Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria

Farmers are stewards of the land, responsible for improving soil health and passing it on in better condition than they received it. This is a challenging but achievable goal that should be central to agriculture.

Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria

Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) in the soil perform key functions, including fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, solubilising essential nutrients such as phosphorous and potassium, and producing phytohormones to encourage plant growth. Nova Q specialises in regenerating depleted soils to full health using our PGPB.

PGPB will perform these functions naturally, but areas of conflict arise when it comes to agriculture and the need to optimise crop yields. Conventional practices involve the addition of pesticides or fungicides that kill or inhibit the soil's vital lifeblood. When one of these chemical substances is applied to control pests or plant diseases, some soil food web is damaged.

Bacteria functions

Our plant growth-promoting bacteria consists of six strains, each providing a function in the soil, making it healthy for crops and promoting plant immunity and resilience to challenging weather conditions.

ACF-SR Bacteria Species

Functions:

The ACF formula boosts plant growth with these key mechanisms:

Nitrogen Fixation

Harnessing the power of nitrogen-fixing species, ACF captures nitrogen directly from the atmosphere. This nitrogen is then transformed into an organic form readily absorbed by plants, reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilisers.

Phosphorus Solubilisation

ACF also tackles the challenge of phosphorus availability. While plants require phosphorus in the form of orthophosphate (H²PO^4- and HPO₄^2-), much of the phosphorus in soil is locked up in insoluble forms. ACF's phosphate-solubilizing bacteria work to unlock this vital nutrient, converting it into a form plants can easily utilise. This enhances phosphorus uptake and promotes robust growth.

Phytohormones

Plant growth hormones are produced by ACF bacteria to regulate growth and promote cell division, elongation, and differentiation, stimulating growth in leaves, roots, and fruits.

Soil Structure

Increased microbial activity and the production of organic acids help improve soil aggregation and porosity, leading to better air and water movement within the soil and promoting deeper root growth. In addition, this increases organic matter and improves nutrient cycling, further enriching the soil for healthier plants.

Natural plant immunity boost

ACF enhances natural plant defences by producing natural defence compounds, that help plants resist pathogens and pests. Beneficial microbes in ACF also compete with harmful organisms, reducing disease risk and improving overall plant resilience.

Iron availability

ACF bacteria produce iron-chelating compounds that improve iron solubility, making this essential micronutrient more accessible to plants. This prevents chlorosis, enhances photosynthesis efficiency, and supports overall plant metabolism.

Stress tolerance

ACF bacteria assist plants in withstanding environmental stressors, including drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. They boost plant adaptability and ensure consistent growth under challenging conditions by producing stress-alleviating compounds like osmoprotectants and antioxidants

Who benefits from the supply of Plant Growth Promoting functions?

Adding ACF SR is really just adding functions to your soil. These functions supply extra nutrients in bio-available form to your crop. These functions include growth hormones and digestion of complex organics. The entire biomass benefits from the functions provided by ACF SR.

With these functions supplied by ACF-SR, the growth, diversity, and health of bio-flora is optimised. Rather than think about what species ACF-SR supplies, instead realize that ACF-SR provides the full spectrum of Plant growth-promoting functions.

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What product should I use on my crop?

All crops will have a different response to biology and a different nutrient requirement. This is obviously going to start with the soil, but we must also consider the types of organic nutrient available for deployment by the farmer.

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