Engineered Soils to Reduce Irrigation Needs
Study Description
SymSoil ® RC is a based on regionally specific soil microbe biomes and the company sees itself as part of the regenerative agriculture movement. Our science team has a deep understanding of the various components of the soil ecosystem and over 35 years of problem solving using specific biology or biologic concepts, to meet growers’ specific challenges.
So, while restoring native soil biology is important to us, we design solution based upon biology, minerals and cover crops to solve issues or problems. Sometimes the biology is purchased or licensed from other sources for use to solve specific challenges. For example, our Astro Nematodes will attack insect pathogens – in larval or adult stages of their life.
Biology SymSoil has access to includes endophytes which have been shown to reduce nitrogen and water needs for multiple types of crops, including grasses. These endophytes enter the plant through the roots, and live their lives within the body of the grass or shrub.
SymSoil® FIB can reduce irrigation needs by 30% to 50%. These licensed endophytes have been shown to reduce irrigation needs by 20% or more. Salt-based fertilizers have the same impact on plants as animals – more salt, more thirst!
These endophytes have been studied for a number of years and the multiple mechanisms of action, which get more water to the plant roots (biochar and fungi) and to reduce the need for salt-based fertilizer, reduce irrigation needs. SymSoil feels this is a relevant case studies in biological farming, where biology can be accretive to the farmer’s bottom line.
SymSoil manufactures and sells Robust Compost, offers on-farm composting in Solano, Napa, Sonoma and Yolo counties of California and offers biological soil assessments through our lab in Fairfield, California.
One cubic yard of SymSoil® RC, in a GEOTea 250 brewer can make over 6,000 gallons of Compost Extract, and most ranchers using compost tea or extract to improve the health of their soil use 10 to 12 gallons per acre per year. Row crop farmers typically use three applications of 7 gallons per acre, per year (that is, 20 to 21 gallons per acre per year).
Two final thoughts on pasture land and biologic farming .
We are proponents of low-till, cover crops and avoiding overgrazing. Some of our team members have studied Holistic Management with the Savory Institute and several have studied with Christine Jones, PhD of Amazing Carbon who shared this picture on the impact of overgrazing on roots.