acterial populations have been depleted in most soils due to harsh production practices such as stubble burning, ploughing and the use of certain chemicals. "Where farmers use these methods, bacteria need to be supplied regularly," says Theo Geldenhuys from Biofarm Solutions, which acts as an agent for Microbial Solutions.
The company offers farmers a range of microbial products for their soil.
Bacteria are known to secrete plant growth stimulants. In return, plants supply microbial life with sugar. "By restoring soil, root and plant health, the microbes make the plants less susceptible to pests and diseases," Theo adds. The bacteria also helps make phosphates, nitrogen and other nutrients more readily available to plants.
Microbial Solutions' products can be applied via pivots, drippers, microjets and draglines or sprayed on dry land with light and high pressure sprayers. They can be applied during planting or production, depending on the crop, and can be op-applied with most chemicals and fertilisers. Microbial Solutions' products cost from R36/ha/month for dry land production to around R55/ha/month for irrigation land on pastures, vineyards and orchards. Grain, small grain and oilseed products cost from just R230/ha/year for a combination of the bacteria and leonardite humates, which enhance the soil's carbon content and stimulate micro-organism growth.
Henry van der Westhuysen, who farms at Oude Muragie in the De Rust region, feels he has to change his fertilising and chemical spraying methods if he wants to continue farming. "It is destroying all the life in the soil," he says. "We used to have an abundance of earthworms - there are hardly any left. Our bird population have also declined."
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Henry struggles with shallow, poor-quality soils "We irrigate and irrigate, and we have good quality water, but the soil nutrients still remain unavailable."
Henry primarily farms with vegetable seed, but plants tomatoes for the drying market in September. Tomato production is finished around March, when it's time to plant vegetables for seed production.
He started using the product Waterbac on tomatoes last year to see if the microbes could make nutrients available and build soil organism content. The results were good.
"We had a higher yield and the dryers commented on the tomatoes' quality," says Henry. "The plants grew vigorously and were still vigorous after harvesting." He also feels he had fewer problems with fungal diseases than other farmers in the region. Henry is still hesitant about the results, as there wasn't a control and they might have been due to environmental factors, but he's decided to use the microbes on tomatoes again, as well as on some of his onion lands. The onions are looking good, even though he applied 20% less fertiliser that usual. Still, he emphasises that this is not a scientific trial and other factors may be contributing to his success.
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