Soil health is a fundamental pillar to guarantee sustainable and productive agriculture. We interviewed Alberto Acedo, who talks to us about the Biome Makers tools and the practices that contribute to improving their biological health.
Interview with Alberto Acedo, Co-founder and Scientific Director at Biome Makers.
Successful application of microbes helps maintain soil health and improve water holding capacity, carbon storage and root growth, which are essential for sustainable agriculture and human health. What tips could you provide to improve soil health in order to optimize?
Soil health is a fundamental pillar to guarantee sustainable and productive agriculture. Throughout our experience working with more than 200 crops around the world, we have been able to confirm how some practices contribute significantly to optimizing soil biological health, including:
First, it is crucial to minimize soil disturbance or alteration. As we like to say: less is more with tillage! Anything we can do to reduce or eliminate tillage in our production systems will improve soil structure, overall health, increase soil organic matter, and reduce erosion.
Additionally, composting is a highly recommended practice. Through composting organic matter, such as plant residues and animal manure, farmers can enrich the soil with nutrients and beneficial microbes. This not only improves fertility, but also helps reduce erosion and runoff, promoting environmental sustainability.
Another effective strategy is cover cropping. Planting cover crops, such as legumes or grasses, not only improves soil structure and reduces erosion, but also promotes nutrient cycling and suppresses weeds, decreasing the need for synthetic herbicides. At the end of the cycle, these crops provide organic matter and beneficial microbes to the soil.
Finally, soil monitoring and analysis are essential. Understanding the specific functions of soil microorganisms allows you to make informed decisions that optimize both crop yields and soil health. In our experience, working with soil microbes, rather than against them, has been key to restoring and maintaining soil health.
Implementing these practices will not only improve soil health, but will also significantly contribute to more sustainable and productive agriculture.
BeCrop® services offer specific solutions to agriculture’s most pressing challenges. What services could you highlight?
BeCrop® technology analyzes soil biology to predict risks and diseases, improve yields and regenerate soil health. BeCrop® allows data to be analyzed and compared at the farm level, connecting soil needs with precise use of inputs and best management practices.
Among our solutions for the most pressing agricultural challenges, I highlight BeCrop Farm®, our newest tool. This tool helps farmers better understand the health of their soil, identify disease risks, and receive personalized recommendations to optimize their crops, all backed by advanced science and technology.
At Biome Makers we not only address the most pressing challenges of modern agriculture, but we also promote greater long-term sustainability and productivity.
BeCrop® Farm offers a revolutionary range of tools designed to meet the needs of farmers, advisors and distributors. How is this new product working? What are its benefits?
That’s how it is. In an agricultural environment as uncertain as the current one, BeCrop® Farm has become an essential tool. This technology analyzes and compares soil health across any crop, identifies disease risks, and provides specific recommendations on fertilization and management practices. With BeCrop® Farm, farmers can make informed, science-backed decisions, allowing them to optimize production and achieve sustainable success.
Among the main benefits of BeCrop® Farm is the ability to eliminate uncertainty in the selection of organic products, thanks to scientifically supported recommendations that address specific deficiencies. Additionally, its intuitive digital maps make it easy to identify areas that require the most attention and investment, allowing farmers to focus on what really matters. Our analysis covers more than 1,000 parameters, including biological indices and environmental factors, providing detailed insight into soil health, disease risk and best management practices. All of this contributes to mitigating risks and increasing the resilience of crops.
What role does soil biology play in selecting the right biological product?
Understanding the soil microbiota is essential, since it houses a great diversity of microorganisms that interact with each other and with our crops. Knowing which microorganisms predominate in a specific soil allows us to select biological products that complement or enhance the existing microbial communities. These microorganisms are continually performing vital functions for the plant such as nitrogen fixation, decomposition of organic matter and protection against pathogens. So identifying which features are present or absent makes it easier to select products that enhance these features.
Our new solution, BeCrop® Farm, simplifies this process by offering data-driven recommendations on what type of product is most suitable for each situation and where in the field to apply it. Additionally, it provides detailed information on soil health and its relationship to various management practices, ensuring that decisions are made with the best available knowledge.
Do you want to add anything else?
I would like to add that at Biome Makers we firmly believe that agricultural sustainability benefits us all, from agricultural operators and producers to the end consumer, therefore, we are committed to supporting all members of the agricultural industry, whether they are farmers, distributors , CPGs or agricultural input suppliers with our BeCrop technology. And finally, I would like to invite you to visit our website, biomemakers.com, and discover how we can help measure, monitor and verify your agricultural practices, promoting a more sustainable and efficient future for everyone. Our team of soil health experts will be eager to support.
Interview published in the ECA Fruits ED magazine. 24
