Lab Results

Results of 4-week test conducted by Sustainable Studies Institute and Soil Foodweb, Inc., in healthy soil growing tomatoes. Shows the population growth of beneficial soil micro-organisms.

Results Analysis:

Drafted 8/8/05
By Joseph Whaley and Nedra Olsen
Soil Foodweb, Inc.

Week 0: The soil tested was from a local source. The initial soil test was excellent in most all the categories. The soil was very healthy and the biology was balanced and stabled. The recommended dosage of Full Circle Plant Food was added to the treatment. Tomato plants were purchased at a local source and incorporated for comparisons.

Trial Week 1: Flagellate and Amoeba numbers were higher in the treatment than in the control. Active fungi (AF) and bacterial (AB) numbers were also higher in the control, but no significantly higher bacterial numbers were incurred. No significant change in overall plant growth.

Trial Week 2: Active Bacterial numbers decrease overall. The numbers were higher in the treatment vs. the control. Active and total fungi (TF) numbers were better in the treatment vs. the control: Active and total numbers for fungi were not significantly different in the treatment between wk 1 and wk 2. There was a protozoa population explosion in the treatment vs. the control with very high numbers of protozoa in the treatment representative of excellent nutrient cycling.

Trial Week 4: Very similar numbers for AB/TB. AF numbers may be coming back for the control treatment headed to the initial starting AF/TF numbers. There was no significant change in AF/TF numbers in the treatment vs. wk2. The fungi numbers were very stable and progressively increasing in the treatment and doing so at a faster rate than in the control suggesting the treatment is mediating stability and providing favorable conditions for fungal growth. There was a protozoa population explosion in both the treatment and the control, however the numbers of protozoa were far greater in the treatment vs. the control while the AB/TB numbers remained stable (excellent implication on nutrient cycling).

Extrapolation of results: If the beneficial nematodes and microarthropods are present and functioning normally, their populations are increasing with the treatment and the populations of protozoa: in a classic predator prey interaction, suggesting that soil structure is being built by the bacteria/protozoa and engineered by the larger organisms.

Some Actinobacteria was present. These organisms are ok for crops such as broccoli or asparagus, but they do inhibit mycorrhizal colonization. If these organisms are found in compost, the implications are the compost is immature.