What is a healthy soil in terms of crop farming?

A soil that can produce a healthy crop must have healthy microbes. There must be diversity in the microbes, mainly bacteria and fungi. In the beginning there should be diversity in the plants growing on top of that soil in order to generate diversity below. SBM creates that diversity instantly below and with the incorporation of organic materials in the form of crop residue or cover crops, food for the microbes are provided. So, inorganic fertilizers are not needed at all from day one. Crop residue is needed when the Carbon

The following bacterial groups in the subsoil provide most of what is needed for most crops.:

1. Streptomyces sp.
2. Bacillus sp.
3. Lactobacillus
4. Bradyrhizobium sp.
5. Rhizobium sp.
6. Bifidobacterium sp.
7. Glucoacetobacter sp.

Healthy soils have:

1. Diverse microbes from the top up to 1 meter deep.
2. Sufficient water penetration tempo.
3. Good water holding capacity.
4. The ability to sequestering carbon, by having the relevant bacteria present.
5. Proper nutrient cycling capacity, again by having the right microbes present.
6. Zero applications of inorganic fertilizer as it affect the sensitive microbes and thus diminish diversity.
7. Cover (dead or alive) and are exposed only for the minimum amount of time in a year.
8. We prefer a soil that have a Fungi to Bacteria ratio of less than 1, like 0.6 is good.