Microbial Sociology is a concept to help people understand the bigger picture of microbial life in the soil and elsewhere. Why? With proper care for microbes in the soil, much higher production levels can be observed, and healthier food can be grown. Conventional agriculture is organic! The practice of poisoning the soil is relatively new, only the last 100 years or so. Prior to that, successful agriculture relied on nonchemical sources of fertilization.
These videos are produced to hopefully turn the tide of our food supply practices in a healthier, more productive direction. Using products that have a negative impact on soil biology ultimately kills the plant, and many plants are kept on “life support” by products that further impact biology. It a ridiculous and unsustainable model, and it is so much more labor intensive. A healthy plant in healthy soil needs no inputs other than water and sunshine to thrive and surpass a chemically grown one.
Here are some examples of positive changes and inputs that can lead to healthier soil microbes, and therefore healthier and more productive plants. Keep in mind the products listed are examples of inputs that, when properly used, have been observed to have a positive impact on microbes. Not every product from a given brand will be safe for microbes!
Very cheap way to treat chlorine in irrigation in small and urban gardens:
http://amzn.to/1FB5t3q
Trace minerals to boost microbial health:
http://amzn.to/1E6FH7t
Granular fertilizers based on meals and actual edible ingredients for microbes:
http://amzn.to/1EMdyUk Granular, not soluble
Soluble is only recommended as heavily diluted foliar (on the leaves) spray, or as a way to transition plants to organic (first planting or transition). Long term use of soluble fertilizer in the soil breaks the microbial food cycle:
http://amzn.to/1aY1EMi
To really understand what is going on, a microscope is needed. Here are some examples of scopes that will allow you to see microbes. You will need to understand extraction, slide use, and how to sample, but this would be the most valuable tool to have once you understand it:
http://amzn.to/1AXuukX
Properly produced and microscoped microbial teas are highly recommended, but without a microscope to evaluate tea quality, you are flying blind. A reliable source of tea will be available soon, and once the logistics are worked out, links will be posted.
It is entirely possible and common to buy a home brewer that can inadvertently cause microbial instability for one reason or another, so home brewing cannot recommended unless you understand how to properly evaluate tea quality, and be prepared to throw out many brews that can easily be hazardous to your existing microbe population and therefore your plants. You cannot do this without a microscope like the one’s listed above.
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While practical results have been observed with great success, this field of interest is changing, and new discoveries will be made. It may be centuries, if it is even possible, to fully understand the scope of microbial life. In one teaspoon of microbially active and healthy soil exists a population that exceeds human life on the entire planet. Identifying and classifying the behaviours of each type of microbe in each type of environment will take an extreme amount of human resources. Add to that the complexity involved because some microbes cannot exist without symbiosis with other microbes, and you begin to see how tough it will be.
We understand so little.
FYI, links above are associate links to help support this channel. Any purchases made on the sites linked will support this channel and the field of study. This means that if you follow an Amazon link above and purchase any item like a cell phone case, water filter, or even a book the same day, it supports this channel with no extra fees.
Speaking of books, Elaine Ingham is, to my knowledge, one of the biggest pioneers in the field. Reading her books is HIGHLY recommended:
http://amzn.to/1EvXNTa