The Mill partnered with Holganix to conduct soil health comparisons on 17 Mill customer’s farms growing corn and soybeans. After 2 days of sampling, the Holganix team, Mill staff and farmers were invited to Maple Lawn Farms for burgers, beer, an update on Holganix products, sampling and early results.
The first phase of the MD and PA Holganix Soil Health Tour is to compare side-by-side field trials at each farm that was treated with Holganix Bio800+ and an untreated control. Holganix Bio 800+ Agriculture is a soil health product, enriched with soil microbes that improve germination, rooting, and fertilizer efficiency. Farmers that considered adding Holganix to their crop program but had not yet had soil health analysis performed to develop a baseline for their soil health. The Holganix team will return later in the growing season to each of these farms to take further observations between the control and treated field trials.
Holganix representatives will also be at The Mill’s Crop Showcase on August 28th with information in the vendor area and as a featured speaker for a tent stop on the wagon tours of the fields.
The Soil Tour
During the tour, The Mill agronomists, the Holganix team and farmers participated in taking tissue samples, soil samples, and physical plant observations of root, stalk, and plant mass and color. These samples were analyzed using new technology that provided real time results and data.
A ChrysaLabs Soil Probe was used for soil analysis of macro and micronutrients as well as other soil properties such as CEC, PH, organic matter and bulk density. This probe uses spectrometry to measure these soil properties in less than 60 seconds.
The Leaftech real-time tissue sampler is a non-destructive testing tool that provides immediate feedback on tissue nutrient levels with no plant damage.
A MicroBIOMETER test kit is a tool used to quickly assess microbial life in the soil using a small soil sample to measure the total microbial mass and the fungal-to-bacteria ratio. Soils typically have low, bacteria-dominant soils. This imbalance means the bacteria consume nitrogen close to the root zone, and without fungi to balance the ecosystem, nutrient availability is limited. Holganix Bio 800+ balances this ecosystem by adding fungi and beneficial microbes back into the soil profile. By monitoring the microbial population changes after applying Holganix, we can document any positive results on plant health and productivity.
Growers received an initial report that showed a soil and plant health baseline for their fields between the treated and control (see the field test result below). Later in the growing season Holganix will sample again to document the change in the soil microbial balance. Depending on initial soil conditions, it can take a couple of years of applying Holganix Bio 800+ to balance the bacteria and fungi ratios to establish a self-maintaining soil microbial ecosystem. Once this ecosystem is restored, Holganix claims row crops like corn and soybeans require fewer inputs of fertilizer and chemicals, have increased production, and higher return on investment. Healthier soils that can sustainably maintain a high production level without compromising the health profile is the goal.
Stay tuned as we progress through the growing season and get more information!
RSVP Here for the 2024 Crop Showcase on August 28th
