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Bacteria in the Soil



Microbe population in soil:

I am offering an analogy to you that has many synergy's to soil health, namely, 
human health.

When a human, in this case a woman, takes an antibiotic, a majority of the time 
the will manifest a yeast infection.  This is caused because the antibiotic has 
damaged the balance between good bacteria and bad bacteria.

She can eliminate this imbalance in the bad bacteria by take more friendly 
bacteria.  This is not done by taking modern yogurt(it does not have the bacteria).   
It can be done by finding old fashion yogurt with four types of bacteria or going 
to a health food store and buying bacteria complexes found in the cold section.   
The conventional doctors/wisdom will tell them to take the leading selling drug 
called Lotrimin.  This does nothing to solve the problem, but masks the 
symptoms. 

This analogy applies to the soil.  The chemicals that have been used on the soil 
have destroyed a great deal of the beneficial bacterial that used to be in the soil.  
This is evidenced by the huge business in fungicides.  Another is the epidemic 
growth of the pathogenic nematode.  It is a result of the killing of the nematode 
trapping fungi that used to exist in the soil.  In this case just adding compost 
doesn't stop the problem.

I know of bacterial product/complexes that can be added to the soil to stop many 
of these fungi.  

If practical you can add a composed manure and get some of the same benefits.

The immune system of the soil needs to be revived.  Addition Humates could help 
to begin the process.  Adding a bacterial complex called BioL.F.E. will do that 
even better because it will supply bacteria, some of which is nitrogen fixing 
(average 167 pounds/acre), build humus and help to produce organic matter by 
the breakdown of the trash from crops, etc.  It will also, in many cases, increase 
the uptake of nutrients and make the soils more malleable.  This product 
manufactures phosphorylated polysaccharides and helps to keep the pH balanced 
for crops needs.  

In tobacco it has eliminated the need for fungicides for black shank 
(Phytophthora parasitica) and blue mold (Peronosporatabacina) in a multi-year 
trial in Kentucky.  In a trial in New Mexico it was used on cotton for fusarium 
wilt and stopped it completely in one season.  Further trials are planned.

Therefore we know and have seen the control of disease in soil by adding 
beneficial microorganisms and restoring the soil bacteria levels.  

If the soil has been badly damaged and the normal complex of microorganisms 
are no longer present the have to be replaced.  Mere stimulation of the remaining 
bacteria will not be sufficient if they no longer exist in sufficient complexes.

Balance is the key to disease stress.

Just a side note:  this approach has worked to stop cancer without 
drugs/chemo/radiation, arthritis, heart disease, psoriasis, etc.  It is a powerful 
approach to human health and a powerful approach to soil health.

Sincerely,


Michael J. Rankin
Global Farming Systems, Ltd.



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