There has been a lot of buzz about soil microbes.
However, one agribusiness suggests microorganisms may not be all they are cracked up to be.
AUDIO: Mike Powell, Helena Agri-Enterprises
Helena Agri Enterprises tested multiple microbial products and found inconsistent results.
The company suggests producers focus their attention on enzyme products instead.
Helena Agri-Enterprises brings ZyPro, a stabilized enzyme, to growers in 2019.
?It?s not a microbe, it?s an enzyme,? Powell said. ?It?s a stabilized enzyme with a new patented technology, called VersaShield? Formulation Technology, which allows it to be used in harsh environments. It can mix with your starter and it can go into higher pH soils, and it?s not temperature consistent.?
Powell says ZyPro does two things in the soil.
?It?s an enzyme called Phospholipase, and it?s designed to react with organic matter in the soil. It makes the organic matter release compounds,? Powell said. ?Those compounds do two things. They unlock nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium bound in the soil. Everyone knows when they put fertilizer out, it gets locked up. This helps unlock it. The other piece of it is it helps activate, or grow the native microbial activity that?s already there.?
