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garden soil layers under meadow

How much carbon can be stored by increasing your soil microbes?

microBIOMETER® reports the microbial biomass as ug of microbial carbon/gram of soil. The chart pictured here shows how much carbon can be stored in an acre just by increasing microbial biomass alone. (Chemically fertilized farmland averages about 100 ug/microbial C/g of soil.) Microbial biomass is the best single estimate of

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Research shows microBIOMETER® correlates with crop health

Katharhy G. is an agroecosystem and ethnoscience researcher who traveled to Ecuador to investigate the relationship between microbial biomass and crop health, as well as to study the local indigenous agriculture practices. He visited 28 different farms growing 15 different crops. 14 of these farms are practicing conventional farming, while

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Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University: Sharon Pochron, Ph.D., Sustainability Studies Program/School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and co-authors (L-R) Mateo Metic (Grad student-SoMAS), Wade Tucker (Freshman-SoMAS), and Zimuzo Ezedum (2020 Biology Graduate) with a handful of Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) used in their Roundup® exposure test.

microBIOMETER® collaborates with university soil study

The effect of various Roundup formulations and microplastics on soil. Dr. Sharon Pochron and her students at Stonybrook University in New York have been using microBIOMETER® for two years. Dr. Pochron studies the effect of various Roundup formulations and microplastics on soil microbes and soil invertebrates. Her most recent publication

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Can you carbon farm in a city?

Carbon Sponge is an interdisciplinary collaboration exploring the potential for urban soils to sequester carbon as a means to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gases and build healthy soil. At microBIOMETER® we were very excited to work with Brooke Singer and play a role in this important project. Brooke initiated Carbon Sponge during her residency at the

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Simple ways to increase the microbial biomass in your soil

Healthy soil is brimming with beneficial microbes, and those microbes are one of the important keys to ensuring the health of your plants. Along with breaking down key nutrients for your plants, they’ll aerate the soil so nutrients are evenly distributed, and fend off parasitic microbes so your garden can

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microBIOMETER® soil testing hemp plants in New York

Kerry Trammel is the owner of The Releaf Market LLC located in Jamestown, NY. The market has been open for business since March 2019. Kerry has had a license to grow hemp in New York State since September 2019. The Releaf Market uses microBIOMETER® to test their indoor grow as

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microBIOMETER® testing soil and compost in the Netherlands

With a small R & D grant awarded from the Dutch government, Jo Ploumen of the Netherlands is using microBIOMETER® to determine fungal to bacterial ratios in vermicompost filled in a Johnson-Su Bioreactor versus residence time. Jo also uses microBIOMETER® to measure microbes and F:B ratio in select soil samples

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Expert hand exam a soil health before growing or sowing a seeds of vegetable,  Gardening technical, Agriculture concept.

Soil Health Improvement Tracking

Microbial biomass (MB) is the best single indicator of soil health (Doran, 2000). Microbes feed and protect plants, build soil structure which prevents erosion, increase water holding capacity, and build soil organic matter (SOM). MB is low in any situation that is harmful to plant growth (and vice versa) and

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