Harnessing the power of microbes to sustainably increase yield

Using this philosophy, the company has been developing products that harness the power of naturally occurring microbes to answer a wide range of primary industry needs for 26 years.

Like so many rural businesses, BioStart was started by a farmer with an original idea, a "give it a go" attitude and a spare corner in the shed and one reliable product.

Over time, its product range has broadened to animal health prebiotics, silage preservatives, soil biostimulants, plant protection agents and more.

This year, Biostart planted a site at the East Gippsland Innovation Days to demonstrate how its soil biostimulant products work to improve vegetable crop yields.

Chief executive officer and scientist, Dr Jerome Demmer, explained the link between microbes and plant growth and health.

"Plants cannot grow without the help of microbes to absorb nutrients from the soil," Dr Demmer said.

"There are naturally occurring microbes living in the root zone, inside the plant and on plant surfaces.

"All of these are essential to the plant's survival but getting the right mix of microbes is key to increasing productivity or plant health."

The BioStart biostimulant products are based on fermentation extracts that work by activating the naturally occurring microbes in the soil or leaves.

As they contain no live microbes, they are stable, easy to use and can be co-applied with cover sprays, herbicides and nutritional sprays.

This range provide benefits such as better nutrient uptake, greater vegetable yield, higher plant resilience, higher quality wine, and improved fruit quality.

Biostart's key soil biostimulant, Mycorrcin, is applied to soil around actively growing plants to improve plant health and resilience by stimulating soil microbes, including mycorrhizal fungi.

Plantlets establish faster with greater root growth and are more resilient which leads to earlier cropping and higher yields.

Additionally, mycorrhizal fungi produce proteins that aggregate soils to improve their structure.

Their foliar biostimulant, Foliacin, enhances plant growth through stimulating the microbes on plant foliage to help improve recovery from chemical and environmental stress.

Further, Foliacin optimises photosynthesis by aiding green leaf retention leading to greater growth, less rejects and higher yields.

Digester is another of Biostart's soil biostimulants developed to speed up the breakdown of crop trash or sprayed out cover crops.

It activates naturally occurring saprophytic microbes which break down lignified cell walls.

Digester speedily returns soil nutrients faster, improves cation exchange and soil moisture holding capacity and reduces disease transfer between crops all of which contributes to a better yield in the next crop.

Twenty-six years of developing products, scientifically testing them and extensively trialling them with growers, places Biostart in the position of being able to support primary industries to be more productive while protecting and improving the environment.

For more information on Biostart products, visit biostart.com.au or phone 1800 953 042.