Reasons to Use Microbes in Potato Crops

If any season recently has demonstrated the value and importance of crops developing strong, deep roots, it has been this one.  The drought conditions in many places coupled with limited or complete irrigation bans have left many crops grasping for the last dregs of soil moisture.

How the weather in any given season is likely to behave is anyone’s guess at the time of planting, but what happens at planting can determine the crops’ ability to withstand the harshest weather – dry, hot or cold.

Planting is the opportunity to provide the seed potato with all it needs to establish a robust root system, which will present it with the ability to search and locate soil moisture, as well as the macro and micro nutrients that it requires at different stages of growth.

Research has time and again demonstrated the benefits of adding microbial spores at planting to reinvigorate the soil’s natural microbial communities, which are often compromised by over cultivation, rotation practices and overuse of input factors such as fertilisers, fungicides, nematicides and insecticides.

How Soil Microbes Improve Root Growth and Soil Structure

They produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which are sticky, gel-like polymers of sugars, proteins and other biochemicals that help to bind the soil particles into aggregates, thus improving soil structure, aeration and water infiltration and retention. This allows the roots to freely grow through the soil and find pockets of soil moisture and air which have been beneficial in such a dry year.

There is a symbiotic relationship between the microbes and roots, in that some microbes release growth hormones (auxins and cytokinins) that stimulate root growth, which in turn release root exudate that feed the soil microbes, therefore the more root growth, the happier the soil microbes are.

The Role of Microbes in Organic Matter Breakdown

Microbes contribute to the breakdown of organic matter such as crop residues and manures, turning them into humus; this helps to build in long-term soil fertility, better soil structure and aids with carbon storage.

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