Organic Cultivation: Beneficial Microbes
2 min read
Beneficial Microbes
Applying beneficial microbes instead of relying on disinfection with HOCl, or similar products, is the best way to keep your root zones healthy.
Beneficial microbes help protect the root zone by occupying physical space on root surfaces and competing for nutrients, making it difficult for pathogens to establish themselves. Certain Bacillus species also produce antimicrobial compounds and enzymes that directly inhibit pathogens, while Trichoderma can parasitize harmful fungi, break down their cell walls, and stimulate plant defense responses.
Beneficial microbes also improve plant health and growth through either direct symbiosis or synergistic co-operations. These interactions between plants and microbes are one of the major distinguishing factors between organic and synthetic cultivation systems, especially considering that plants ultimately absorb most nutrients in the same ionic forms regardless of source. Also, organic growers often achieve more aromatic products, thus making beneficial microbes one of the greatest tools synthetic cannabis farmers can use to improve their product.
In coco, and especially rockwool systems, available carbon sources that serve as microbe food are extremely limited. To maintain healthy microbial populations, supplemental organic compounds are often necessary.
Many of Plant Life's supplemental products include microbial food to ensure the microbes thrive so they can help plants take up nutrients, such as:
• Blackstrap molasses in Diamond
• Seaweed extract in Onyx and Amber
Simple sugars provide an immediate microbial food source and support. This helps beneficial populations survive and multiply even in non-ideal environments, such as rockwool cubes.
Seaweed extracts provide more complex polysaccharides, amino acids, and peptides that slowly break down and support a broader diversity of fungi and bacteria. This contributes to establishing stable and resilient microbial communities that help suppress root-borne pathogens over time.
Large dry backs, particularly under high EC conditions, can significantly reduce microbial populations in the root zone. Applying appropriate microbial food sources while steering generatively, can help maintain healthy populations. Re-inoculation after severe drought events is also recommended.
One thing growers have to keep in mind, is that if a root-borne pathogen such as Pythium or Fusarium has previously been suppressed by using disinfectants like HOCl, then transitioning toward microbial disease management can initially increase disease pressure - especially when pathogen loads are high within the facility or microbial beneficials are not used preventatively.
It is also important to remember that not every strain within a beneficial microbial species performs identically. Different strains of Bacillus subtilis or Trichoderma harzianum may suppress different pathogens with varying effectiveness, even when products list the same species name. Therefore, it can be worthwhile trialing multiple formulations, as they might contain different strains that better serve your plants.