Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Robert Monie <bobm20001@yahoo.com>]

Hi Marty,

 

The study of the rhizosphere in relation to edible plants is in its infancy.  It turns out, as you say, that the microbes in products like Biovam do not promote the growth of brassicas (cabbage, mustard, brussels sprouts, broccoli, most Asian greens) in general, but other rhizosphere microbes that have not been studied as much undoubtedly do. A 2005 study by Piyush Pandey et al (see http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:623 --scroll down to Piyush Pandey) shows that Pseudomonas aeruginosa GRC1 culture isolated from the potato rhizosphere clearly enhances the growth of Indian mustard (Brassica campestris). 

 

Does this mean it might be a good idea to plant potatoes near brassicas? Perhaps. I've always found that brassicas thrive more following a cover crop of buckwheat than they do following a cover of ryegrass. Microbial culture collected from buckwheat roots may be supportive of brassica growth, but so far as I know there have been no well-controlled experiments to test this, and nobody has a "brassica enhancement" microbial product on the market.   

The field is wide open for experimentation; let's hope researchers jump in and come up with some practical advice that farmers can use. Till then, we can grow potatoes and buckwheat with our brassicas and see what happens.

Bob Monie

 

Marty Kraft <martyk@allspecies.org> wrote:

> Micorizzal fungi seem to give many plants a boost however some plants 
> like broccoli, beets and spinach are said not to form associations with
>  
> micorizzal fungi. Does anyone know if some other microorganism 
> functions for these plants (like broccoli) the way micorizzal fungi do 
> for the plants they associate with?
>
> Marty Kraft
>
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