Microbial Soil Reclamation with Sequester for Agriculture

Practically all soils are depleted, meaning the ability to cycle carbon and nutrients, and hold water has been lost or significantly reduced. This is also described as a loss in soil health because soils are literally alive. A typical gram of soil contains 1 billion microbial cells and as many as 50,000 different species which in turn provide the functionality that drives nutrient cycling, soil carbon dynamics, soil structure and moisture retention.

The loss of soil health is evidenced by declining soil organic matter (SOM) and correlated soil organic carbon (SOC), increasing salinity levels, reduced water holding capacity, and the slowing capability to decompose insoluble minerals and organic matter into plant usable nutrients. Depleted soils are also less likely to support the plants resilience to climate stress – today’s new reality.

In general, depleted soils are the unintended consequences of modern agricultural practices over the past 75 years. Cheap energy, increasing horsepower driving more tillage, and concentrated chemicals are often suggested to have driven this decline in soil health and evident threat to the sustainability of our food supply. Productivity has increased dramatically by advanced genetics, inorganic fertilizers and synthetic chemistry, but at a price that includes the loss of microbial diversity and the functionality those microbes provide.

Today, more and more acres of farm and range land fall below the economic threshold to remain in business as crop input costs continue to rise along with production risks related to climate issues. Many Commercial Farmers are faced with the scarcity and rising cost of water, high fertilizer and chemical costs, and overall drought conditions, while other areas are extremely wet with low permeability, shrinking windows for planting and harvest, and displacement of oxygen in the soil.

Landowners of all types (residential, industrial, commercial landscape, small-farm and commercial farms) are challenged with the same problem of depleted soils – the loss of sustainable plant productivity which in turn threatens not only our consumptive behaviors and values, but adequacy of supply and ultimately the literal survival of humankind on earth. All of this is occurring at a time when the world’s population is growing rapidly toward 9+ billion people by 2050.

The logical conclusion is we must change course and adopt regenerative agricultural practices or face increasing economic turmoil, climate extremes, and even famine. Is it possible to reverse this trend? Perhaps even physically ‘regrow’ our soils as well as restoring their productivity?

The short answer is YES!

As Commercial Farmers are seeking to reverse the decline in soil health and gain the Regenerative Ag associated benefits of improved water use efficiency, nutrient cycling, reduced soil loss (erosion), drought and climate induced stress resilience.

The emergence of carbon markets benefiting from the synergistic activity between crops and the microbes in their root zone which work together to sequester carbon from the atmosphere is a significant economic incentive for the adoption of regenerative practices. Some predict that literally trillions of dollars will be paid to agricultural property owners over the next 30 years, in order to meet the net-zero climate objectives which are being announced by multiple individuals, companies and governments.

In this brief whitepaper we consider the decline of soil microbiology and its relationship to the loss of soil organic matter which creates depleted soils, the solutions to this significant issue, and the economic case for Commercial Farmers adopting regenerative practices and microbial soil amendments.

DEPLETED SOILS: THE DECLINE OF MICROBIAL SOIL HEALTH AND ORGANIC MATTER

Organic matter is regarded as a vital component of a healthy soil. It’s decline results in a soil that is depleted of function – meaning the soils microbial biomass is compromised, as is the soils ability to cycle water, carbon, oxygen, and nutrients. Microbes (or actually a balanced microbial population) are the essential factor in driving soil function. Crop roots exude as much as 25% to 40% of the complex carbon they fix through photosynthesis which in turn feeds the microbes in their root zone. Soil Organic Matter (SOM) is made up of this living and dead microbial biomass which is also associated with minerals, nitrogen and humic compounds (decomposed plant biomass) and is also measurable as soil organic carbon (SOC). If the soils microbial population is not balanced and fully interacting with growing photosynthetic plants, the organic matter in soil declines which then limits soil functionality.

Our adoption of industrialized agricultural practices focused on tillage, inorganic fertilizer and heavy dependence on synthetic chemicals have interfered with these essential components to ecologically balanced life on earth. Microbially depleted soils have contributed significantly to the accumulation of CO2, Nitrous Oxide and Methane in the atmosphere. Most troubling is that depleted soils are a link to other problems such as the soil’s ability to hold moisture, form structure that allows for aeration and permeability, provide nutrients in their proper chemical form as well as participate in metabolic signaling with the crop genome – all of which are essential to optimize crop productivity and the optimal level of minerals and nutrients for human and animal nutrition as well. On top of all this, depleted soils are also subject to physical loss through wind and water erosion and unless these conditions are reversed, increasing desertification of our agricultural lands is the inevitable result for much of the world.

In summary declining soil organic matter leads to declining crop production capacity that creates the growing specter of food scarcity and a decline in soil organic matter is a clear and measurable indicator of a loss in soil productivity and function.

For more detail on depleted soils and the impact on our society, see Soil, Human, Plant Health.

SOLUTION FOR DEGRADED SOILS

Restoring soil function is the objective of regenerative agriculture practices. This starts with inoculation of the soil with beneficial microbes to restore the soils microbial biomass and its ecological balance. It also extends to practices such as minimum tillage (to preserve soil structure), cover crops (to provide consistent root exudates to feed a growing microbial population) and composting (to provide microbes and organic carbon) The results are measurable thru periodic analysis of SOM (soil organic matter), or SOC (soil organic carbon). If the SOM/SOC is increasing year over year, then you can be assured that the soil health is trending in the right direction and therefore, agricultural practices are sustainable and more productive.

Inoculate, Feed and Protect Strategy:

Most regenerative practitioners do the following:

• Inoculate with Beneficial Microbes:
  Integrate Animals, Apply Compost or Microbial Soil Amendments – Grazing, compost, or microbial amendments introduce beneficial microbes to restore and rebalance the soils microbial biomass, the essential component of functional soil. Technically speaking, beneficial microbes are “heterotrophs” that consume root exudates, existing organic matter and even each other which results in release of the nutrient and mineral needs of plants.
• Feed the Microbes:
  Living Plants. Keep the Soil Covered. Use Cover Crops between Cash Crops – Without photosynthesis, there is no energy to feed the soil microbiology and keep these populations growing and working. It’s important to keep the soil covered with photosynthetic biology (crops and/or Cyanobacteria) to sequester carbon for increased SOM. Diversity of cover crops, or multi-species cover crops, are encouraged as this also supports greater microbial diversity.
• Protect the Microbes:
  Reduce Soil Disturbance – Use minimum or no-till practices so the soil’s microbial biomass remains structured, healthy and functional. This also includes reducing or eliminating chemical disturbances from fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides that are antagonistic to the soil’s microbial biomass. . When the microbial biomass is disturbed or negatively impacted, re-inoculate with beneficial microbes to fully restore soil function.

For maximum benefit, this strategy requires the planting of Cover Crops. However, Cover Crops may not be suitable to all farming enterprises and crop land. Especially in arid areas where growers are concerned about the expense and availability of water resources. Cover crops also require seed (ideally multi-species) and equipment operations which for many growers may be limited by economic concerns.

Microbial Soil Reclamation

Heavily degraded soils need to go a step further – reclamation. This is defined as the restoration of soil function – restoration of the soils microbial biomass, ecological balance and functionality rapidly creates top-soil, cycles carbon and nutrients, and aggregates soil particles to hold water and eliminate nutrient runoff and erosion.

Biodel AG manufactures Sequester®, a biological product containing the most powerful micro-organisms known for soil reclamation – Cyanobacteria. The key is that Cyanobacteria are nitrogen-fixing, photosynthetic “Autotrophs.”

This means they use sunlight, CO2, and photosynthesis to generate organic compounds by biosynthesis. They literally are self-sustaining ecological factories. They are quite flexible and unique as they are also facultative heterotrophs which means in the absence of light (eg: deeper in the soil profile) they can also work and live off root exudates. How does this impact their versality to regenerative agriculture?

Heterotrophs (organisms that can’t perform photosynthesis) require a living energy source which is provided by established crop root exudates, manure from grazing animals, compost or the application of a microbial extract with a carbon-rich biofertilizer. The expense is the energy source such as feed consumed by grazers, hauling and spreading tons of compost, or applying biofertilizer with a microbial extract.

Autotrophs (also called, Photoautotrophs) can supply their own energy source through their photosynthetic and nitrogen fixing ability, so you don’t have to be in the grazing business, or haul tons of compost, or apply large volumes of biofertilizer to drive the soils microbial biomass to sustainable levels.

A grower can enhance crop performance and save money by adopting a Microbial Soil Reclamation program using Sequester®. Cyanobacteria can be used with cover crops, but you don’t have to invest in a cover crop as Sequester® can be considered a “micro-cover crop™” that can be applied at the beginning of each cash crop cycle or even between cash crop cycles to establish a “biocrust” which is a ubiquitous natural feature of undisturbed native soils – and composed of Cyanobacteria. It’s Nature’s way of protecting the functionality and integrity of soils and the absolute base of ecological balance and sustainability.

Sequester® provides unique flexibility as is can be applied at low dosage rates throughout the growing cycle through any irrigation system. Large growers can effectively restore soil health and sequester carbon by simply using their existing spray equipment and/or irrigation system to apply Sequester®.

More about Cyanobacteria:

Cyanobacteria strains are an essential ingredient for microbial soil reclamation and recovering depleted soils. Sequester® is formulated with multiple Cyanobacteria strains that are highly effective in soil reclamation, along with other naturally derived ingredients that further promote the growth of the soils’ microbial biomass and ecological balance. Sequester® also provides nitrogen fixation which helps provide nitrogen throughout the crop cycle and facilitates the formation of soil organic matter (nitrogen is a key component of functional organic matter).

Quick and Fun Cyanobacteria Facts:

• Cyanobacteria, as photosynthetic organisms, perform the same function as a Cover Crop in feeding, restoring, and maintaining the soil’s microbial biomass.
  • Applying Sequester® is an economical alternative to grazing, applying compost or other microbial soil amendments /biofertilizers.
  • Sequester® can be applied multiple times through out the season to reach a target level of 300 grams of cyanobacteria per acre – which is the optimal density for the Cyanobacteria to be able to provide their multiple biological benefits. Sequester® contains 150 grams of cyanobacteria per gallon.
  • Sequester® can also be applied through a diversity of inoculation methods for faster soil restoration, amplified carbon sequestration, soil aggregation, and microbial function.
• NASA credits Cyanobacteria for establishing Earth’s oxygen rich environment some 3-billion years ago. Now they are looking to Cyanobacteria to establish similar localized environments on Mars.
• Cyanobacteria are nature’s construction crew as they create the ideal environment for plant production, including the release of insoluble essential minerals from base soil components to provide nutrition for both crops and the animals and humans which depend on those crops for their mineral requirements.

Cyanobacteria’s ability to break down bedrock into the sand, silt, and clay that when combined with organic matter literally creates topsoil. This process also results in the formation of soil aggregates which protect the SOM from degradation, and which also support permeability, aeration and water holding capacity.

Sequester® can be applied at planting time, or anytime during the crop cycle or between crop cycles. It has exceptional shelf life which allows for convenient storage or eases long term application through location of totes at irrigation stations to support continuous supplementation for each irrigation event. A 2-gallon application per acre delivers 300 grams of Cyanobacteria per acre which is the point at which no further economic benefit can be realized. The formulation is non-toxic to pets, people, or the crop.

Sequester® can be used to improve soil conditions at the residence, garden, landscape, orchards, small-farm and commercial farming enterprises to restore soil function and optimize the sequestration of atmospheric carbon to help mediate climate change.

THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR MICROBIAL SOIL RECLAMATION

As described above, Sequester® brings its own energy to the field which allows for the replacement or reduction in the application of grazing, compost applications and carbon-rich biofertilizers. The key is to use the right organisms for the job. In this case it is cyanobacteria, as nitrogen-fixing photoautotrophs, to restore function to degraded soils while producing profitable crops.

The common perception of many commercial farmers is the adoption of regenerative practices will simply cost more and increase crop risk. The question is “Can I survive until the benefits are realized?”

To understand the potential of regenerative practices and managing the risk of changing practices while keeping costs in line, consider the following strategy (this example is for an irrigated Cotton crop):

• Plan for a 5-year strategy to fully transition to regenerative practices and inputs while keeping crop yields high and profitable.
  • Year 1: Apply 1-gallon/acre of Sequester at planting of the primary cash crop, and then apply (foliar or thru irrigation) four 1-quart/acre applications over an 8-10 week period post emergence.
    • Reduce NPK applications by 30% the first year. For example, if 250 lbs of N are applied, then reduce it to 175 lbs. or apply carbon-rich biofertilizer. Confirm nutrient availability by SAP analysis.
    • Eliminate the application of pre-plant synthetic fertilizer and fungicides.
    • If compost has historically been applied, reduce by 50%.
    • Prioritize nutrients from the soil over applied fertilizers. Shift the application of synthetic fertilizer to later in the crop cycle and foliar applications only.
    • Keep individual N applications below 30 lbs/acre to remain less antagonistic to the soils microbial biomass. Please note: Lower amounts of NPK in combination with Sequester® can generally improve crop performance.
    • If possible, plant a multi-species cover crop post-harvest and incorporate (disc) it into the soil prior to planting the next cash crop. This can double the rate of soil carbon sequestration.
    • One tillage suggestion. If using a molboard plow, shift to a riper with a ring roller (cultipacker) instead. This will break the soil deep and reseal without the volatization of CO2, nitrous oxide and methane from the soil into the atmosphere which will speed soil reclamation.
    • Expect to see greater water use efficiency late in the crop cycle, even the 1st year.
    • Prior to applying Sequester®, determine Soil Organic Matter (SOM) to create a baseline for measuring the amount of total carbon sequestered annually. Then take another sample post-harvest to measure the increase in SOM in preparation for selling carbon credits.
  • Year 2: Follow the Year 1 program – 2-gallons total of Sequester.
    • Reduce NPK applications by an additional 30%. Example: 175 lbs of N will be reduced to 125 lbs total, or replace with carbon-rich biofertilizer.
    • If cover crop is planted Year 1, then eliminate compost application.
    • Continue without fungicides at planting.
    • For weed control, begin to look at strategies to reduce or eliminate herbicide application. Field cultivation prior to planting, or a combination of cultivation and use of robotic weed control.
    • Again, prioritize natural nutrient cycling by pushing synthetic NPK applications to later in the crop cycle using foliar spray or thru irrigation system.
    • If possible, plant another multi-species cover crop and incorporate (disc) into the soil prior to planting the next cash crop. Please Note: Cover crops do not require added nutrients. Let the soils microbial biomass be the exclusive nutrient supply for the cover crop.
    • Measures SOM to determine annual increase.
  • Year 3: Follow the Year 2 program – 2 gallons of Sequester.
    • Reduce NPK applications by an additional 30%. Example: 125 lbs of N will be reduced to 90 lbs total, or replace with carbon-rich biofertilizer.
    • Always prioritize natural nutrient cycling and push synthetic NPK applications to later in the crop cycle using foliar spray exclusively.
    • Look to invest in minimum or no-till equipment to reduce compaction and soil disturbance between crops.
    • No fungicide applications.
    • Strongly implement non-herbicide weed control methods.
    • Begin using bio-pesticides primarily, and chemical pesticides for emergency needs requiring a rapid knock-down only.
    • Look to optimize BRIX level to repel pests and disease. This is done with foliar applications of Sequester and/or Biofertilizers that keep the BRIX level above 12.
    • Shift to planting a one cover crop for every two-three cash crops.
    • Compare water use requirements to conventional practices. Water requirements can be significantly lower.
    • Test SOM. Carbon increases from Year 1 will be confirmed and certified to sell for additional income.
  • Year 4: Reduce Sequester application.
    • Apply 1-gallon per acre of Sequester at planting.
    • Keep synthetic NPK applications at the Year 3 levels, or replace with carbon-rich biofertilizer.
    • Implement non-herbicide weed control.
    • Look to eliminate chemical pesticides. Use bio-pesticides, if needed.
    • Post emergence, push BRIX levels with foliar applications to prevent pest and disease outbreaks.
    • Test SOM. Certified credits from Year 2 will be ready to sell.
  • Year 5: Reap the benefits.
    • Apply ½ to 1-gallon of Sequester® at planting for each cash crop to assure optimized soil function.
    • Only use carbon-rich biofertilizers and eliminate synthetic fertility.
    • Eliminate herbicide use.
    • Bio-pesticides only. The only exception is to use synthetic pesticides for severe outbreaks requiring rapid knock-down of insect populations
    • Test SOM. Sell carbon credits.

So, what are the benefits of implementing Regenerative Practices?

• Reduced Irrigation Water Requirements. Irrigation water requirements should be 30% – 50% lower than when using conventional inputs and practices.
• Reduced Fertilizer Expense. Elimination of synthetic fertility relaced with biofertilizer for an overall savings of 40% – 60%.
• No Chemical Applications. Elimination of fungicides and herbicides.
• Lower Risk of Insect Damage. Keeping insect infestations below economic thresholds for a significant reduction and/or elimination of pesticides.
• Lower Equipment Costs. Reduced equipment operations saving on fuel, labor and repairs.
• Additional Income. The sale of carbon credits.

As can be seen from the above 5-year transition to regenerative practices, the risk is actually very low and there is no reason for increasing costs. For farmers faced with declining profitability, the transition to regenerative practices is becoming a requirement to simply stay in business.

The transition to regenerative practices basically re-sets soil health and function to create a sustainable farming enterprise that will serve many, many generations with the highest quality food and fiber while rebalancing our atmosphere to ultimately reduce the risks of climate change.

Implement the following steps:

• Begin with an attitude of Soil Reclamation (restoring soil function) first and foremost.
  • Begin each cash crop cycle with an application of Sequester®.
  • Measure the increase in SOM annually.
  • Get paid for the carbon sequestered.
• Implement a 5-year Transition Program
  • A conservative strategy for improving profitability while lowering input costs.
  • Have confidence in performance with a plan of action.
  • Most Important: Measure the results.

For more information, go to biodelag.com or sequester.ag

The Sequester® Team!