The Green Directory

Soil Foodweb Institute Pty Ltd ^Featured

Soil Foodweb Institute - The laboratory measuring the life in your soil. Since the establishment of the Australian laboratory in 2001, the Soil Foodweb Institute has been working with growers Australia-wide to improve the health and productivity of their soils. Understanding soil health requires knowing what organisms occur, which ones are working, how many are present, and whether they are in the right balance for the desired plants. The Soil Foodweb Institute tests soil, compost, compost tea, leaf, vermicast and various other biological products for micro-organisms (including fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes). Plants depend on these organisms to protect them from pathogens, to help them obtain nutrients from soil, to break down toxic compounds that could inhibit growth and to build good soil structure so water and air can reach the roots in the right proportions. The research of Dr Elaine Ingham and Soil Foodweb worldwide has seen significant advances in biological farming approaches and compost / compost tea technology. As a result, there are now seven Soil Foodweb laboratories worldwide. The Lismore laboratory in Northern New South Wales services all of Australia and has a dedicated team with a sound understanding of micro-organism balance and function specific to a wide range of crops and climates within Australia. The Soil Foodweb Institute stocks a range of printed publications about the different organisms of the soil foodweb and how they enhance plant growth. Also available are the comprehensive guides to compost and compost tea production by Dr Elaine Ingham - "The Foodweb in Compost” and “The Compost Tea Brewing Manual." CDs and DVDs are also available. Services provided by Soil Foodweb Institute: 1) Biological testing of soil, compost, vermicast, compost tea and other biological products. 2) Soil Foodweb Grower Programs - individually tailored programs for implementing soil foodweb approaches. 3) Workshops and seminars about the soil foodweb, composting and compost tea. 4) Small Microscope Classes 5) Publications, CD's and DVD's about soil biology, compost and compost tea.