Microbially Enhanced Mineral Blends

I find it personally hard to go past these types of broadcastable fertilisers, especially for dryland pasture situations. They cover all bases - minerally, microbially and energetically; are generally very cost effective (as low as $209inc/tonne); and most impressively they consistently boost soil test mineral levels all around Australia, particularly phosphorus and zinc, despite the low product analysis (see trial data below LifeForce Base Blend).

These blends generally comprise of at least 3 key ingredients that are blended together before the addition of potent microbial inoculums derived from specially brewed microbial teas and/or fully composted cotton trash or manure. The recommended rate is from 100kg - 1 tonne/hectare.

Some versions of these blends include LifeForce Base Blend, SolidSTART Compost, Vermax.

Suppliers of LifeForce Base Blend and SolidSTART Compost include

DL & FM Smith (Guyra NSW),

Fertile Farm (Gunnedah NSW),

Typical Base Ingredients 

Colloidal soft rock - a colloidal calcium-phosphate highly absorbent clay, which is an internationally recognised soil food and microbial stimulant.  It contains a wide range of trace elements, and it is a highly absorbent material that lends itself perfectly to liquid microbial injection.

Raw humates - contains 68% organic carbon (more than any other material) and 35 - 40% humic acids.  Humates have a CEC (water and nutrient holding capacity) of 250, and humic acids can provide many fertility benefits including increased effectiveness of nitrogen, release of tied-up potassium, better moisture holding capacity, hormonal growth stimulation, microbial stimulation and improved uptake of both phosphorus and calcium.

Paramagnetic basalt - recent research has revealed that highly paramagnetic material is a biological stimulant which can increase the number of beneficial microorganisms by up to 300%.  Basalt also contains a rich lode of trace elements which can be liberated with the intense microbial activity.

Lime (used in the CaP Release & Solid-Start versions) - approximately 90% of soil tests analysed are deficient in calcium, especially the high magnesium soils found throughout northern NSW and south-eastern Qld.  Unfortunately ag-lime (the cheapest source of calcium) can take years to release its full calcium lode, particularly in high pH soils, but when combined with the solubilising action of microbes, calcium is released very rapidly and efficiently providing a calcium boost equivalent to using at least 10 times the amount without microbes.

Microbial inoculant - different beneficial microorganisms perform different functions in the soil - nitrogen-fixing, mineral solubilising, cellulose digesting, disease antagonising etc.  Microbial teas provide a rapid means of multiplying massive numbers of microbes (billions per gram) while fully composted plant material on the other hand is capable of supporting an enormous biodiversity of microbes (up to 25,000 species per gram), particularly the hard to brew fungal species.