by Deac Jones | Apr 12, 2018 | Microbes, Organic Matter, Soil Biology, Soil Health
If our bodies were small enough to enter the tiny passages in the soil, we would discover a world populated by a wild array of creatures, all fiercely competing for every leaf, root, fecal pellet and dead body that reaches the ground. We would also find predators of...
by Deac Jones | Apr 4, 2018 | Carbon Sequestration, Microbes, Soil Biology, Soil Health
Many of our farms have declined to 1 percent or less organic matter in their soils. That’s alarming when the pasture land right next door likely has 5 to 6 percent organic matter. In my past newsletters, I’ve addressed over-tillage, lack of cover crops, and high...
by Deac Jones | Mar 27, 2018 | Micronutrients, Soil Biology
Crops require 16 essential elements to grow properly. Three elements — carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (0) — are derived from air and water and comprise 94.0% to 99.5 % of fresh plant tissue. The remaining 13 nutrients, which come from the soil in the...
by Deac Jones | Mar 13, 2018 | Biostimulants, Carbon Sequestration, Microbes, Organic Matter
I just returned from the Biocontrols Conference held just outside San Diego, in Carlsbad. This is the second time I’ve attended this conference, and it’s a very well run event. There was a panel discussion involving Materra Farming Company, Duncan Family Farms,...
by Deac Jones | Feb 7, 2018 | Microbes, Microbial Preparations, Phyto-Catalyst, Soil Biology, Soil Health
Healthy soils have a high rate of respiration. Soil respiration refers to the production of carbon dioxide by soil organisms. This includes respiration of plant roots, the rhizosphere, microbes and fauna. The concentrations of both O2 and CO2 are largely dependent on...
