ECOSTERN - MANAGING THE DECOMPOSITION OF CROP RESIDUES IN HEALTHY WAY

The dirt beneath our feet is getting poorer and, on many farms, worldwide, there is less and less of it. 

PLANT RESIDUES MANAGEMENT IS A NECESSITY

Recovery of soil fertility in modern agriculture is impossible without rational management of the organic mass of plant residues that remain in the field after harvesting. In the context of environmental problems associated with excessive greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, it is important that carbon accumulated in the organic mass on the field is not subjected to rapid mineralization with the release of CO2, but is fixed in the soil in the form of organic substrates.

Corn residues

In addition, due to the systematic cultivation of plants with the same biological requirements, the same chemical and biochemical composition, the development of specific diseases and pests, the so-called phenomenon of soil fatigue, pathogens, and unbalanced agrophysical properties occur. The use of only mineral fertilizers and the use of chemical PPP do not eliminate, but even accelerate the manifestation of soil fatigue. After all, it is a permanent crop that contributes to the accumulation of toxins in the soil and provokes allelopathic phenomena. Therefore, the soil must be additionally populated with beneficial microflora, which optimizes the soil environment, suppresses soil pathogens, and destroys toxins. 

“Today, there is almost only one way to solve all these problems: biological preparations. Harmful organisms are increasingly resistant to chemicals, but there is no resistance to biological agents”, Svitlana Korsun says.

Svitlana Korsun, Head of the Laboratory for Agrochemical Research

Decomposition of organic residues occurs due to a complex of microorganisms, some of which feed only on water-soluble substances, while others decompose starch, fiber, hemicellulose, lignin and other complex carbohydrates. That is, the destruction of organic mass is a multi-stage process, which has its own regularities: the products formed at each stage of decomposition are a substrate for the vital activity of other microorganisms, and so on.

And at this point, we come close to the fact that the stubble destructor should become a mandatory component of crop cultivation technology. After all, applying certain groups of microorganisms directly to organic residues (stubble) can solve both the problem of rational decomposition of these residues, and to a certain extent the problem of soil fatigue. 

WHY IS IT NOT ENOUGH JUST TO PLOUPH A STUBBLE BACK?

Uncontrolled incorporation of crop by-products (straw, corn stalks, sunflower, soybeans), in addition to a positive effect, can create a number of problems for farmers. First of all, this applies to straw, which has the longest decomposition period in the soil – from half to one and a half years. Increasing the decomposition period of organic mass:

  • increases nitrogen deficiency in the soil (microorganisms use its soil reserves to destroy it),
  • slows down the intensity of decomposition and the availability of nutrients accumulated in the organic mass to plants,
  • weakly decomposed organic matter increases the accumulation of toxic substances, pathogens, etc.in the soil.

HOW TO APPROACH DECOMPOSITION RATIONALLY?

It is possible to solve the above problems with enhance the soil with vital microorganisms directly to organic matter, that is, treating it with destructors. The destructor must be an essential element of the technology!

Crop residues

One of the most well known and most effective among this group of preparations is ECOSTERN® designed for efficient decomposition of crop residues, in particular those that are difficult to decompose, and improving the soil. It contains life cells of bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Azotobacter, Enterobacter, Enterococcus and fungi Trichoderma lignorum and Trichoderma viride. The total number of viable cells 2.5x109 CFU/cm3. These microorganisms activate the vital soil processes of effective decomposition of crop residues, enrichment of organic matter and available elements of plant nutrition and neutralization of allelochemicals.

HOW DOES ECOSTERN® WORK?

First of all, you need to understand what effect the components of the preparation have and what causes their effect:

Bacillus subtilis

Bacteria is able to produce enzymes for complex organic molecules decomposing in soil; provide nitrogen fixation; mobilize phosphorus and potassium of hardly-soluble compounds

Enterobacter

Bacteria that is able to produce enzymes for complex soil organic molecules decomposition, nitrogen fixation, phosphorus and potassium mobilization. Can produce wide list of plant hormones and biopolymers

Enterococcus

Lactic acid bacteria, able to work in anaerobic conditions, produce a large number of biologically active substances: amino acids, vitamins, growth hormones, enzymes

Azotobacter

free-living bacteria able to provide nitrogen fixation, produce biologically active substances.

Trichoderma lignorum, Trichoderma viride

Fungi which actively populate and decompose plant residues. Produce a lot of biological active components.

Thanks to its composition, ECOSTERN® ensures soil, improves soil structure and increases the content of humus substances (due to enrichment in organic matter), and accordingly, helps to increase the yield of cultivated crops.

The National Research Center "Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" conducted a trial in laboratory conditions to identify the environmental feasibility of using the biopreparation ECOSTERN®. The trial lasted for a month. In the course of the trial, no explosive emission of carbon dioxide from the soil was detected, and a tendency to increase humification processes was recorded. However, the process of decomposition of organic residues was almost doubled. In one experiment, cellulose plates were kept in contact with soil treated with ECOSTERN. Control: the soil not treated with Ecostern. The result of the experiment showed that the activity of cellulose destruction when using ECOSTERN® increases from 25% to 54%, that is, more than twice.


Laboratory trials of Ecostern

“The complex of microorganisms that is part of ECOSTERN provides an acceleration of the destruction of plant residues, but these microorganisms do not lead to a decrease in the level of humus. On the contrary, they contribute to humus formation, the transformation of plant residues into humus. And at the same time, the microorganisms of the biopreparation have a stereo spectrum of action. They not only decompose the residues, but also recovery soil fertility and in a certain way improve the nutrient regime for plants and the soil structure itself”, The Head of the Laboratory for Agrochemical Research explains.

Main mechanisms of ECOSTERN® action:

1. Improve soil health

ECOSTERN repopulates the soil with beneficial microorganisms, which provide vital soil processes like an effective decomposition of crop residues, enrichment of organic matter and available elements of plant nutrition, and allelochemicals neutralization.

2. Improvement in nutrition and increase in the availability of nutrients

Biopreparation contains favourable microorganisms that provide enrichment of phosphorus mobility and potassium availability in soil and converts atmospheric nitrogen into available for plant form. According to the Laboratory trials, the treatment of corn stalks with ECOSTERN® has increased the amount of carbon of labile organic compounds by 9.7%; there was also a positive trend towards an increase in humus content. In the field, where straw was treated with ECOSTERN, available soil phosphorus increased by 33% and potassium - by 3% compared with control.

3. Increase in yield

The data obtained for more than 10 years of research and production implementations in various soil and climatic zones of Ukraine and confirmed by the relevant acts indicate that the use of 1-2 l/ha of ECOSTERN® provided a significant increase in the yield of winter wheat on average 0.35 t/ha, sunflower 0.15-0.3 t/ha, soybeans 0.2-0.3 t/ha, corn 0.28-0.45 t/ha. Such or even the better result is guaranteed to be obtained if the conditions for treatment are met, in particular, treatment in the morning or evening hours or cloudy weather with a water application rate of 150 l/ha or more.

CUSTOMERS REVIEWS

“An indispensable preparation in the technologies of our farm. I have been using the destructor Ecostern for 5 years on cereals on 2100 hectares. The residues are crushed, sprayed with the destructor, and disked. After 1 month, we see the effect. The result: healthy plants and a good harvest,. I'm happy!”, Ivan Pavlenko, Director of the farm Agrosystem Plus, shared his experience 

The Chief Agronomist of LLC “Agrarian Technologies” also spoke about his own experience in using the destructor.

“In 2013 Ecostern and 40 kg of urea were used to treat a field of 100 hectares after corn for soybeans. 100 kg of ammonium sulphate was used for the control. As a result, during the growing season, soybean was better where the Ecostern was used than ammonium sulphate. The yield increase is more than 5 canters/ha. Wheat was sown after soybeans, and again, where the Ecostern was used, a better picture was observed”, he says.

Representatives of JLLC “Druzhba Nova” (Kernel) also shares their knowledge and experience with ECOSTERN application.

“The main crop we grow is corn. And in those fields where we sowed corn after corn, we had a problem — the toxicity of seedlings with mycotoxins, which secrete pathogens. The reason was a lot of plant residues on the fields. We started looking for a solution, and we found it. The company "BTU-CENTER" recommended us to apply ECOSTERN, which accelerates the mineralization of plant residues and this mineralization occurs with the participation of beneficial bacteria, not pathogens. We also noted that the improving of soil health and fertility. Today, in addition to ECOSTERN, we use the biological soil fertilizer GROUNDFIX. We already understand that biopreparations significantly increase the efficiency of crop nutrition and assimilation of nutrients”, Ihor Tikhonchuk, Chief Agronomist of JLLC “Druzhba Nova, told us.

Over several years of industrial applications, it has also been proven that the use of the destructor ECOSTERN in many farms has significantly reduced the number of soil infections, even with monoculture.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TREATMENT

Experts of "BTU-CENTER" note that it is possible to achieve the planned effect when using ECOSTERN only if the conditions for treatment and instructions for the preparation are met. At the same time, they explain some aspects of the technology that are worth paying attention to:

  • ECOSTERN can be used simultaneously with liquid fertilizers. The viability of microorganisms does not decrease, especially if fertilizers are diluted with water. But to be sure, you can conduct a compatibility test in the laboratory.
  • In a tank mixture with nitrogen fertilizers, ECOSTERN can be stored for up to 12 hours if we are talking about an aqueous solution, and up to 3 hours if we are talking about a fertilizer concentrate.
  • ECOSTERN can be used at high temperatures and lack of moisture. Microorganisms in the composition of the preparation are initially in dormant forms (spores and cysts), so under unfavourable treatment conditions they do not die, but wait for favourable ones to begin to "work".
  • Treatment is best carried out in calm weather in the morning or evening, avoiding direct sunlight. ECOSTERN can be applied both in autumn for the main tillage, and in spring for the first cultivation.
  • A good solution is to add the GROUNDFIX PK mobilizer to the tank mixture with ECOSTERN, which will increase the content of accessible forms of phosphorus and potassium in the soil. To accelerate and normalize the process of decomposition plant residue and to support the nitrogen balance in the soil, in BTU-CENTER we recommend to combine in tank mixture ECOSTERN together with AZOTOHELP - the biopreparation based on nitrogen-fixing bacteria Azotobacter chroococcum.
  • The decomposition of plant residues will be effective if ECOSTERN only is used, without nitrogen fertilizers. In this case, for decomposition microorganisms will take N from the soil and some time will be needed for microorganisms to compensate used quantity of nitrogen by N-fixing from the air.
  • ECOSTERN can be applied together with an alternative source of nutrition instead of nitrogen. There are biopreparations like HUMIFRIEND, based on humic substances. Also, is possible to use molasses, algae and amino acids. They will activate the microorganisms and reduce the requirement for Nitrogen
  • For a more effective action of the destructor at a daytime temperature of 30-35°C, it is recommended to incorporate plant residues in the evening, the waiting period is up to 24 hours. In cloudy weather in autumn, you can wait no more than three days. 

One of the visual signs of ECOSTERN action is more intense than usual decomposition of plant residues — they become "rotten" and brittle (this is clearly visible on the residues of corn). In addition, colonies of microorganisms are visible on their surface. To be sure of the work of the soil where ECOSTERN is used, you can send it for mycological analysis, the results of which will show the content of beneficial microorganisms. With long-term systematic use of ECOSTERN, an improvement in the soil structure will be observed. And, of course, the yield of the next crop — it will be at least 10-15% higher than on a similar version without ECOSTERN application.


Change in the structure of plant residues

BASE OF EVIDENCE:

Trial 1. ECOSTERN. TRIAL ON CORN WITH DECREASED DOSSAGE OF GRANULATED FERTILIZER / GRANULATED NPK

This field trial confirms the feasibility of ECOSTERN application. It lets to reduce the recommended rate of mineral fertilizer to 50%, and in result the farmer got the yield increasing and in addition the extra income.

Application rate

Basic tillage

Control

-

ECOSTERN

1,5 l/ha

Location:  Ukraine, Kyiv 2019
Crop: corn
Preceding crop: sunflower
Total area of field: - 117,2 ha
The area of the trial field: 10 ha
The area of the control field: 107,2 ha

Trial results:

Trial results

Yield, t/h

Increase in the yield, t/ha

Control

9,80

-

ECOSTERN

10,24

+0,44


Trial 2. ECOSTERN in NO-TILL

Application of ECOSTERN is really advisable with resource-efficient technologies no-till. We studied the efficacy of ECOSTERN together with our partner "Agro-Soyuz" PJSC in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine.

Details of trials:

Location: Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk region, Household: PJSC "Agro-Soyuz", 2020-2021
Comment: farm N-Till
Soil type: Chernozem ordinary
Crop: Winter wheat
Preceding crop: sunflower

Application rate:
Autumn’s residue treatment: Ecostern No-till 1.5 L/ha + Liposam 0.5 L/ha.

Trial results:

Trial results

Yield, t/h

Humidity, %

Increase in the yield, t/ha

Control

4,52

9,6

-

ECOSTERN

4,64

9,5

+0,12

 

 

 

 




The compering of the developing of plants from control and trial fields

 

TRIAL 3. ECOSTERN application in Spring before sowing corn, GERMANY 2021

Details of trials:

Location: Oster-Ohrstedt, Germany

Application rate

Technology of cover crops (siderates)

Control

-

Spring cultivation with compost and Ecostern

Trial

Ecostern 2 l/ha

 

 

 

 

 

Trial results:


The trial has demonstrated the positive impact of ECOSTERN to growing and development of corn1.

  1. Root system is better developed and stronger.
  2. Corn ears had more row numbers with more kernels per row.
  3. The bottom leaves of plants from the control field were already yellow, when on the trial have been keeping green and continuing vegetation.

Trial 4. Decomposition of corn residues with ECOSTERN. Visual compering biopreparation effectiveness after one year. Slovakia, 2021-2022

Crop: potato (irrigation system)
Previous crop: corn for grain with irrigation system

Application rate:

Trial field

ECOSTERN 2 l/ha + ploughing in November 2021

Control

Just ploughing in November 2021

Study of decomposition results

14.07.2022

Trial results:

 

Biologicals with confidence confirm their effectiveness in farming by improving soil health and fertility, providing plants nutrition and protection, rich harvests and safe food.

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