SFTC
We test your soil according to the SoilFoodWeb © method to understand how balanced and productive your soil biology is. We also offer a mycorrhizal root colonisation test.
We help you understand your soil biology. Managing your soil biology enhances soil health, reduces inputs and promotes long term sustainability.
These microscopic helpers are the life blood of the soil. They:
Soil microbes are the builders of soil. They fix organic matter into humus that glues mineral particles together to form aggregates.
Soil microbes are roughly divided into three groups: plant symbiotes/pathogens, decomposers and predators. Decomposers recycle plant waste into microbial biomass, while predators feed on these decomposers and secrete waste in a form that is available to the plant.
Microbes fix soil organic matter that stores water in the soil.
Beneficial soil microbes in a healthy ecosystem easily outcompete pathogens and support plant health through multiple biochemical interactions.
SFTC uses the SFW method developed by Dr Elain Ingham, a world-renowned soil microbiologist, to measure soil microbes and quantify them as active biomass per gram of soil.
The soil microbiome is directly observed using a microscope and biomass is calculated based on measurements of organisms. Statistics is applied across multiple readings to get a representative and significant result.
Using Dr Elaine’s research and those of other leading thinkers in soil ecology and microbiology, we give ideal ratios of the different groups of microbes as they relate to each other and to the crop
you intend to grow.
These ideal values are used as the benchmark and we help adjust your management practices to optimise the biology and unlock the fertility in your soil.
SFTC was founded by Daniel Fourie, a BSc (Chemistry & Biochemistry) graduate and certified Soil Food Web Lab technician. After spending time as a production manager in several agriculture and related industries (from industrial waste management to organic farming), Daniel realised that there is a real need in South Africa and further into Africa to share knowledge on biological farming and soil health management. His passion is to help farmers ensure long term sustainability in an industry that is under enormous threat.
For more on Daniel’s soil health philosophy, read here.
