impact of Post-Mechanisation Farming Techniques on Soil Health
Sadly, the new farming methods such as tillage, chemical fertilisers, herbicides, and pesticides have negatively affected the microbial communities in the soil. Research indicates that food is now about 30% less nutritious than the food eaten by our previous generations.
Thankfully, regenerative farming practices are becoming more popular. These farming practices—such as biostimulant application via products like Food2Soil, crop rotation, grazing management, and cover cropping—are aimed at revitalising soil health, encouraging microbial diversity, and minimising soil erosion. Biofertiliser, compost bin, and compost accelerator practices can be used within these systems to revitalise the soil and create a healthier, more sustainable farm ecosystem.
Conclusion
The UN has estimated that putting regenerative agriculture on just 2 million of the 5 million acres of arable degraded land has the ability to halt climate change in its tracks and buy us another 20 years to develop climate solutions.
At Food2Soil, we are dedicated to getting the message of soil health's vital connection to human health out into the world. Our goal is to revolutionise how one thinks about soil, not as dirt but rather as a living dynamic system that is absolutely vital for life on the planet. With biochar soil, soilbooster, and biofertiliser being part of your gardening and farming practice, you can multiply microbial life, enhance the health of soil, and make the world a better and more sustainable world.