Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum across the world, but momentum alone isn’t enough. Farmers, land managers, and policymakers are all asking the same question: where’s the evidence? That’s what drove us to build GeoDataTrack® – an offline-first mobile platform that makes rigorous ecological data collection accessible and affordable. Because the truth is simple: you can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t prove regeneration without the data to back it up. That’s also why we’re so excited about our collaboration with microBIOMETER®.
The regenerative movement has a compelling story to tell, but stories need data. Whether a farmer or land manager is seeking ecological certification, applying for results-based payments, or demonstrating progress to stakeholders, they need a structured, repeatable way to capture what’s happening on their land. Most monitoring platforms are built for large corporates with price tags to match, leaving the land managers actually driving ecological change priced out entirely. GeoDataTrack® was built to close that gap.
Soil biology is the engine room of regeneration. You can measure ground cover, species diversity, and water infiltration all day long, but without understanding the microbial community beneath the surface, you’re only seeing half the picture. Our collaboration with microBIOMETER® is a natural fit because we share a core belief: practical, affordable tools belong in the hands of the people managing the land, not locked away in laboratories.
microBIOMETER® is field-ready, delivers results on-site, and doesn’t require expensive lab infrastructure. A land manager can take a soil sample, run a microBIOMETER® test, and log microbial biomass and fungal-to-bacterial ratios straight into the GeoDataTrack® offline capable app, alongside vegetation transects, photo monitoring points, and infiltration measurements. One visit, one platform, a complete ecological snapshot.
The real power of this collaboration lies in what the data reveals over seasons and years. When a farmer shifts to adaptive grazing or introduces diverse herbal leys, the ecological response builds gradually. GeoDataTrack® captures that trajectory – every observation time-stamped and geolocation-stamped – while microBIOMETER® adds the vital biological dimension. Rising microbial biomass and shifting fungal-to-bacterial ratios are signals that the soil is responding to improved management. Together, this becomes compelling evidence for certification bodies, grant funders, and government schemes that increasingly demand demonstrable ecological outcomes.
We believe the future of regenerative agriculture depends on putting measurement tools directly into the hands of the people managing the land – because when land managers can measure change, they can manage for it. microBIOMETER® shares that vision. Together, we’re going far.
About GeoDataTrack
GeoDataTrack® is an offline-first mobile platform for field data collection in regenerative agriculture and ecological verification, priced at $150 per property per annum. Aligned with the Savory Institute’s Ecological Outcome Verification protocol, GeoDataTrack® puts rigorous ecological monitoring tools directly into the hands of land managers worldwide. Learn more at geodatatrack.com.
Climate change can feel overwhelming. We hear about melting ice caps and rising temperatures, and it seems like only world leaders can make a real difference. But truthfully, the soil beneath our feet is one of nature’s best tools for fighting climate change. It quietly stores massive amounts of carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere.
Understanding Soil’s Role in Climate Change
Soil is basically a giant carbon storage system. Scientists have found that healthy soil holds more carbon than all the trees and plants on Earth combined. That’s billions of tons of carbon safely stored underground instead of being released into our atmosphere and warming our planet.
Here’s what happens: plants pull carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis. When plants die or drop leaves, the carbon that was stored in plants is released, either through respiration or combustion, and then goes back into the atmosphere or the soil. Soil microbes then break down this material and lock the carbon underground where it can stay for decades or even centuries.
What Makes Soil Healthy?
Healthy soil is alive. It contains billions of tiny organisms working around the clock that form a complex underground ecosystem. Soil microbial biomass refers to all these living organisms combined. They break down dead plant material and animal waste. They build soil structure that holds water during droughts. And most importantly for climate action, they capture and store carbon.
Simple Steps to Improve Your Soil:
Reduce Tilling and Digging
Every time you disturb soil with a tiller or shovel, you could be destroying microbial networks. These organisms build complex underground structures that help them work efficiently. Breaking these structures sets them back to square one.
Add Organic Matter Regularly
Microbes need food to survive and multiply. Organic matter like compost, mulch, or leaf litter provides this food. When you add these materials to your soil, you’re essentially helping to feed billions of organisms.
Plant Cover Crops
Bare soil is a missed opportunity. When ground sits empty between growing seasons, microbes starve and carbon escapes. Cover crops solve this problem by keeping living roots in the soil year-round.
Reduce Chemical Use
Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can harm beneficial microbes in the long run. While they might boost plant growth in the short term, they often damage the soil ecosystem that supports long-term health causing greater issues down the line.
Why Test Your Soil?
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Soil testing for climate action gives you concrete data about what’s happening underground. It shows you the current state of your soil’s health and its carbon-capturing ability.
Testing reveals your soil’s microbial biomass levels. High numbers mean your soil is actively storing carbon. Low numbers mean there’s room for improvement. You also learn about the fungal to bacterial ratio, which affects how long carbon stays locked in the ground.
How should you start? Pick one area to focus on first. Maybe it’s your vegetable garden, your front lawn, or a few raised beds. Test that area to establish your baseline numbers.
Choose one or two practices to implement. Don’t try to change everything at once. Start with something simple like adding compost or reducing how often you dig. Small consistent changes produce better results than dramatic overhauls. Track your soil’s biological data over time using the microBIOMETER® and other helpful soil tests.
Farmers across America are discovering something amazing beneath their feet. The secret to better crops and healthier land isn’t always found in a bottle or bag. It lives naturally in the soil, waiting to be awakened through smart and intentional farming practices. Soil microbial communities play a large role in soil metabolic activity and drive critical ecosystem services like decomposition and nutrient cycling.
Bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic creatures transform dead plant material into food that crops can use. Regenerative agriculture & microbes work together like partners in a successful business. When farmers treat soil as a living system rather than just dirt, these microorganisms multiply and strengthen.
How Traditional Farming Hurts Soil Life
Conventional farming methods can accidentally damage the very organisms that make soil productive and alive. Heavy tilling breaks apart fungal networks that connect plant roots. Chemical fertilizers flood the system with quick nutrients but starve the microbes that naturally produce those same nutrients.
Soil health drops when microbial diversity and abundance decreases. Farms become dependent on more chemicals to achieve the same results. It’s like trying to run a factory with fewer workers each year while expecting the same output.
Different microbes handle different jobs in the soil. Some break down tough plant materials. Others protect crop roots from diseases. Many form partnerships with plants, trading nutrients for sugars. This complexity creates a stable system that keeps working even when conditions change.
Healthy microbial communities also help crops handle stress better. During droughts, diverse soil life improves water retention. When diseases threaten, beneficial microbes compete with harmful ones, protecting plant roots naturally.
Farmers don’t need complicated systems to start improving their soil life. Cover crops provide food for microbes when cash crops aren’t growing. These plants keep living roots in the ground, which helps more microbes stay fed year-round instead of going dormant.
Crop rotation brings diversity that supports more types of beneficial organisms. Different plants feed different microbes, and varying root depths access nutrients from multiple soil layers. This natural variety strengthens the entire system.
The benefits of regenerative farming show up quickly in soil tests and gradually in farm economics. Crops access nutrients more efficiently when healthy microbial populations cycle them naturally. This means farmers are able to spend less on fertilizers while maintaining or improving yields.
Weed and pest pressure often decreases, too. A diverse microbial community supports beneficial insects and creates conditions where crops outcompete weeds naturally. This reduces herbicide needs and the labor involved in weed management.
Fungal to bacterial ratio serves as an important indicator of soil condition. Healthy agricultural soils need both types of microbes, but many farms have shifted too far toward bacteria-dominated systems. Restoring fungal populations helps lock carbon in the soil and improves overall stability, as fungi connect different plants and transport nutrients across distances that roots alone could never reach.
The science behind soil biology keeps advancing, giving farmers better tools and understanding. New microbial products target specific crop needs or soil conditions. Education and support networks help farmers adopt these methods successfully. Universities, extension services, and farmer groups share practical knowledge gained from real-world experience. This collective learning accelerates the regenerative movement.
Getting your soil test results back feels exciting. You hold numbers that reveal what is happening beneath your feet. But staring at those numbers can feel confusing if you do not know what they mean or how to use them.
DIY soil testing has made understanding soil health accessible to everyone. Instead of sending samples to distant laboratories and waiting weeks, people can now test their soil on-site and get immediate answers. This guide will help you understand those results and use them to improve your land.
Importance of Testing for Microbial Biomass
Many people make changes to their soil based on guesswork. They add fertilizers, compost, or other amendments, hoping for improvement. Traditional soil tests measure chemical properties like nitrogen, phosphorus, and pH levels through various methods. These numbers provide useful information but miss the biological side of soil health. Living organisms in the soil drive nutrient cycling, water retention, and plant health.
Microbial biomass encompasses all the living organisms in your soil sample. This includes bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic creatures. Think of it as counting the population in an underground city.
Higher microbial biomass numbers usually indicate more biological activity, which can translate to better plant growth, reduced need for fertilizers, and improved resistance to drought. Lower numbers suggest the soil needs help building its living community.
Understanding the Fungal to Bacterial Ratio
The second key measurement is the fungal to bacterial ratio. Soil contains both types of organisms, but different plants prefer different balances. This ratio helps determine what type of ecosystem exists underground.
Bacteria thrive in disturbed soil and support annual plants like vegetables, grains, and grasses. These organisms multiply quickly and break down fresh organic matter rapidly. Gardens and agricultural fields typically show higher bacterial populations.
Fungi prefer undisturbed environments and support perennial plants like trees, shrubs, and native grasses. Fungal networks extend through soil, connecting plants and moving nutrients over long distances. Forest soils naturally contain more fungi than bacteria.
How to Read Your Numbers In Soil Testing?
Real-time soil testing provides immediate data, but understanding context makes those numbers meaningful. The same soil can show different results depending on season, moisture, and recent weather conditions.
Spring and fall typically show higher microbial activity than summer or winter. Warm, moist conditions help microorganisms thrive. Extreme heat or cold slows their activity. Compare results from the same season to track true changes.
What Good Results Look Like In Soil Testing
Healthy agricultural soil typically shows microbial biomass levels above 600 micrograms per gram. Garden soil often shows even higher numbers because gardeners regularly add compost and organic matter and gardens can be managed more frequently due to their size. Really excellent soil can reach 1000 or higher. These numbers indicate strong biological activity supporting plant growth. However, this is largely dependent several factors including your climate, region, soil type and texture.
Conclusion
Soil microbial biomass testing provides powerful insights when interpreted correctly. These numbers reveal the health of the underground ecosystem supporting all plant growth. Understanding and acting on this information creates healthier, more productive land that requires fewer external inputs while producing better results.
Most people never think about the dirt beneath their feet. They see it as something that makes their shoes messy or their hands dirty. But soil is actually alive with billions of tiny creatures that keep our entire planet running.
Soil health = planet health is not just a catchy phrase. It represents a real connection between what happens underground and the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.
What Do Soil Microbes Actually Do?
These tiny organisms perform jobs that keep our planet functioning. Without them, life as we know it would stop. Soil microorganisms break down dead plants and animals. They turn this material into nutrients that new plants can use. This recycling process has continued for millions of years.
They also help plants grow stronger. Some microbes form partnerships with plant roots. They bring water and nutrients to the plant. In return, the plant gives them sugars. This teamwork benefits both sides.
The Carbon Connection
Climate change worries many people today. Soil microbes play a huge role in this challenge. They help store carbon underground instead of letting it float into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Soil biology acts like a carbon sponge. When microbes are healthy and numerous, they lock carbon into the soil. This process removes greenhouse gases from the air naturally.
Damaged soil with low microbial biomass and activity cannot store carbon effectively. The carbon escapes back into the air, exacerbating climate issues. Protecting soil life helps fight climate change.
Why Soil Health Matters for Food?
Farmers face increasing pressure to grow more food for our growing population, while facing the need to use fewer chemicals and resources to have more sustainable growing practices. Plants growing in soil rich with microbes need less fertilizer. The microbes provide nutrients naturally and help soil hold water better, reducing the need for irrigation.
Living soil creates stronger plants that resist pests and diseases. This means farmers can use fewer pesticides and the food can become healthier, while the environment stays cleaner.
Testing Makes the Difference
You cannot improve what you cannot measure. This applies to soil health, too. Farmers and gardeners need ways to check if their soil management practices actually work.
Testing methods, such as the microBIOMETER®, measure soil microbial biomass directly. These types of tests show how much life exists in the soil. The microBIOMETER® also estimates the balance between different types of microbes. The fungal-to-bacterial ratio tells us about soil conditions. Different plants and ecosystems prefer different ratios. Vegetables like more bacteria, while trees prefer more fungi. Understanding these preferences helps growers manage their land better.
The Bigger Picture
When we improve soil health in one place, the benefits spread. Healthy soil reduces erosion, stores carbon, and supports both aboveground and belowground biodiversity.
Soil health = planet health because everything connects. The microbes in your garden affect the air quality in your neighborhood.
Soil looks simple. But a small clump contains an entire world teeming with life. Understanding microbial life in soil changes how people think about growing plants.
Microbial biomass carbon varies around a median of 206 micrograms per gram of soil.
The Invisible Workers Underground
Soil microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and archaea, drive essential soil functions such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and disease suppression.
Bacteria often represent the most numerous group. They break down dead plant material and transform nutrients into forms plants can use. Some bacteria fix nitrogen from the air, turning it into fertilizer that plants need for growth.
Fungi contribute heavily to soil structure and the break down organic matter, significantly contributing to the conversion of carbon to stable organic matter. This makes fungi extremely efficient at building long-term soil health.
How Do Bacteria Help Plants Grow?
Bacteria do several important jobs in soil. As they decompose organic matter like leaf litter or dead roots, nutrients locked inside dead material are released and become available for plants to use.
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria work with plants in special partnerships. Bacteria like Rhizobium form symbiotic relationships that fix nitrogen, converting atmospheric nitrogen gas into usable ammonia that plants absorb through their roots. This free fertilizer helps plants grow strong without chemical additions.
Some bacteria dissolve minerals in soil. Bacteria such as Micrococcus, Enterobacter, and Pseudomonas play crucial roles in phosphorus solubilization, making phosphorus available for plant uptake. Plants need phosphorus for root development.
Understanding Fungi’s Critical Role
Fungi look different from bacteria; not only are they larger, but they have slightly different pigments. Fungal biomass is necessary for healthy soil—their size and structure give them special abilities.
Fungi break down tough plant materials like wood and tree bark. They produce special enzymes that dissolve lignin, the substance that makes wood hard. This decomposition creates rich, dark soil called humus that holds moisture and nutrients.
How Farming Practices Affect Soil Microbes
Fungi and bacteria keep each other in check through symbiotic relationships. Different plants prefer different ratios of fungi to bacteria. Annual crops may prefer lower fungal-to-bacteria ratios, while perennials prefer higher ratios. Forests have the highest ratios because trees depend heavily on fungal networks for nutrients.
According to a study by Lori et. al. in 2017, organic farming systems show 32 to 84 percent greater microbial biomass compared to conventional systems. Adding compost, manure, and cover crops feeds soil microbes and helps grow their populations.
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides harm soil microbial communities. Fungicides kill both harmful and helpful fungi. Without beneficial fungi, plants struggle to access nutrients and water. This forces farmers to add more chemicals, creating a cycle that damages soil health.
Understanding Soil as a Living System
Soil microbial biomass represents the foundation of productive agriculture and healthy gardens. When people protect and feed these microscopic workers, they foster plant-soil interactions and receive a stronger and healthier soil community.
Learning about soil microbes transforms how people garden and farm. Every decision—from whether to till, what to plant, and how to fertilize—affects billions of organisms working underground. Making choices that support microbial communities creates healthier soil, stronger plants, and better harvests that last for generations. Use the microBIOMETER® soil test to estimate your soil microbial biomass and ensure you have the healthiest soil possible.
Fred Way has joined forces with APN – the Agroforestry Promotion Network which was founded by Roland Frutig and Lucky Mukasa. He also collaborates with soil stewards and farmers from Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, India and Switzerland.
The group travels throughout Africa to Uganda, Egypt, Nigeria, etc. They have educational centers in Malawi and Uganda. Here they host classes several times a year covering various soil practices to assist local growers by enhancing their farming techniques and improvimg forest function. By utilizing microBIOMETER® in these classes, they are able to highlight the importance of soil biology as well as demonstrate how changes in microbial biomass and fungal to bacterial ratio have positive effects on soil.
Whenever they can, they supply farmers with a microBIOMETER® test kit to allow them to easily test and track their soil’s health. While they are still in the beginning stages, their goal is to be able to provide local areas with kits since they are used to determine how native, natural forests function as well.
Fred performed microBIOMETER® testing in a logged forest that was a primary source for rubber in the late 1800’s until tthe early 1900’s. Currently, locals are removing all dead wood for fuel which is creating a loss of food at the trophic level. They use Indigenous microbial organisms (IMOs) in manure and urine (mostly from cows), molasses and other regenerative practices to stimulate the soil. They have discovered that by using these materials, they are able to kickstart the regenerative system. microBIOMETER® has demonstrated that these somewhat unconventional materials are increasing fungal levels over time while bare soil that previously wasn’t producing is now showing signs of life. Their goal is to emulate what’s happening in the forest for their agriculture food production system.
“The affordability and compatibility of microBIOMETER® as well as the real-time results make it easy to understand and track results over time and see improvements quickly. The addition of microBIOMETER® PRO’s advanced calculations and moisture adjustments are a good addition to the test,” – Fred Way
Recently, the Soil Association team was at Woodoaks Farm in Hertfordshire, England collecting soil samples as part of the AI 4 Soil Health project (AI4SH). Madeleine Silberberg, Project Coordinator, coordinates 13 pilot sites across the continent in partnership with leading European institutions.
Recently, the Soil Association team was at Woodoaks Farm in Hertfordshire, England collecting soil samples as part of the AI 4 Soil Health project (AI4SH). Madeleine Silberberg, Project Coordinator, coordinates 13 pilot sites across the continent in partnership with leading European institutions. These sites, covering 11 pedoclimatic regions, were selected based on distinctive soil qualities. The team are using advanced measurement techniques, generating new insights into the health of Europe’s soils, testing the assumptions in their models, and helping determine the best monitoring tools for the future.
Soil Association Farming Advisor, Karen Fisher, shares her experience using microBIOMETER® on this project.
“microBIOMETER® turned out to be a genuinely exciting addition to the toolkit. The first test took me a little while, carefully following the instructions step by step, but once I got into the rhythm the process was surprisingly straightforward. The longest part was waiting for the sample to develop but that slotted in nicely while we collected bulk density samples and soils for lab analysis.
I did have a small hiccup with scanning the first card, but I think my app might have been on the wrong mode, but after that everything worked perfectly. Each scan felt a bit like opening a present. I found myself looking forward to seeing what the next result would show.
It was fascinating to see the different patterns emerging across woodland, permanent grassland, conservation fields and compost. Some results weren’t quite what you might expect, for example, a woodland showing a lower fungal: bacterial ratio than a long-term grass field. It is a reminder that context matters: soil biology reflects both current conditions and land use history, and sometimes regeneration takes time.
These kinds of rapid, field-based tools do not replace lab analysis, but they bring soil life into focus in a way that is both practical and accessible. Over time, repeating these tests across seasons and management practices will help us build a richer picture of soil health and feed into the development of different indicators.”
Senior Farming Advisor Josiah Judson, “‘It was great to be out in the field making sure the tools we’re developing actually make sense on the ground and can support different users. It’s an ambitious goal to map these things across so many different landscapes, but the more data we can get, the better!”
