8-20 IAT Rebuilding Soil

 Soil structure has a great impact on the production of all crops. A good healthy soil will have well aggregated soil particles, lots of air space between the particles, good drainage, and the ability to hold water and nutrients in the root zone. An example of good soil structure is a soil that has 3 to 5% organic matter (humus), 25% air, 25% water, and 45% minerals with a healthy and diverse population of microorganisms. One factor that impacts the ability of soil to function properly is compaction which is the destruction of the soil structure. A compacted soil has little to no space between the soil particles for air and water. Compacted soils are hard and do not absorb water or nutrients well. Compaction has a detrimental effect on the plant by restricting root development, thus limiting the plant’s ability to reach the subsoil moisture and nutrients. That is where Bio S.I. comes in.  Here is Wayne Tucker, scientist and spokesperson for the product called BioS.I.: “It is an organically certified soil inoculate that helps rebuild the soil. It helps reduce crusting, improves water infiltration, fertilizer efficiency, but the real thing that it does is it helps rebuild the humus factor in the soil. That is where water and nutrients are held. A lot of people still refer to it as organic matter. In my mind, organic matter is what the microbes use to build humus.”