Perceived characteristics of TM
From the information and observations made to-date, TM (a biological activator) would appear to have the following characteristics:
Increases microbial diversity & activity
Promotes plant growth
Promotes the root system
Decreases the susceptibility to insect/pest attack
Reduces the use of insecticides, pesticides and fungicides
Helps to buffer and improve the efficiency of herbicides/insecticides/fungicide sprays
Promotes N fixing leguminous nodules and probably the free-living N fixing bacteria
Improves the efficiency of nutrient uptake
Acts as a nutrient regulator – for example reducing high Na levels
Helps to neutralise acidic soils
Acts as a soil conditioner − Improves soil structure, porosity, colour & air capacity of the soil
Promotes crop vigour and persistence
Increases soil C
Decreases water repellency (soil hydrophobicity)
Reduces the susceptibility of crops and pastures to frost damage
The above 15 points provide an interesting list of characteristics, anyone of which to justify the detailed investigation of the soil, plant, economic and environmental performance of farms using TM under different climate zones, soil types and land uses. Collectively, the above characteristics would provide farmers and agricultural consultants with a powerful tool to significantly lift on-farm performance while at the same time decrease a farms environmental footprint, both in terms of reducing nutrient loss, greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering soil carbon.
Best Environmental Technologies have applied TM to split paddocks on a wide variety of soils in different climatic zones under different land uses including dairy, dry stock, cereal cropping, beans, cotton, forestry etc. This provides an ideal opportunity to better understand the science that may underpin the above 15 perceived characteristics that appear to be associated with TM.
If this work is to be carried out, it is paramount that the correct measurements be made. So often we scientists miss seeing what is actually happening because we’re not using our eyes, asking the right questions, and making the appropriate chemical, physical and biological measurements.
While some biological activators such as TM have little in the way of incorporated nutrients and are subsequently described as “snake oils”, we completely miss the point because we fail to recognise that these product work because they promote the diversity, activity and biomass of the biological fraction of the soil. Many of our soils can have quite a good microbial biomass but the microbes are half asleep and need products such as biological activators to wake them up. It is my hypothesis that the above 15 points are being observed because products such as TM are doing just this. We need to prove it by doing good science.
While the biological life within the soil is the ‘engine room’ of a farm, the appreciation of this fact is woefully inadequate within the agricultural industry and we need to lift our game.
T. Graham Shepherd
Soil Scientist/Agricultural Advisor
BioAgriNomics Ltd
6 Parata Street
Palmerston North 4410
NEW ZEALAND
Tel.: +64 6 355 2717
Mobile: +64 21 515 703
E-mail: gshepherd@BioAgriNomics.com
Web: www.BioAgriNomics.com
