OUR BLOG

This week’s blog comes from Holganix’s Marketing Specialist, Ritu Patel. As a liaison between quality control, science, and marketing, Ritu is passionate about telling farmers’ stories though social media and other channels. She is a lifelong learner who loves finding creative ways to connect with the Holganix community and showcase the heart of American agriculture.  

Soil health and nutrient recycling are vital for sustainable farming, and Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown is designed to make the process easier and more efficient. Whether you are managing crop residue or preparing your soil for the next season, Bio 800⁺ Breakdown offers a natural way to enhance decomposition and boost soil health.  

Often, tillage is used to control crop residue before spring planting. However, tilling the soil destroys fungi and soil macroaggregates, leading to compaction, crusting, erosion, and poor nutrient cycling. The fungi in Bio 800⁺ degrades crop residue and helps enable successful implementation of no-till practices while building healthy soil. 

Holganix Bio 800⁺ Product Overview: 

Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown is a powerful tool for farmers seeking to improve nutrient cycling and enhance soil microbiology. It’s a microbial inoculant enriched with residue-degrading fungi designed to accelerate the decomposition of crop residue, such as corn stalks, straw, and other organic matter left after harvest.  

This breakdown process is essential for: 

• Nutrient Recycling: As residue decomposes, valuable nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are released back into the soil, making them available for the next planting season. 
• Soil Health: By breaking down residue, Bio 800⁺ Breakdown promotes healthier soil structure by eliminating the need to till in residue before spring planting, allowing for better water retention, reduced compaction, and improved root development. 
• Sustainable Farming Practices: Using Bio 800⁺ Breakdown is an environmentally friendly approach, reducing the need for fertilizers and contributing to long-term soil sustainability. 

How Does Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown Work?

Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown charges soil with a consortium of over 800 species of soil microbes, nitrogen, and microbe food. These microbes have heightened species that play a special role in crop residue breakdown – both the breakdown of the shoots above the soil and the roots below the soil. The breakdown of the residue releases nutrients and carbon to the soil. Plus, using Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown on any fall-planted cover crops or winter wheat will also improve emergence and stand establishment.   

Specifically, as it pertains to cover crops and winter wheat, Bio 800⁺ Breakdown provides the following benefits: 

1. Unlocks nutrients tied up in the soil and through the breakdown of residue.  
2. Promotes germination and rapid root development. 
3. Increases yield and overall crop quality.   
4. Enhancing water quality and holding capacity by building soil structure and improving organic matter, ultimately reducing runoff and nutrients leaching into waterways. 

Watch this 3.5-minute video explanation from David Stark, Ph.D., Holganix President of Agriculture. If you are reading this blog via email, click here to access the video. 

When to Apply Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown? 

Timing is critical when applying Bio 800⁺ Breakdown. The best results are achieved when conditions promote microbial activity—moisture levels and temperature play a significant role in the process. 

Moisture and Temperature Considerations: 

In a recent video from David Stark, he explained the importance of applying Bio 800⁺ Breakdown when the soil is moist and temperatures are favorable for microbial activity. Microbes thrive in warmer conditions, with optimal temperatures being between 50°F and 85°F. If temperatures dip below 50°F, microbial activity slows down, which can delay the breakdown process. 

While Bio 800⁺ Breakdown can still be applied in cooler temperatures, you may not see immediate results until the soil warms back up. That said, microbes in the product will go dormant and reactivate when conditions improve. 

Here’s how you can manage applications during the fall and early winter seasons: 

• Early Fall: This is the ideal time for application, as soils are generally warm and moist after harvest, promoting immediate microbial activity. 
• Late Fall/Winter: While application is still possible, expect slower residue breakdown. Once winter arrives and the ground temperature stays below 40 degrees, it is best to wait until spring. 

Watch this 1.5-minute video from David Stark explaining when it's too dry to apply Bio 800⁺ Breakdown. If you are reading this blog via email, click here to access the videos.   

Watch this 1-minute video from David Stark explaining when it's too cold to apply Bio 800⁺ Breakdown. If you are reading this blog via email, click here to access the videos. 

What Happens to Microbes in Winter? 

Microbes, like all living organisms, respond to environmental conditions. During winter, when temperatures drop below freezing, the microbes in Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown don’t all die—some go into a state of dormancy. In this state, they essentially "pause" their activity until conditions improve.  

Here’s a deeper look at how microbial populations are sustained through seasonal changes:

Dormancy: 

Microbes in the soil are resilient. When the ground freezes, many microbes die as ice crystals burst their structure.  Some microbes exhibit a degree of freeze-tolerance and lie in wait for warmer conditions to resume activity, while others enter dormancy, a survival strategy that allows them to withstand extreme conditions.  

However, even during winter months there will be days when sunlight warms the residue mat, and fungi will continue to work on breaking down the residue. As temperatures warm up in the spring, these microbes are fully reawaken, ready to continue their work in the soil. Regardless, frozen soil conditions change the soil microbial community structure since different microbes survive freezing better than others.

Reactivation: 

To restore the balance of the community and all the essential processes they drive, apply Bio 800⁺ Agriculture when planting to bring the balance and diversity back in time to support your next crop.

Sustaining Microbial Populations Year-Round:

To keep microbial populations robust from season to season, it’s important to follow these practices: 

• Maintain Residue Cover: Crop residue provides a habitat for microbes, offering them protection from extreme cold and moisture retention during dry spells. Residue also helps protect against erosion, crusting, and excessive loss of moisture. 
• Apply Bio 800⁺ Breakdown: Even in cooler months (but not to frozen ground), applying microbial products helps sustain a diverse microbial population in your soil. When temperatures rise, these microbes will be in place and ready to work. 
• Avoid Overworking the Soil: Tillage disrupts microbial communities. Consider reduced or no-till practices to preserve soil structure and maintain healthy populations of microbes. 

By incorporating Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown into your soil management practices, you’re investing in long-term soil health. The product’s microbes work tirelessly to break down residue, recycle nutrients, and build a stronger soil ecosystem, ensuring better yields and more sustainable farming year after year.

Want to Learn more? 

Are you interested in learning more about how Holganix Bio 800⁺ Breakdown helps break down your crop residue and enhance your fertilizer investment? Schedule a 15-min call with our soil health experts. Do you need to hear from us sooner? Just give us a call at 866-563-2784 and we will be happy to connect you with a specialist.