Blog

Which soil test is right for me?

There are many soil tests on the market so it can be difficult for farmers to ascertain whether or not they’re choosing the right one. The truth is, there are pros and cons to every soil test. Therefore it boils down to finding which ones align best with your farming

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History and Science Behind microBIOMETER®

The microBIOMETER® was developed with the need in mind to deliver a device that could be manufactured very reasonably so that it could service the whole world. For over 50 years scientists have known that microbes are the best indicator of soil health. One of the common methods used for

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How much water and nutrients can your soil hold?

Your soil is a unique mixture of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter. The particular make-up of your soil determines its color, texture, and nutrient storage capacity. Knowing your soil’s texture and nutrient storage capacity is important when deciding how much and how often to feed and water your plants.

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Soil Microbial Biomass and Respiration

Both microbial biomass and respiration are parameters used to assess soil health. Soil respiration is the measure of the carbon dioxide produced by the microbes in a given weight of soil while microbial biomass is the measure of the mass of microbes- both active and dormant.  Microbial biomass (MB) is

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The Role of Blockchain in the Carbon Market

The rise of global carbon dioxide levels has called on countries, businesses, and organizations to set goals and limits on how much carbon emissions they can produce over the succeeding years. Several international agreements have directed more significant action, most notably the Paris Agreement governing the fight against climate change.

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Seasons of Soil Microbes

Seasonal dynamics are a major driver of soil microbial communities. Much like you and I, microbes are more active during some seasons, and more dormant during others. This can be attributed to the different responses microbes have to nutrient inputs, climatic conditions, and other soil properties. As there are a

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Building Microbial Communities

This is an abridged version of Dr. Judith Fitzpatrick’s talk at last December’s Acres U.S.A. Eco-Ag conference. Article also featured in the April 2022 issue of Acres U.S.A. magazine.  When a grower first goes organic, they often have one field that’s organic and, right next to it, a field that

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Build Your Microbial Biomass

A teaspoon of healthy soil contains billions of microbes. Microbes feed the plants, strengthen their roots, and increase their yields. A plant sends signals to attract the microbes it needs at any given moment. In chemical-free agriculture, there is a good marriage between plants and microbes. In a complex, self-regulating

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Things you need to know about the Fungal to Bacterial Ratio (F:B)

microBIOMETER® is the only non-laboratory test for F:B. The methods of measuring F:B ratio give very different values 1-11. The Gold Standard for estimating fungal biomass is microscopy, which calculates fungal biovolume.  Note that microBIOMETER® detects the same range as microscopy- not surprising as it was validated by correlation with

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