What is soil?
Soil is the upper, fertile part of the earth’s crust, a complex system of solid, liquid and airy components.
Soil has been used by mankind for thousands of years to grow the crops we need for food. However, it is only in the last few decades that the importance of soil recharge has been recognised. Soil is the largest and most complex habitat on Eart with more organisms in a spoonful of soil than there are people on the planet.
This is closely related to the fact that the soil is continuously built, shaped, and transformed by the life processes of the millions and billions of organisms living within it.
It takes two thousand long years to build up 10 centimetres of healthy soil. In contrast, 27 to 75 million tonnes of soil are destroyed on Earth every year.
This makes it easy to understand that healthy soil is one of mankind’s most precious treasures and is essential for healthy crop production.
Life in the soil
Soil is made up of both living and non-living soil components. Inanimate soil components can be minerals, groundwater or the remains of dead plant and animal organisms. Living soil constituents are mostly bacteria and single-celled organisms, but fungi, algae and nematodes are also predominant. In good quality soils, the total weight of soil organisms can be up to 20 tonnes per hectare.
The above also shows that soil is a complex biological and ecological system, where the symbiosis of its components supports its continuous formation.
The fuel of soil life is decomposing organic matter, which provides a continuous food supply for the micro- and macroorganisms that live in the soil. These, in turn, produce humus as a result of nutrient processes.
Humus, the “black gold”
Humus is the organic matter that is produced as a result of the metabolism of humus-forming organisms, micro-organisms, nematodes and worms. Its quantity and quality have a major influence on the fertility of the soil. Because of its structure, humus attracts and provides nutrients, water, air and beneficial microorganisms for plants growing in the soil.
The humus content serves as the natural immune system of the soil. Soils with high humus content have a crumbly, loose structure, can effectively retain water, and microbial processes continuously take place in it. Potential threats such as pollution, erosion, sudden drought, or heavy rainfall pose less risk to soil with good humus content.
The relationship between soil and crop production
Soils can be divided into soil types according to their structure, components and biota. Different soil types allow different uses.
From an agricultural point of view, the most valuable soils are chernozem soils, also known as field soils. They are characterised by deep soil layers, good structure and high organic matter content. These are the soils where even delicate crops such as maize, soya and sunflowers can be grown safely.
Brown forest soils are also good quality soils. They have a high organic matter content, a loose structure and a slightly acidic chemistry. They are excellent for cereal crops.
Alluvial and sloping soils are found along and near rivers and river valleys. Here the main soil-forming force is water and the sediment it deposits. Depending on the humus content, these soils are typically used for pasture or fruit plantations.
Soils at risk
The above makes it clear that soil, as a complex medium, is fundamentally essential for life on Earth and human food production.”
However, soils are constantly being degraded by a myriad of factors. Here, we can talk about both natural and artificial factors that contribute to soil degradation.
Natural processes
- Erosion processes: Wind, water, and ice are all surface-shaping forces capable of eroding and transporting parts of the soil. However, soils with high humus content and rich organic matter are far more resistant to these destructive factors.
- Natural disasters: Large-scale natural anomalies such as floods, wildfires, and landslides can destroy formed soils over vast areas.
Anthropogenic soil degradation effects
- One-sided tillage: One of the key characteristics of conventional agriculture is that it leads to significant soil compaction. Continuous mechanical work compresses the soil, reducing aeration, while the upper humus-rich layer gradually deteriorates.
- Pollutants: Soils are constantly polluted by human activity. Industrial production, transport, accidents, illegal dumping of waste, etc. are all sources of pollution.
- Monocropping: One of the practices of conventional agriculture is monocropping, which means that the same crop is planted on the land every year. Over time, this completely extracts certain nutrients from the soil. As well as causing a large increase in the levels of certain pathogenic microorganisms. This leads to a one-sided soil life.
- Plant protection: A wide range of pollutants enter the soil through plant protection. These include pesticide residues and plant protection additives. In many cases, it is not the active substance that is hazardous, but the so-called carrier. This is a compound or group of compounds that promotes the stability, adhesion, or activation of plant protection agents. The accumulation of copper and cadmium in soils is particularly hazardous.
Soil protection and crop production
As described above, crop production has negative and threatening effects on soils in many respects. However, there is a way to promote soil protection and soil formation through crop production. Agricultural practices that aim to protect and build soil alongside crop production are called regenerative agriculture. Regenerative farming practices include solutions such as mulching, cover crops, no-till, organic matter application, or crop rotation systems.
The advantage of regenerative farming is that, in the long term, it reduces costs, and with a smaller investment, the same yield can be achieved as with conventional farming. However, its drawback is that it is a slow process, and it may take years before the effects of the applied practices begin to show.
The first step is to keep the land fallow for as little time as possible. A mulch mix adds a lot of extra organic matter to the soil in the form of roots and root acids. Therefore, the right fuel for soil building processes will be available. However, it may also be necessary to refresh the soil microbiome. Optimal soil contains 40-50 million bacteria per gram.
This is the amount needed to ensure that the soil’s constituent processes run smoothly. If the soil is microbiologically poor, no matter how much organic matter you apply, or cover crops you plant, there will be no organisms to start soil renewal. It is therefore advisable to apply soil bacteria preparations as part of soil regeneration, effectively inoculating the soil. The soil bacteria applied and the organic matter available will help to initiate soil formation.
Complex technology for healthy soil life
Soil bacteria cannot solve problems on their own, they need to be in properly prepared soil. In soil that is well-replenished with organic matter and rich in nutrients, soil bacteria can easily begin to proliferate.
Humic acid treatment
It’s a good solution to treat the soil with humic acid at the beginning of the season. Humic acid, or potassium humate is a water-soluble plant and soil conditioner that can build up a healthy soil composition over the long term, improve soil structure, and is easily taken up by plants. It is extracted from a special carbon compound called leonardite.
The optimal solution for the application of humic acid to arable and horticultural crops is Biomit Genesis, a high concentration humic acid. Humic acid itself can induce significant positive changes in the plant organisms. It enhances photosynthesis and chlorophyll production, and it also has a chelating effect, which enables plants to absorb various micro- and mesoelements. Biomit Genesis is an aqueous suspension, which is advantageous for several reasons. Firstly, it is easy to apply by irrigation or spraying (the droplet size should be set at a high level so that the nozzles are not clogged by accident). What is more, it is easily accessible to both plants and soil microbes.
Az optimális eredményhez hektáronként 50-100 liter Biomit Genesis-t juttassunk ki 300 liter vízben feloldva. A kijuttatás optimális időpontja vetés, vagy palántázás előtt, illetve azzal egymenetben.
For optimum results, apply 50 to 100 litres of Biomit Genesis per hectare dissolved in 300 litres of water. The optimal time for application is before or at the same time as sowing or planting.
Treatment with worm castings
This material is produced by the above-mentioned worm feeding, and is characterised by a high organic matter content, enzymes and beneficial bacteria. It is an excellent structure improver and a good medium for beneficial fungi and soil bacteria.
Without the presence of earthworms, healthy, fertile soil would be unimaginable. Earthworms are most commonly associated with the common earthworm, although many other species also play an active role in the development of soil life. Examples include the earthworm, the milky worm, and the woodland worm. Given that chemical applications and soil degradation associated with conventional agriculture have significantly reduced worm populations, today’s soils are increasingly lacking natural worm compost. This material is formed through the feeding of the abovementioned worms and is characterized by a high organic matter content, containing enzymes and beneficial bacteria. It is an excellent soil structure enhancer and provides a good substrate for beneficial fungi and soil bacteria.
However, due to the decline in earthworm populations, worm humus must be artificially replenished in soils. For this, we recommend the Biomit Terra soil conditioner, an oxygenated and nourished worm castings extract. The dissolved worm humus is easy to apply, either through manual watering, irrigation systems, or even linear irrigation, depending on the area. The aqueous suspension greatly facilitates activation in the soil, compared to granules. After using Biomit Terra, a rapid increase in beneficial bacteria in the soil is expected. In addition, with regular use, the revival of soil life also leads to the re-establishment of earthworm populations. This way, the delicate balance of the soil can be restored in the long term, requiring less intervention while ensuring abundant yields from the crops.
