Soil Life

Bacteria are everywhere - in the air, water, our body, and the soil. The earth is alive with millions of unique microbial life forms including algae, fungi, and bacteria industriously working to survive, multiply and recycle organic components. Through reduction of waste they provide the basic components for cleaning and renewal. PureAg focuses on bacteria and their contribution to the natural cycles of the soil.

Pick up a handful of healthy soil and you should have more bacteria than the population of the earth. Even though bacteria are the smallest of the free-living microbes in the soil, there may be 2,000+ pounds in the top foot of soil per acre. Bacteria enhance the breakdown of organic matter when they come into contact with particulate matter in the presence of moisture. They then secrete their digestive juices (enzymes - a mix of organic acids) partially dissolving or liquefying the matter and then pulling this “food” through their outer body wall (cell membrane). This allows for further decomposition and digestion internally (endoenzyme). In accomplishing this task of recycling organic matter, the bacteria replicate themselves utilizing their genetic code (RNA - DNA) by forming a protein nucleus and a polysaccharide membrane. They double in length with two identical nuclei and divide in a process known as binary fission (creating two individual bacterium cells). Utilizing the nutrient uptake for rejuvenation and species offspring, the bacteria grow exponentially - one becomes two, two become four, etc.

Providing the bacteria have sufficient organic matter, moisture (60-70%), proper pH (5.5-9.0) and temperature, this prolific reproduction can proceed every thirty minutes yielding large volumes of beneficial nutrients to the soil. In this natural breakdown of organic material, the enzymes secreted by the bacteria also react upon other soil constituents: minerals, rocks, and even the entrapped air molecules.

This results in the “fixing” of minerals and nutrients (including nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, etc.) – making them biologically charged for plant uptake. This is referred to as increasing the cation exchange capacity and effects the ability of the plant to extract the nutrients readily thereby decreasing stress and disease. The polysaccharide and protein-based nucleus, through the products of bacterial growth, create a larger soil aggregate which improves both permeability and moisture retention. Since the vast majority of bacterial activity in the top 6-12 inches of soil is aerobic (using the oxygen) this permeability accelerates the organic breakdown and nutrient retention. Providing a natural carrier to move the bacteria to the root zone greatly improves the organisms ability to transfer the nutrients by capillary action to the plant.

Specifically selected bacteria (that are isolated from highly fertile soils), exhibit the optimum ability to produce the maximum enzymes, and naturally adapt to soil conditions. This provides the unique ability to fix both atmospheric and synthetic (chemical) nitrogen. These organisms are then isolated and custom fermented (laboratory grown) under aseptic conditions to provide a pure culture to stimulate the in situ (on-site) growth phase to augment the indigenous soil bacteria. When added to formulated soil amendments they can create benefits in chelated mineral uptake by 200-300% and nitrogen utilization by 50-75%.

Select naturally adapted cultures provide the ultimate organic advantage for a safe and effective, non-pathogenic (non disease causing), microbial packed soil powerhouse!