site specific soil food web ammendments · 2018-10-19 · • found in every cell of the body •...
TRANSCRIPT
Site Specific Soil Food Web Ammendments
Picture of a beetle
Society of Ecological Restoration Fall Forum, 2018
Two questions to think about when thinking
about our soils.
What can a Forest teach us?
What are the 4 essential things we as humans
need to survive as a species?
Bacteria
Fungi
Protozoa
Nematodes
Think of it as a Liquid Probitic and Multi-Vitamin for your Soil
Soil organisms work 24/7
KELP
● feeds fungal and bacterial biology
● contains plant growth hormones
● Contains Mannitol which offers Chelation effect
● combine with soluble nutrients to improve plant uptake
LIQUID FISH
● helps with restoration of fungal communities
● Macro and micro nutrients
● An Amino chelated nutrient product
● organic form of Nitrogen
Humic Acid
● Cation Exchange capacity of around 450
● Fungal food
● stimulate of Mycorrhizae
● Improves Nitrogen uptake
Mycorrhizae
● 97% of plants have relationship
● Endo and Ecto
● Very sensitive to chemicals and high levels of Phosphorus
● Many new products out there
Calcium Page
Disease & Pathogen Suppression
Not much
happening
SOIL does not like to be treated like DIRT!
Mike Dorion“The Compost Kid”
403-605-6669
www.livingsoil.ca
@soilmike on Twitter
Ideas worth spreadingTEDHow our microbes make us who we are
Rob Knight
Meet your microbesJonathan Eisen
They are ancient (4 million years old)
The biology lives in the root zone of plants
•Called the RHIZOSPHERE area
•This is where the SOIL PARTY is taking place!
Plants are incontrol
of who attendsthe SOIL PARTY
Plants send out
“Invitations”
There is a soil party going on!
Party Guest #1 Bacteria!
✓ First to arrive or wake up with water
✓ No feet, so needs a taxi
✓ Decomposers, eat and cannot release
Rastafarian Roots
✓ Recognized above ground as mushrooms (flowers)
✓ Pre-eminent powers of decomposition
✓ Specialized fungi called mycorrhizae form partnerships with tree roots.
FUN GUYS!Fungi
Stable CarbonSequestration
Calcium• Plants and Animals use more calcium
then any other nutrient
• Found in every cell of the body
• Bones and Teeth
• When in Low in Soils = Grass Weeds
• Can get Milk Fever and Warts
Party Guest #2 Protozoa!
✓Love to eat bacteria
✓Amoebae, Flagellates and Ciliates
✓ Swim around rapidly
✓Eating bacteria releases nutrients into soil
Party Guest #3 Nematodes!
✓ Love to eat bacteria & protozoa
✓ Swim vigorously
✓ Create plant available nutrients
Party Guest #4 Organic matter!
✓'control box' of nature's nutrient cycle
✓The sponge of the soil
✓Helps to build our carbon levels
Water Cycle
Infiltration Test
•How fast does
an Inch of
water take to
soak in?
A few minutes or 40 minutes
Party Animals- Earthworms
✓Well known soil aerators - dig deep into clay soil
✓ Break down dead organic matter –decomposition
✓ Positive interactions with bacteria & fungi.
✓ Predators
✓ Plant eaters
✓ Soil aerators
Party Animals- Insects, mites
AntsMillipedes
Sow BugsOrabatid mite
Ground Beetle
•Creating a living soil “sponge”
• is essential
Compaction
Sponge or Brick
Root systemsNative fescue 18,500 to 36,600kg/ha
Biomass of roots
Spring wheat 2000-2900kg/ha
Visual Soil Assessments
• Soil Texture
• Soil Structure
• Soil Porosity
• Soil Colour
• Earthworms
• Soil Smell
• Potential Rooting
Depth
https://www.bioagrinomics.com
•Penetrometer
Soil Your Undies Project
Weeds or indicators?
•Soil Health is a lot like Human Health.
• If your sick, you can take a pill for your problem, but maybe you need to exercise or change your diet a bit.
How are you managing your “Herd?”