Digging Into The Results: Insights From Our Soil Health Tour

By Maddie Malone on Sep 26, 2024 8:43:01 AM

Our recent summer and fall soil health tours took us to various locations across the country, where we conducted comprehensive soil health testing for our valued customers. Throughout the journey, we gathered crucial data on soil composition, nutrient levels, and overall soil vitality. These results were handed to the individual growers, and we discussed overall findings and observations from the field. These sessions not only provided valuable insights into soil health, but also allowed growers to discuss best practices and strategies for improving their land's productivity.

Why is soil health important?

Soil health is the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Healthy soil is teeming with life, from beneficial microbes to earthworms, all of which play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition. This biological activity enhances soil structure, improves water infiltration, and increases the soil's ability to retain moisture, which is vital for crop resilience during droughts. By caring for the health of your soil, you improve your crop yields and reduce the need for fertilizers. Ultimately, investing in soil health not only boosts farm profitability but also contributes to the long-term sustainability of our agricultural systems and the overall health of our communities.

The testing that has taken place during our soil health tours is inclusive of all important soil health factors. We used the ChrysaLabs probes to test soil pH, bulk density, organic matter content, estimated organic carbon levels, CEC, plus all macro and micronutrients. The microBIOMETER test we use measures overall microbial life and fungi to bacteria levels. These results were presented in a custom soil health report (examples below in average results discussion).

To review some of the data here, we will look at average results for two geographic areas that we visited in both summer and fall.

Location 1:

458 average MBC vs 320 for the non-treated in June. Over 43% higher in direct side-by-side!
A continued improvement to 577 MBC for treated soils in September, and an increase from an average of 43% fungal mass in June to 52% fungal mass in September.
Bulk density was consistently lower in treated soils and continued to go down from June to September.
Organic matter and organic carbon percentages proved to be higher in treated soils and also climbed from June to September.

Location 2:

Location 2 SHT Summary Data

Sample size for September was smaller than that of July, so we will focus on results for treated vs non in each month separately.
Treated soils showed a higher organic matter content and estimated organic carbon reading.
In both July & September, Holganix Bio 800⁺ treated soils showed a consistently higher MBC (407 & 456) than non-treated soils (285 & 375).

What stood out?

The soil health tour yielded impressive results. Through the data, we observed improved organic matter content, increased microbial life, and growing fungal populations. Apparent differences in the field included stronger, more robust corn stalks, increased bean nodulation, and greater root mass in Holganix Bio 800⁺ Agriculture treated crops.

The many benefits of our Holganix Bio 800⁺Agriculture product can be seen in these results, or just by getting out and digging some roots. We've been having the best time in the field doing just that and getting these results to our customers. In a world with so many products to choose from, it is very important for us to continue providing these tests and results. Join us on next year's soil health tour to gain deeper insights, participate in hands-on demonstrations, and engage with the Holganix team to find ways to enhance your soil management practices.