Sustainable Growth Texas: Before – “Sugar Sand” Soils; Hearne, Texas 5/20/02

2. Soil Biology directly impacts rates of erosion, run-off, sedimentation, compaction, weediness,droughtiness, water quality, organic matter, C sequestration,and plant fertility

3. Sustainable Growth Texas: Before – “Sugar Sand” Soils; Hearne, Texas 5/20/02

4. Before – “Sugar Sand” Soils Hearne, Texas 5/20/02

5. Six weeks – “Sugar Sand” Soils Hearne, Texas 7/2/02

6. If we have the right biology in the soil, here are the benefits: • Reduction in and in most cases, an end to pesticide applications, • Reduction and in most cases, an end to inorganic fertilizer applications, • Decrease in water required • Increase in yield, nutrient density in food, shelf life, disease resistance Why does SFI Technology work?

7. Conventional vs biological explanation • Conventional: Nutrients move into the root and get moved around to where the plant needs. Can’t happen that way, all those salt forms would kill the plant? Prevents water from being available to the plant. • Biological: Sugars are converted in the roots into amino acids and then proteins. That is the biologically friendly form for nutrients to be moved to where the plants needs them.

8. HO - C – C – C - C = O NH2 NO3 The plant feeds the bacteria and fungi growing in a thick layer on and around the root. These microbes need N, P, K, S, etc, and they grab the soluble nutrients long before they get to the root.

9. Conventional vs biological explanation • But, what is actually outside that root system? • Bacteria and fungi in the soil are better than any plant at grabbing any nutrient • Bacteria and fungi have first dibs on ALL nutrients in soil. The plants loses in competition to microbes EVERY TIME. • So, how can plants stay alive? • The conventional world has been ignoring some facts. And it is why we are in the mess we are in today.

10. Undisturbed soil - Horizons

11. Soil profiles, or horizons (O, A, B, C) are slightly different in different climates, but all require soil life to develop. Note incorrect root depths in all pictures.

12. Many papers have been written saying that this is “normal” root growth for plants…….. But just because we see, does it mean it is normal? 12 • Peter M. Wild, Boston Tree Preservation

13. Compaction • What causes compaction? • Heavy things - Lack of biology to re-build • Tillage - Toxic chemicals • How does compaction affect plants? • Roots can’t grow deep – no structure • Lack of oxygen • Plant toxic compounds • How do you fix compaction? • Tillage vs biology

14. Without life in soil, damage will occur. The plants will not be healthy. Animal life will not be healthy. Humans will not be healthy. With life, nutrients are held, water is kept in the soil, diseases have no place to grow, insect pests are eaten as eggs and larval stages, nutrients are cycled at exactly the rates the plant needs, because the plant controls that through exudate production. Weeds are not part of a properly balanced system, if you know what balance is needed to grow the plant you desire.

16. Microbes make hallways and passageways in soilBacteria makes glues that hold clays, silt, sand and organic matter togetherFungi are strands that make glue and threads that hold bacterial aggregates together

20. Protozoa control bacterial populationsNematodes open up larger pore areasMicroarthropods engineer the larger poresRoots engineer the freeways

21. Stellate amoebae

22. Ciliate

25. Habitat Diversity Relates Directly to Species Diversity • The greater the types of • foods, • temperature, • oxygen, • moisture, • carbon dioxide and • other physical gradients, the greater the selection for a wide species diversity. • Limit conditions to those that select for beneficial organisms

26. Did you remember the roots? • How important are roots to plants? • Weeds – only 20% of the energy fixed into roots • Grasses 60% of their energy goes • Vegetables up to 75% into the roots • Shrubs, Trees 80% of their energy into roots

27. Source: Conservation Research Institute Oxygen? Disease? Microbes?

28. The energy going into roots: • Builds structural roots • a. prevent the plant from falling over • b. firm anchor in the soil • - How deep do roots go? • 2. Lateral roots take up nutrients only by diffusion, no enzymes to break down organic matter. • 3. Exudates - 50% of energy into roots is released as: • Simple Sugars, Proteins, Carbohydrates • Why would a plant release exudates?

29. If you cut the top, do the roots fall off? Hendrikus Schraven holding ryegrass planted July 15, 2002 Harvested Nov 6, 2002 Mowed twice to ½ inch 70% Essential Soil, 30% Compost/organic fertilizer Compost tea once No weeds, no disease www.soildynamics.com

30. Why Have Organisms Around Roots? • Disease Suppression Mechanisms • Use exudates so no food left for pathogens • Produce antibiotics, inhibitory compounds, toxins to prevent pathogen or pest growth • Occupy infection sites on root surface by beneficial organisms so pathogen cannot bridge cell wall, infect cells • Other benefits?

31. Organism Group C:N • Bacteria 5:1 • Fungi 20:1 • People 30:1 • Green Leaves 30:1 • Protozoa 30:1 • Nematodes 100:1 • Brown plant material 150 – 200:1 • Deciduous wood 300:1 • Conifer wood 500:1

32. What does your plant need? Cyanobacteria True Bacteria Protozoa Fungi Nematodes Microarths F:B = 0.01 Bare Parent Material 100% bacterial “Weeds” - high NO3 - lack of oxygen F:B = 0.1 Early Grasses Bromus, Bermuda F:B = 0.3 Soil Foodweb Structure Through Succession, Increasing Productivity Conifer, old- growth forests F:B = 100:1 to 1000:1 Mid-grasses, vegetables F:B = 0.75 Shrubs, vines, Bushes F:B = 2:1 to 5:1 Late successional grasses, row crops F:B = 1:1 Deciduous Trees F:B = 5:1 to 100:1

33. Soil biological succession causes plant succession Bacteria …A few Fungi……Balanced ……..More Fungi…… Fungi Bacteria: 10 µg 100 µg 500 600 µg 500 µg 700 µg Fungi: 0 µg 10 µg 250 600 µg 800 µg 7000 µg

34. Forms of nutrients: Critical to understand limited…..NO3…………...balanced………………..NH4 cycling NO3 and NH4 Protozoa.....B-f………..F-f………Predatory….. Microarthropods nematodes

35. DISTURBANCES GEMS AIR POLLUTANTS CLEARCUTTING, THINNING COMPACTION FERTILIZERS PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES TEMPERATURE (Freeze / Thaw) MOISTURE (Wet / Dry) TILLAGE (Intensity, Repetition, Timing) CROP (Monoculture, Intercropping) ORGANIC MATTER (Timing, Type, Placement)

36. Volcano! Bare Parent Material 100% bacterial Foodweb Development F:B = 0.01 “Weeds” F:B 0.1 Disturbance Pushes Systems “Backwards”, But How Far? Depends on Intensity, Frequency Insects Early Annuals F:B = 0.3 Old- growth F:B = 100:1 to 1000:1 Mid-grass, vegies F:B = 0.75 FIRE!!! Flood Bushes F:B = 2:1 to 5:1 Pasture, row crops F:B = 1:1 Deciduous Trees F:B = 5:1 to 100:1 Cattle Humans?

37. Soil results in clean water; dirt results in a bigger problem • no organisms, • no structure • -Nutrients move • with the water • Water not held in soil pores, moves rapidly thru soil • Leaching, erosion and run-off are problems Rainfall • Organisms • build structure • Nutrients held • Water is • retained • and moves • slowly thru • the soil Soil Dirt Water moves clay, silt and inorganic chemicals so no “cleaning” process Clean Water

38. Nutrient Pools in Soil Total Extractable – not available to the plant Without organisms to retain the soluble nutrients that a plant does not take up, or to change plant-not-available forms in plant-available forms, no new soluble nutrients will occur. Plants will suffer. What biomass of each organism is needed so the plant gets the nutrients it needs? Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, Nematodes Microarthropods Exchangeable - easily pulled off surfaces; easy to make soluble Soluble – dissolved in soil solution; potentially available to plants

39. How much compost? • 1 to 10 tons per acre per application of solid compost • Tea: 10 to 15 lb in 500 gal • Tea applied at 5 gal per acre (if it has the organisms needed). Typically 4 to 6 applications (3 foliar, one seed dressing, one extract at harvest, maybe extract in spring) • Extract: 20 gal per acre, increase compost by 10 X as compared to tea.

40. Esplanade, Surfer’s ParadiseSteve Capeness, Peter Gamble 4th Feb, 2003 29th Feb, 2004

41. Get the right biology back in the soil • Tie up nutrients that otherwise leach, run-off, erode • Make nutrients available at rates plants need, when plants need them • Compete with, inhibit, consume diseases, pests • Build soil structure so air and water can go deep into soil, so roots can follow • Move not-plant-available nutrients into plant-available forms

42. FROM THIS TO THIS. . . IN ONE YEAR Sept, 2003 Aug 2004

43. ALL the biology must be present • Which is “most important?” • Holistic system, can’t forget any part • No retention without bacteria and fungi • No return to plant available forms without protozoa, beneficial nematodes and microarthropods • Need to understand the WHOLE foodweb

44. The Basic Premise • ALL the necessary biology must be present • The Full Food Web • Full Diversity • In the ratios that the PLANT YOU WANT TO GROW requires • Nutrient retention, nutrients moved into plant available forms, soil airways and passageways built and maintained, toxins decomposed, disease organisms kept in check by predator – prey interactions, and competition controlled by the plant.