Soil Microbial Indicators and the Effect of Soil Ameliorants on Plant Growth

19 June 2018

Venessa Moodley

Omnia Fertilizer International

Increasing productivity to meet global requirements

The Second Green Revolution

is upon us causing a change

in agriculture production

necessary to feed and sustain the growing global

population

2.6

3.7

5.3

6.9

8.3

9.4

1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Source: US Census Bureau

CAGR:

+1.4% 0.4

2

0.3

5

0.3

0.2

6

0.2

2

0.2

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

Source: FAO

CAGR:

-1.6%

Traditional chemical products are unable to

sustain the productivity required in the long term

by an increasing world population

Available arable land is declining and is

impacted by traditional chemicals, which are

reaching their maximum performance levels

due to growing resistance built up by plants,

insects and plant diseases

WORLD

POPULATION (BN)

ARABLE LAND

(HECTARES PER

CAPITA)

BRIDGING THE GAP

52%

100%

172%

To

day

72%

48%

Integrated crop

management

Crop efficiency

products

Conventional

agriculture

Crop protection

products

AgriBio products can help bridge the gap between

productivity requirements and current output by

increasing plant welfare and thereby increasing

crop yield and quality. AgriBio products also

complement fertilizers and chemical inputs and

reduce the use of water resources

Crop yield withoutconventional output

Crop yield withconventional output

Achievablecrop yield

Integrated AgriBio Product Approach

Source: Syngenta: Biologicals in Developed and Emerging Markets, Bayer: Biologicals – a key element in integrated crop solutions

Boundaries between

AgriBio products are

disappearing

Products in the AgriBio market

comprise of Biopesticides,

Biostimulants and Biofertilizers.

These products are eco-friendly alternatives for crop protection,

enhancement and nutrition

BIOSTIMULANTSBIOFERTILIZERS BIOCONTROL

Biostimulants

Enhances the plant’s ability to assimilate

applied nutrients, or provide benefits to

plant development

Science vs Pseudoscience/Snake Oil

Science PseudoscienceWillingness to change with new evidence Fixed ideas

Ruthless peer review No peer review

Takes account of all new discoveries Selects only favourable discoveries

Invites criticism Sees criticism as conspiracy

Verifiable results Non- repeatable results

Limits claims of usefulness Claims of widespread usefulness

Accurate measurement Ball- park measurement

Snake Oil ???

1917: Clark Stanley is Caught Out

Humate Liquids: Claims vs Analysis

Omnia’s Soil Health Prism: Measuring Soil Health

Biological

ChemicalPhysical

SOIL HEALTH

Soil Microbial Indicators: OmniBio™

PHYSICAL

BIOLOGY

NUTRIENT

• Soil and Root Analysis• Beneficial• Plant Parasites• Selected enzyme

activities

• P Enzymes• Root Health Components

• Active Components• Enzymes• Nematodes• Active carbon

• Urease Activity

Nematode RiskScore

Urease N-Mineralization

Score

Rhizo-HealthScore

P-Mineralization

Score

Conventional Practices- Enzyme Activities

En

zym

e A

cti

vit

ies (

µg

/g/h

)

Conventional Practices: Root Analysis

Nem

ato

des (

5g

ro

ots

)

Conventional Practices: Beneficial Nematode Diversity

Nem

ato

des (

200m

l o

f so

il s

am

ple

)

Sustainable Practices: Plant Parasites vs Beneficial Nematodes

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Maize Maize Lucerne Pasture Pasture Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Protea Protea

SP 1 BoSP 1 Onder GO 8 ViertoringSestoring G8-1 G8-2 G8-3 G8-4 G8-5 G8-6 G8-7 G8-8 G8-9 G8-10 E18 Grafte Barend

David Fouche

Nem

ato

des (

200m

l o

f so

il s

am

ple

)

Total Nematodes (Soil)

Total Plant Parasites Total Free-living

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Maize Maize Lucerne Pasture Pasture Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Wheat Protea Protea

SP 1 BoSP 1 OnderGO 8 ViertoringSestoring G8-1 G8-2 G8-3 G8-4 G8-5 G8-6 G8-7 G8-8 G8-9 G8-10 E18 Grafte Barend

David Fouche

Nem

ato

des (

200m

l o

f so

il s

am

ple

)

Free - Living Nematode Diversity (Soil)

Ca4

Ca4

Ca3

Fu2

Om4

Om4

Ba2

Ba1

Ba1

Ba1

Ba2

Ba2

Sustainable Practices: Beneficial Nematode Diversity

Soil Ameliorants

Summary of Research Results

Calvo et al., 2014

Promotes development of good soil

structure

Improves moisture holding capacity

of the soil

Increases plant uptake of nutrients

Promotes penetration and retention

of calcium in soils

Stimulates microbial activity in the

soil

Enhances rate of seed germination

and improves viability

MICROBES HUMIC ACIDS

Nutrient Uptake Trial on Maize Nutrient Uptake (mg pot-1)

25% – 60% increase in uptake

Maize: Calibration trial

a

cc

ab

cc

d

c

bc

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

1.60

1.80

0 1 2 4 8

Dry

ro

ot bio

mass (

g)

Application rate (ℓ ha-1)

Bacstim x Bacstim 100

a

cdcd cd

de

bc

e

ab ab

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

0 1 2 4 8Aboveg

roun

d d

ry b

iom

ass (

g)

Application rate (ℓ ha-1)

Bacstim x Bacstim 100

Effect of Humic Acid based Product with Microbes

Increase in root mass up to

150%

Canola

LSD(α-0.05) = 0.013CV = 17%

150%

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

Control Rhizovator G2 Rhizovator Rhizovator G2 +MIBs

Ave

rag

e d

ry r

oo

t b

iom

as

s p

er

po

t (g

)

100+g Increase over control (Premium)

0.0%

25.63%

22.9%

36.9%

9.6%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Total

100+g Wgt Inc over Control

Cont

KH20

KH40

MKx2

MKx4

+100g GM Increase ($700/t)

$1,364.75

$1,221.00

$1,966.00

$510.67

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

Total

Cont

KH20

KH40

MKx2

MKx4

TreatmentTotal

T/Ha 90% Sig

Total +50g t/Ha 90% Sig

Total +100g t/ha 90% Sig

Cont 53.08a 45.96a 21.83ab

MKx4 53.48ab 46.26ab 23.92abc

KH40 54.07ab 46.72ab 26.83abc

MKx2 55.59abc 49.24ab 29.89c

KH20 61.19c 51.96b 27.42bc

Changes in metabolic pathways

Dynamic metabolism – response to kelp application under drought

stress

Kelp application induced dynamic changes in different metabolic

pathways (Table): primary and secondary metabolism

These changes are related to enhanced drought resistance

phenotypic trait

Kelp may act as a “priming” agent – as it leads to metabolic

reprogramming that pre-conditions the plant for enhanced response

to environmental stress (- drought stress in this case)

More detailed analyses still underway

Results – Metabolic reprogramming

# Metabolic pathways Total Impact

1 Flavone and flavonol biosynthesis 9 0.80

2 Phenylalanine metabolism 8 0.50

3 alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism 23 0.39

4 Riboflavin metabolism 10 0.20

5 Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis 21 0.10

6 Terpenoid backbone biosynthesis 25 0.08

7 Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis 45 0.04

8 Porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism 29 0.01

9 Flavonoid biosynthesis 43 0.01

10 Tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis 8 0.00

11 Biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids 42 0.00

12 Fatty acid elongation in mitochondria 13 0.00

13 Nitrogen metabolism 15 0.00

14 Diterpenoid biosynthesis 26 0.00

15 Fatty acid metabolism 34 0.00

16 Cysteine and methionine metabolism 34 0.00

17 Steroid biosynthesis 36 0.00

18 Glucosinolate biosynthesis 54 0.00

T Treatment description

1 Control (no kelp, no stress)

2 Control (no kelp with stress)

3 Soil applied kelp with no stress

4 Soil applied kelp with stress

5 Foliar applied kelp with no stress

6 Foliar applied kelp with stress

Omnia Fertilizer International

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