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In learning how to develop healthy soil for healthy plants and people, Frans Plugge of New Zealand discovered the importance of increasing the fungi population in his garden and this led him to microBIOMETER®.

“The microBIOMETER® soil test makes measuring the fungi to bacteria ratio so easy,” Frans said. 

To promote the benefits of soil regeneration, Frans has started the community street garden using the principles of regenerative agriculture; minimizing artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.  Frans plans to take regular measurements of the fungi to bacteria ratio using microBIOMETER® to monitor his progress as well as create a great discussion point with members of the garden community, therefore, contributing to a healthy plant community.

Some of the microBIOMETER® results Frans shared with us for his home garden and compost:

• Our compost.  1102 ug C/g, F:B 1.7:1
• Veggie garden soil. 310 ug C/g  F:B 0.1:1
• Purchased compost soil mix. 1299 ug C/g F:B 2.4:1
• Soil from native bush. 469 ug C/g  F:B 0.8:1

The first photo pictured here is a bare clay strip that Frans forked loose but did not turn. He added a thin layer of garden compost along with a layer of soil sowing in ten different species of autumn crops; legumes, grasses, and cereals. Then he planted brassicas into the garden (second photo).

Over the years, Frans typically added compost and dug in green crop in the main vegetable garden, but had not had great success in yield. This autumn in the area the microBIOMETER® sample was taken from, he planted an autumn cover crop of 7-8 different species and a selection of brassicas amongst them. The idea is when the cover crop begins to go to seed, they cut at root level and drop as mulch (third photo).  Frans is hoping they can stop digging in an effort to build up healthy soil organisms.

Frans’ conclusions related to New Zealand’s potential to reduce its carbon footprint:

• If all New Zealand farmers lifted their soil organic matter (SOM) by .25% per annum, we could offset all New Zealand’s annual GHG emissions including methane.
• Globally, numerous farmers are lifting SOM by 0.5 – 1% per annum over many years.
• Add in parks, recreation spaces, berms, gardens and Crown Land.

About Frans:

• Completed his degree at Lincoln University in Valuation and Farm Management
• Founded ECOsystems in 1995 with the vision “Saving Energy and the Environment” and the mission “To reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings by 50%”
• Longstanding and current elected board member of the Carbon and Energy Professionals N.Z. (CEPNZ).
• In 2018, established the Kata School to promote practices of continuous improvement that Toyota has used for 70 years. He is the current chair.
• Attended and presented at Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership training in Brisbane and completedthe Kiss the Ground training on Regenerating Soils.
• Currently focused on using the behaviours of Toyota Kata scientific thinking and experimenting towards a vision to develop the culture required to achieve the challenge of carbon positive.