Continuous refinement of the experimental approach and answering of development questions
Development questions are of a general and product-specific nature. Many questions can only be answered by meaningful trials. Experimental setups should allow good answers to be provided to such questions. Continuous refinement of the experimental setup and design is useful for efficiency and for avoiding waste in time and materials.
Crops are subject to many influences and can react to individual or combined signs. Interpreting these signs is challenging. We have developed our arsenal of analytical methods to meet this challenge.
Plant production is subject to many influences. Individual factors (climate, pests, etc.) can challenge a crop, which reacts with signs and symptoms. Often it is not clear or obvious what is causing the symptoms. Treating the symptoms is rarely useful, as it does not solve the underlying problem and can lead to renewed damage in the same or subsequent crops. A more in-depth analysis is therefore appropriate. Sometimes the environment needs to be included. It almost always makes sense to include an entire plant or several for analysis. The analytical methods, which include laboratory cultures, microscopy and analysis of environmental data, are continuously being refined.
Soil life is crucial for soil health. Our efforts are aimed at achieving a relatively simple and rapid determination of soil health.
The properties, profiles and types of soils are incredibly diverse. Soil classifications therefore show a large number of soil types. According to scientific publications, an incredible number of parameters are relevant, from physical (structure, stability, etc.) to chemical (nutrients, metals, organic substances, plastics, contaminants, etc.) to biological (biodiversity, biological activity, etc.) data. However, soil life is crucial to the health of the foundation of all life on earth. Our efforts are aimed at achieving a relatively simple and rapid determination of soil health.
The approach of biological products is to work with the system. Substances that are foreign to the system cannot be estimated in their effects on the parts of the system and can endanger the whole system. The soil and the plant culture are to be regarded as a system. If we isolate individual parts of a system too much and then apply so-called ‘solutions’ to them, these may well have positive effects in this isolation, but in reality they can pose a danger to the biological system and have the opposite effect. If a solution creates a new problem, it is not a solution!
Improving the health of your soil is essential to increasing your output, but how can you tell if you are making progress?
Research shows that microbial biomass (fungi and bacteria) is the leading indicator of soil health. Living soil fixes nutrients, improves plant immunity, stores water more efficiently and builds soil structure, therefore, a healthy level of microbes increases productivity while reducing inputs.
Living soil fixes nutrients, improves plant immunity, stores water more efficiently and builds soil structure. Therefore, a healthy microbial level increases productivity while reducing the use of inputs. We have a low-cost, 20-minute on-site soil test for microbial biomass and fungal-bacterial ratio that can quickly tell you the health of your soil. Regular retesting gives you the data you need to determine whether your soil management practices are having the desired effects. Sending your soil to a lab for testing is costly and can take weeks to get results. Furthermore, once removed from the soil, microbial populations change, so real-time testing on field-moist soil provides the most accurate results.
