SO much attention is given to all aspects of farming, but if your fields could speak to you what would they say?

Have you ever questioned how the soil fits in to all this and the part it plays? In recent years more and more farmers are focusing on the overall health of their soil, worm population and root depth. Essentially bringing their soil back to life. Soil is comprised primarily of organic matter, rock particles, air, water and micro-life. A healthy soil will help the uptake of nutrients into the plant and animals will have access to better quality forage. One company that specialises in soil health is a company called SOBAC. A French company in origin, SOBAC is based in the south of France and has been specialising in organic soil amendments since the 1980s.

Deteriorated soils

It was developed by Marcel Mézy, a French farmer and pioneer, whose aim was to produce high-quality, self-sufficient, profitable agriculture. In developing his product he only had one idea in mind: to give new life to deteriorated soils, often polluted by chemical inputs, so that farmers can regain their autonomy but also their pride by actively participating, at their level, in the protection of the planet. SOBAC now operates in over 10 countries and entered the Irish market in 2012 in partnership with P&T Stapleton Limited.

SOBAC works for the health of our soil. A living soil is a healthy soil, and its humus content is the primary sign of that. While decades of chemicals, erosion and adverse weather have degraded soils all over the country, SOBAC’s products Bacteriolit and Bacteriosol have proved that it is possible to give them back their fertility by boosting their humus content.

As Mézy himself often says, when humus goes away, humans go away. Humus is the natural storage capacity of the soil and it is more important than ever that we are looking after our soil. SOBAC’s products work for the overall health of our soil, and the results speak for themselves.

Pride

In livestock farming, SOBAC’s solutions focus on the relationship between soil, plants and animals, to produce high-quality forage, beneficial to both animal health and product quality.

For crops, they substantially reduce, or even eliminate, the use of fertilisers and pesticides to enhance the nutritive quality of the products, boosting both quality and yield while respecting the environment. The overall concept provides real solutions for the sustainability of farms.

There is currently no other way of producing humus as fast, in as many types of soils and weather conditions. SOBAC is committed to implementing a new form of agriculture that is productive and environmentally friendly, whereby farmers regain their freedom and their pride in being farmers “for the soil for a long time”.

A friend of mine would always say to farmers, “If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got!”

So if you are not seeing the results you are hoping for then something in the process needs to be changed.

For more information or to arrange a no obligation consultation, contact Tom at P&T Stapleton 087-2328051.

Peter Roe, manager Fairyhouse

Racecourse

We started to work with Tom Stapleton and SOBAC’s soil products just over four years ago when I read a feature in The Irish Field. We originally started using the product on the parade ring and a small area of the track that was proving challenging with sod depth and water retention. We have been monitoring the results closely with both Tom Stapleton and James Healy, our track advisor. We have found that the roots system has increased year on year and has led to improved sod strength, quality and density.

The grass is a solid, deep green colour, and with the improved soil structure the water retention has reduced. The biggest return we have made for our investment is seeing the sod under foot recovering quicker than before after each race meeting, and ultimately leading to a safer racing surface. We have gradually increased the area on which we use SOBAC and this year we will apply SOBAC to approximately 25% of our racing surface. Overall, we are very satisfied with our investment in SOBAC products and look forward to continued improvements in years to come.

Marian Klay, Swordlestown Little Stud

At Swordlestown Little we are passionate about preserving and enhancing our old species rich meadow grasses. We are keen to enhance our biodiversity and SOBAC fitted in with our concept of farming with nature. Tom has put us in contact with other farmers using SOBAC to collaborate and share ideas.

After repeated application of SOBAC’s Bacteriosol we have seen an improvement in uniformity in grass growth and the fields recover faster after the winter. We conducted a grass analysis on most of our fields and there has been a notable improvement in crude protein and nutritional value in the grass. Overall, we are happy with the process.

Catherine Cooper, Copperfield Equine Therapy

I am fortunate to have been involved with horses my entire life. As an equine herbalist/nutritionist, It is so important to me to ensure my animals are receiving the correct nutrition from the land as nature intended. Healthy soil biodiversity is so essential to life and good health for all of us, undoubtedly. I have seen the benefit of SOBAC’s natural process of improving micro-organisms and the life of the soil. Having the soil right fits in with having everything right on the farm. The soil is part of the puzzle that is underestimated, and I wanted to improve the flora of the land. I have seen a remarkable difference in the density of the grass. The grass is growing very well without any chemical influence.

Healthy soil depends on the diverse range of life that lives below the ground, from bacteria and fungi to tiny insects, and earthworms. Together, this rich biodiversity brings immeasurable benefits for life on Earth. These include recycling nutrients and enhancing plant health. And although these benefits are largely invisible to us, we benefit from them more than we could ever know. SOBAC is defiantly the way forward to enhance this process.