Beneficial Soil Microbes

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

We’ve recently reported on Pattern Ag, a company that is identifying microbes in the soil that can lead to some pest and disease issues like soybean cyst nematode and corn rootworm. But this same technology can also be applied to beneficial microbes as well. VP of sales Mike Tweedy said their vantage point of the soil is critical for using biological inputs.

Tweedy… “We're looking at not just the beneficial microbes, but we're also looking at the genetic pathways. We would be able to tell you what your phosphorous solublizing potential is in that field based on the genetic pathways that exist to break that rock phosphorus down. Now, what that does is that informs a biological product placement. Okay. Biological products work great, but you have to understand the biology of the environment that that soil is before you can put it on there. That's why we get inconsistent results of biological products because they get placed in the wrong fields. But when you put 'em in the right fields, they work really well.”

Tweedy says their soil testing service can also be helpful for decisions related to products like inoculums and nitrogen stabilizers.

Tweedy… “It's gonna tell you things like, Do I have good de nitrification potential in this field? Am I gonna need a nitrogen stabilizer or not? Am I gonna need a soybean inoculum or not? So it's gonna inform on decisions like that.”

That’s Mike Tweedy of Pattern Ag.