In a recent collaboration, Jiffy Group and Concert Bio explored the substrate microbiome's critical role and how understanding it can improve the resilience and productivity of indoor farming.
Soilless growing media
Kyle Freedman, PhD, Global Segment Manager CEA at Jiffy, explains that the transition to soilless systems in agriculture has been driven by several factors, such as the depletion of arable land, soilborne pathogens, and increasingly erratic weather patterns.
"These systems now rely on engineered substrates, which can be organic, like peat moss, coconut coir, and wood fiber, or inert, such as stonewool and perlite.
Regardless of the materials used, these substrates are designed to create optimal conditions for plant growth in containerized systems or hydroponics."
Photo credit: Jiffy Growing Solutions
However, the debate on which substrates are the most effective goes beyond their physical and chemical properties.
"The microbiome—the network of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses that exist in these growing media—plays a crucial role in plant health," Kyle explains. "People have always acknowledged the benefits of microbial diversity in soil, but understanding how microbial communities function in soilless environments remains a relatively new frontier," he shares.
Kyle points out, "The diversity of microorganisms present in growing substrates is important for promoting plant growth, preventing pathogen invasion, and ensuring long-term resilience in controlled environments."
The microbial role
Microbes are indispensable to the health of plants. "Just as the human gut microbiome influences our health, plants rely on their root microbiome to resist diseases, thrive in drought conditions, and ensure nutrient uptake," Dr. Paul Rutten, Founder & CEO Concert Bio explains. In soilless systems, where the diversity of microorganisms is often less than in soil, microbial communities still play an essential role. "Even slight imbalances in microbial composition can impact plant growth, resistance to disease, and overall productivity."
The substrate microbiome is of particular importance. "Substrates serve as the first point of contact between plant roots and microorganisms," Paul emphasizes. Studies have shown that organic substrates like peat moss and coconut coir host a more diverse microbial population than inert materials. "To establish a healthy plant microbiome, it is important to understand the interaction between these microbes and your plant roots."
He elaborates that a diverse microbiome fills more ecological niches, which makes it harder for harmful pathogens to establish themselves. "Conversely, substrates with low diversity are more susceptible to pathogens, as there are fewer competing microbes to keep harmful species in check," Paul points out.
"The more we learn about the soilless microbiome, the clearer it becomes that these microbial communities have an important influence on plant growth. This includes not only beneficial microbes but also pathogenic ones."
Photo credit: Jiffy Growing Solutions
The microbiome in substrates
Jiffy, in collaboration with Concert Bio, has been exploring how the microbiome varies across different substrate types. "We partnered with Concert Bio to analyze some common raw materials and developed this whitepaper to educate the CEA community on the importance of microbial diversity in substrates," Kyle shares. "One of the key findings of this collaboration is that organic substrates such as peat often exhibit higher fungal diversity, while coco coir tends to have greater bacterial diversity. This distinction is significant because different microbes perform distinct functions that influence plant growth."
The study also shows that replacing organic materials with more inert substrates, while beneficial in certain respects, can dramatically reduce microbial diversity. Inert materials like stonewool and perlite are far less hospitable to microbial life and can limit the microbial communities available to plants. "This reduction in diversity can, in turn, affect the plant's ability to fend off pathogens and thrive in controlled environments," Kyle says.
Concert Bio's research has also shown that 'transplanting' a microbial community into an inert substrate can enhance plant growth. In their studies and work by academics, the introduction of a diverse group of microbes into inert growing media led to significant improvements in yield.
The potential of beneficial microbes
"Concert Bio's research suggests that by identifying and introducing beneficial species, growers can optimize plant growth and improve resilience in indoor systems," Kyle notes. "The potential to control and optimize the microbiome of indoor agriculture systems through the addition of beneficial microbes could dramatically change overall plant health and productivity. This approach may also reduce the reliance on chemical inputs, making it more sustainable."
Microbiome research in the future
"With advancements in DNA sequencing technology, it has become easier to monitor and analyze the microbial communities in soilless systems," Paul shares. "As we learn more about these ecosystems, we've already found ways to identify beneficial microbes like the ones in our Overture™ product, and we will continue to find more ways that growers can harness the potential in these microbes."
More information on their white paper can be found here: jiffygroup.com
For more information:
Jiffy Products International
Tel.: +31(0)78 2062200
[email protected]
www.jiffygroup.com
For more information:
Concert Bio
Paul Rutten, Founder and CEO of Concert Bio
[email protected]
www.concert.bio