Years ago, I made the statement that our soil’s organic matter is, more than anything else, composed of dead microbes. We’ve all heard that one teaspoon of topsoil contains around 1 billion individual microscopic cells and around 10,000 different species. That remains an incredible fact. However, these microorganisms do not live forever, and like all living things, they eventually die.
People ask me how I define regenerative farming and I have one simple answer: it’s all about sequestering more carbon in our soils. Soil is the largest carbon store on Earth—holding more carbon than all plants and our atmosphere put together. And contrary to what was previously believed, it now appears that a considerable amount of this carbon—more than 50%—is introduced to the soil via the remains of dead microorganisms.
There is a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience under the title “Formation of Necromass-Derived Soil Organic Carbon Determined by Microbial Death Pathways.” The study was carried out by microbiologist and ecologist Dr. Tessa Camenzind from Freie Universität Berlin, together with Humboldt Research Award winner Johannes Lehmann, visiting researcher at Freie Universität Berlin from Cornell University, New York, and their colleagues. “It was determined that microbe deaths are a deciding factor in the amount of carbon that soil can sequester and store, and for how long,” explains Dr. Camenzind. Holy cow! Dead microbes are the key to carbon sequestration!
“It may sound macabre, but knowing more about how and why these microorganisms die and what processes are involved is essential for understanding how carbon is introduced to the soil and how stable this process is under varying conditions,” says Dr. Camenzind. Soil is by no means a safe habitat. Anything looking to survive there is subject to starvation, drought, and extreme heat or cold. Viruses are also common in the soil layer and kill off a considerable number of bacteria. Human activities also lead to changes in the natural balance of the soil.
Andaman Ag has been promoting biological products and farming practices since 2008. We offer an extensive array of products that contribute to microbial action and bloom in our soil. Our products play a variety of roles in helping crops grow with less disease pressure, and greater uniformity, yield, and quality.
I want to thank my good friend, Mike Neal, at Ponderosa Ag Advisors in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, for sharing information regarding innovative agricultural practices.
