Beneficial Microorganisms for Soil Quality and a More Sus­tainable Agriculture

Pro-Soil products can help you shift the microbio­logical equilibrium to enhance soil quality and the yield and quality of crops.

Crop growth and develop­ment are closely related to the nature of the soil microflora, especially those in close proximity to plant roots, i.e. the rhizosphere. Thus, it will be difficult to overcome the limitations of conventional agricultural technologies without control­ling soil microorganisms. This particular tenet is further reinforced because the evolution of most forms of life on earth and their environments are sustained by microorganisms. Most biological activi­ties are influenced by the state of these invisible, minuscule units of life. There­ fore, to significantly increase food pro­duction, it is essential to develop crop cultivars with improved genetic capabilities (i.e. greater yield potential, disease resistance, and nutritional quality)and with a higher level of environmental competitiveness, particularly under stress conditions (i.e. low rainfall, high tem­peratures, nutrient deficiencies and ag­gressive weed growth).

Low agricultural production effi­ciency is closely related to a poor coordi­nation of energy conversion which, in turn, is influenced by crop physiological factors, the environment, and other biological factors including soil microorgan­isms. The soil and rhizosphere microflora can accelerate the growth of plants and en­hance their resistance to disease and harm­ful insects by producing bio-active sub­ stances. These microorganisms maintain the growth environment of plants, and may have primary effects on both soil quality and crop quality. A wide range of results are possible depending on their predominance and activities at any one time. Nevertheless, there is a growing consensus that it is possible to attain maximum economic crop yields of high quality, at higher net returns, without the application of chemical fertilizers and pes­ticides. Until recently, this was not thought to be a very likely possibility us­ing conventional agricultural methods. However, it is important to recognize that the best soil and crop management prac­tices to achieve a more sustainable agriculture will also enhance the growth, num­bers and activities of beneficial soil micro­ organisms that, in turn, can improve the growth, yield and quality of crops. In essence, soil quality is the very foundation of a more sustainable agriculture.

To learn more about how you can improve soil quality naturally with microorganisms, please contact us today!