Is SBM harmful to people or animals?
SBM is a total organically derived product. It contain only Fungi and Bacteria. SBM has been tested for Anthrax and phytophthora which was negative. The fact is, that animals and people are consuming the product for better health for more than 15 years with only positive results.
Why do you need SBM
Most agricultural soils are biologically dead due to mineral and Agricultural chemical applications of all sorts over the years. There are lots of eroded soils in the world that needs rehabilitation. The soils may well be rich in minerals, but those alone are not enough to feed healthy plants. If biological fertility can be restored you have a win-win situation. Soil Bio Microbes contains fungi and bacteria to create diversity in the topsoil as well as the subsoil for regeneration.
Can SBM be used in any crop or soil?
SBM can be used for any crop and any soil. Soils low in carbon should have organic materials incorporated together with SBM for faster improvement of soil health and carbon sequestration. When soil is too wet or too hot, microbes cannot do their job. Moist soils are good for SBM application. Depending on crop, soil and moisture, different applications and recommendations exist.
How do i apply SBM?
SBM should be applied with irrigation water for best results. When dryland planting is done, SBM must be applied on moist soil directly before a incorporating machine like a disk harrow. Tanks can be mounted on the implement or planter and SBM applied directly into the soil.
What is the shelve life of SBM?
SBM can keep 3 months at less than 25°C. At 20°C it will keep 6 months. Soil Bio Microbes has a shelf life of more than 3 months up to 6 months, but should be used as soon as possible.
Can SBM be used commercially.
SBM a liquid, can be used like any other solution through the irrigation water for best distribution and results. SBM can be sprayed with a clean chemical sprayer in front of the incorporating implement or on the planter and applied directly into the soil under dryland conditions. Unlike organic farming using compost, bio organic farming can be done with SBM over thousands of hectares. New lands will be very productive straight away and soils which have been polluted or drained of nutrients will recover within a maximum of three seasons to become super fertile, but impressive improvements will be achieved in the first season.
What is the function of compost and weeds
The function of compost and weeds are there to create diversity on top in order to facilitate the creation of diversity in the microbes below. Compost and weeds are never meant to happen indefinitely. It is the phase between bare soil and regenerated healthy soil. Pioneer weeds can start growing on bare soil where perennial plants cannot.
What is Soil Bio-Microbes (SBM)
SBM is a compilation of soil microbes in solution form. There are about 48 groups of microbes present in the solution. Groups are probiotics, natural antibiotics, nitrogen fixers, digesters and fermenters. Others suppress diseases, sequester carbon and help with nutrient cycling. Still others help develop better soil characteristics.
SBM microbes are concentrated in the soil. SBM contains 60% bacteria and 40% fungi. SBM works mainly in the deeper layers of the soil because it contain sensitive microbes which is the bacteria that is UV and temperature sensitive.
SBM have been used in crops, animals and Humans. As a family, we are drinking it for 15 years. Same for our animals. SBM increase health exponentially as it's all about digestion and works the same in the soil. The main reason why similar products do not exist is because of this sensitivity. We like to manufacture SBM on-site where and if possible for the best results.
Are there any disadvantages when using Soil Bio Microbes?
Because these organisms naturally occur under the ground, they are not used to UV light and high temperatures if exposed for lengthy periods. Applying Soil Bio Microbes is best done through irrigation water or a incorporator.
How do i transport SBM?
SBM should be transported in new plastic containers or second hand food grade containers. Any chemical second hand container will kill the microbes in less than 3 weeks. While traveling, the air temperature should not go over 25*C. Travel at the coolest part of the day. Always cover tanks where possible against UV light..
Does soil ph have a effect on SBM?
SBM does not mind low or high ph in the soil. When carbon content is low, incorporating lots of organic materials help buffering the soil ph.
What is the cost and application rate of SBM
Currently SBM is selling bulk for R40.00 per liter. The application rate is 80-100lt SBM per hectare. No other agricultural chemicals are needed apart from one or two herbicides initially. For one hectare only R1450 is needed. Because crops are high in sugars, no pest or disease will attack it. Even the slightest application of any kind of chemical will disrupt the biological balance. Best to apply only contact herbicides insofar possible. The most cost effective application rate for Home Gardens is 100ml of Soil Bio Microbes in 10 liters of water per 9 square meter's of soil on 5 cm of organic matter. After lightly working the wetted material into the soil, you will need to water again to ensure the microbes have penetrated sufficiently into the soil. For commercial agriculture; 40 to 50 liters per Hectare, depending on soil condition.
Are there any disatvantages when using Soil Bio Microbes
Because these organisms naturally occur under the ground, they are not used to sunlight and if exposed, sunlight will kill them. Application of Soil Bio Microbes is best done in moist soil conditions. Existing machinery must be slightly modified. For best results, use irrigation, but there are dryland farmers as well using SBM. The farmer must make a total Paradigm shift in his mind and if he/her cannot understand it become difficult.
What is the Fungi to Bacteria ratio in SBM?
The F:B ratio is 0.6 which is normal for semi-arid climate. Compost formation is not very important for growth in such areas. What happens in the deeper layers is more important, and that is where bacteria plays a bigger role. It is too dry for compost formation and animals usually consume the residue from fields. So, living mulches are very important in such areas to feed the bacteria.
Are there commercial applications for Soil Bio Microbes?
Most definitely. Soil Bio Microbes is easily applied to large tracts of land using the equipment all commercial farmers already own. Available dry plant material such as veld grass or harvest residue is sprayed with the diluted Soil Bio-Muti and ploughed into the soil. The soil requires a few weeks for the microbes to spread into the soil before seed bed preparation and planting. New lands will be very productive straight away and soils which have beenpolluted or drained of nutrients will recover within a maximum of three seasons to become super fertile, but impressive improvements will be achieved in the first season.
What are the advantages to the commercial farmer?
Soil Bio Microbes is much more cost effective than compost or inorganic fertilisers.
Soil Bio Microbes has a shelf life of up to 6 monthes, but should be used as soon as possible.
Soil Bio Microbes is easy to apply, and can be done with a watering can or with modified existing farm machinery.
Healthy soil supports healthy plants. Insects and other pests only attack plants which are stressed, diseased, or not completely healthy, thus fewer pesticides are necessary. Soil Bio Microbes can also be sprayed over and under plant leaves to deter insects and has been known to cure wool-lice and red spider mite infections if detected early.
What is the advantages of mulching or live cover crops
Firstly, the soil is at a cooler temperature. Sensitive bacteria can move up nearer to the soil surface where it can break down organic materials into organic nutrition, not to be mineralized into compost by fungi. Less water evaporation from soil covered with plants than from bare soil. The more roots in the soil at all times the better.
How does Soil Bio Microbes compare with compost
Compost is mineralized organic matter which provides a concentration of nutrients and aerobic “Forest Floor” types of bacteria and fungi, while Soil Bio Microbes is a liquid concentration of “Forest Floor” bacteria plus all types of micro-organisms found in virgin sub soil. This is how Soil Bio Microbes restores and fortifies biologically depleted soils. Compost bacteria can be multiplied by making compost tea which needs to be applied to the soil within a few hours. Soil Bio Microbes has a shelf life of more than 6 months, provided it is stored out of direct sunlight and temperatures around 20°C. Manufacturing compost and applying it to soil on a large scale is prohibitively expensive and cannot be considered as a viable alternative to chemical industrial agriculture on a commercial scale. To rehabilitate polluted or biologically ‘dead’ soil will take many applications of compost and a long time, whereas Soil Bio Microbes will do the job within one or two seasons with amazing results
