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SERVICES

 We listen to and acknowledge your practical horticultural and gardening skills, then together combine what we learn from your skills, knowledge and your plant and or soil needs with our scientific observations and expertise, in order to supply you with effective ecological services and economical techniques and tools, for protecting and maintaining your healthy plant roots, soils and diverse soil biology communities.                 

Our scientific consultancy services include microscopy services, practical advice about gardening, land management and biology of your locally adapted plant and soil microbial ecology. 

'Ecology' & 'Economy' are located alphabetically next to each other in a dictionary, so let's use them together equally and more often ...
 

Study of word origins can inform our understandings of related terminology. The prefix "eco" comes from the Greek word "oikos" meaning our "home" or our "environment".

 

The suffix 'logy' means 'to study" or the "study of", and is related to 'logic' & synonomus with observing or understanding how things work. Thus "ecology" means the study of how our environment functions

 

In contrast, "economy" & "economics" have now become strongly associated with numbers, measurements, quantifying costs, benefits, & is used in business accounting to calculate financial value, or evaluate the so-called 'bottom line". 

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My soil biology mentor, the Late Dr A.Neil Macgregor said "our lives have always been dependant on a 'soil-based' economy', .. however in our modern industrialised society, food production & transport systems are focussed on an 'oil-based' economy" 

 

Despite these trends that value oil more than soil, the facts are that we are unwise to ignore the efects of accelrated soil erosion, soil carbon oxidation, & widespread degradation of soil quality. For an interseting & sobering historic account of the social effects of soil degradation read "Dirt - The Erosion of Civilzations"

 

The influential environmental advocate & author Vandana Shiva recently published "Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis" 

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Our plant and soil consultancy services are passionate about discovering appropriate ways & words to communicate about complex ecological concepts & environmental philosophuies including 'organic production systems", "biological farming" and "bio-protection" pest control methods. 

 

Put simply, 'organic' & 'biological farming' methods seek to mimic how nature recycles nutrients, & makes economic use of available energy sources in resource-scarce soil environments, by aiming to "feed the soil" with crop residues, mulch, compost, animal manures. In contrast, industrial manufactured soluble chemical 'fertilisers' are intended to supply plants with their required nutrients, irregardless of whether plants are grown in living soils, non-living potting media, or in hydroponic or aeroponic crop production systems.

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Providing Appropriate & Affordable Solutions For Problem Plants & or Soils  ...
  • Answering Your Unique Queries & Other's Frequently Asked Questions

 

  • Q? What is "Mycorrhizal Symbiosis"?

► soil-fungal & plant root partnerships

  • Q? Aren’t most fungi detrimental plant diseases that cause healthy plants to rot & die? …

►No …. Soil-fungi plant root interactions include helpful (+) or harmful (-) or neutral (0) fungal-plant root outcomes

  • Q? What are mycorrhizas? or mycorrhizae?

  • Q? What are fungal hyphae or mycelia?

  • ​Q? How can mycorrhizas assist plant & soil health?

  • Q? Why do most plants need mycorrhizas?

  • Q? Which plants do not need mycorrhizas?

  • Q? What land or nutrient management practices can reduce or degrade mycorrhizal symbioses?

  • Q? What improves or maintains mycorrhizas

  • Q? What is a root 'micro-biome?

  • Q? How does a "root micro-biome" compare to "gut micro-biome"?

  • Q? How long ago did algae inhabit terrestrial soils & evolve roots with fungal & bacterial soil root zone symbioses?

  • Q? What do plant parts & plant partnerships do or need?

  • Q? Where can we obtain fresh sources of viable, geographicall, crop, soil & plant ecologically appropriate fungal inocula of arbuscular mycorrhizas, ectomycorrhizas, ericoid mycorrhizas, & orchidaceous mycorrhizas?

  • Q? What is greenwaste?

  • Q? What is compost?

  • Q? What is biochar?

  • Q? What is biochar useful for?

  • Q? What good are modern fertilisers?


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Microscopy evaluations & soil ecological analyses 

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Microscopes are the tools of a soil micro-biologist as hammers & are necessary tools ofbuilders. 

 

It takes time, technical knowledge, experienced mentors, an eye for details, practical skills & experience to master using any tools of the trade.

 

Like a builder needs more than just a hammer, micro-biologists require a range of different microscopes, staining techniques & sample preparation methods. 

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Just as it is important to know the limits of using hand held binoculars compared to a light telescope or radio-telescope, it is also important to understand the biology & miniscule scale when seeking to observe soil bacteria in comparison to soil fungi, nematodes or plant roots.

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Be skeptical of so-called 'experts' who are selling products or offering services that may sound too good to be true. Hyperbole & exaggeration is common practice in many retail & service provider businesses, e.g. "the world's best" or "fastest" & or "most accurate" or "most effective"... or   "I've told you 100 million times ... don't exaggerate" Modern day snake oil salespeople are alive & well.

 

However, despite the MANY difficulties of understanding scientific or technological jargon, or problems in being able to tell the differences between "COMPETENCE" & "CONFIDENCE" ... don't beleive everything you're told or read.

 

Hopefully most of you regularly check the "best by" date on any 'off-the-shelf'  products you buy. If you're buying packets of plant seeds, you'll also want to read seed viability test data , hopefully from a credible source independent from the seed producer. So ask any inocula retailer about similar data regarding commercial microbial inocula. In any event, don't be in a hurry to spend money unless your are sure of the credibility of any claims being made.  

 

If possible, ask for microscopy service providers to supply photographic images to corroborate any claims to be able to produce an accurate analyses of the ratios of populations soil fungi & bacteria, & or how the methods used can differntiate between live or dead soil bacteria. 

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