Regenerating the Soil With Biodigesters and Bioslurry

In my last Mexico Business News article, I wrote about how the agrifood system and climate change are interconnected in a vicious cycle, threatening global food security, and contributing to climate change. With this, I presented the regenerative agriculture (RA) practice as a potent solution, not just for making smallholder farmers more resilient to the effects of climate change, but also as a tool to secure healthy food availability in developing countries, while restoring the soil and sequestering CO2 in the process. For this new article, I decided to share my experience with Organic Regenerative Agriculture as a milpa farmer, where I and my four children have been witnessing and learning the ways of nature, of farming cycles, of climate change, and of the hard work it takes to be a farmer. 

The milpa system (from the Nahuatl “milpan”, where milli means “planted plot” and pan “above,” that is, “above the planted plot”) is an ancient pre-Hispanic, polycultural, regenerative agricultural practice, which traditionally combines corn, pumpkin, and beans, also known as the Three Sisters. These three crops create a symbiotic relationship among each other. The bean fixes atmospheric nitrogen that provides this nutrient to the corn. The corn stalk, on the other hand, provides support for the bean and pumpkin. The pumpkin covers the soil extensively and consequently limits the development of weeds and helps maintain soil moisture. This interaction turns the milpa into a life-promoting ecosystem.

We were able to get three varieties of creole corn seeds from the region: blue, yellow and Cacahuazintle. Pumpkin and bean seeds were also from the region because we wanted to be sure they were climate-adjusted. The night before planting, we dipped the seeds for 12 hours in biol, also called bioslurry, a byproduct of the Sistema.bio digesters anaerobic fermentation process of manure, making sure they absorbed all its nutrients because it is proven to give better germination rates. We used the lunar cycle calendar to determine the best date to plant, which is during the waxing of the moon, because according to biodynamic farming, this is the time when more moisture is pulled to the soil surface, causing seeds to swell, resulting in better germination. 

The rainy season had supposedly already started. We planted, but the rain did not fall for three weeks, and the seeds rotted. We lost more than half our seeds due to climate change. We had to plant again, but this time the rains came, and the plants emerged. I decided to begin farming for two reasons: 1) I wanted a family project where we all would learn about the milpa cultural heritage, and about growing food; 2) I had access to farmland, so I felt the need to walk the talk, and be consistent about what we promote at Sistema.bio. 

Sistema.bio began a collaboration with Parcela Tepoztlan to develop organic farming systems that will help smallholder farmers become more productive, saving money by displacing costly fertilizers, improving their yield, producing healthier food, and all this while improving the health of the Earth and becoming more resilient to climate change. This new Sistema.bio project is called Sistema.soil, which is still in the  development phase, and my milpa has been experimenting with one of its mixes of organic soil amendments, which are necessary for the soil, to act with each other to be able to feed the plant healthily: 

• Bioslurry (Biol)

• Leonardita (humic and fulvic acids)

• Bat guano

• Insect Frass (Tenebrio Humus)

• Earthworm humus

• Marine algae

• Calcium phosphites derived from bone

Plants get their food from the soil they grow in, but for these nutrients in the soil to be available for the plants, a great diversity of microbes, especially bacteria and fungi, need to transform materials in the soil chemically and mechanically into nutrients. There are many ways these soil microbes help plants grow, and Sistema.soil amendments help promote this life symbiosis. I will try to explain how each of the Sistema.soil products I used in my milpa helped produce a wonderful crop.

Bioslurry is a good fertilizer for crops and improves soil fertility, soil structure and crop yield. With the right rate (tons/ha), the bioslurry can increase crop revenues by 25 percent on average.  Bioslurry can be used as a basal fertilizer and as a foliar application; as a plague repellent; to prevent soil erosion; to increase soil fertility; to treat seeds for higher germination; to increase the availability of nutrients for nitrogen fixing; to reduce weed growth and to drive away insects and flies. I applied Bioslurry as a basal fertilizer four times during its growing process and later mixed with marine algae as a foliar fertilizer. 

Leonardite is an organic matter associated with lignite that has not yet finished its transformation process into coal. Leonardite has a high degree of oxidation and therefore contains a higher proportion of humic acids and bioactive carboxylic groups. These organic acids contained in Leonardite perform specialized functions that support biological survival. They promote minerals, stimulate root development, accelerate growth for efficient nutrient uptake and processes, reduce stress response from drought and temperature changes, and promote stronger stems and bigger fruits. 

Bat guano is one of the best amendments, rich in nutrients and beneficial microorganisms, with an important contribution of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are excellent for all stages of the plant development. Bat guano also serves as an antifungal and for the correct formation of the fruit.

Insect Frass (tenebrio humus), in addition to being rich in carbon available nutrients, has an important antifungal and nematicidal element (chitin) that gives plants greater vigor and resistance to pests and diseases. Tenebrio humus is also used as a source of amino acids and food for microbiology. 

Earthworm humus is the fertilizer resulting from all the chemical and biological processes undergone by organic matter in a process called vermicomposting. The earthworm humus is the result of the digestive transformation that the earthworm exerts on organic matter. Some of the benefits of earthworm humus are increased defenses against pests in crops; increased yield; activation of the biological processes of the soil; helps to root; and improves soil structure.

Calcium phosphites are the result of the calcination of cattle bones. It is a fertilizer rich in phosphorus and calcium, stimulating plant growth that favors flowering and fruiting. The action of phosphorus in the form of phosphite ion, combined with calcium, acts on the hormonal system, favoring the production of phytoalexins, which enhance plant defenses, stimulating tissue strengthening. 

Our family milpa is the beginning of an organic regenerative farming project. We hope that in three to four years, our 5ha plot of land, what today is a traditional agricultural landscape, colorful only during the rainy season, but dry and dusty the rest of the year, will be thriving with life, and will serve as a model for other farmers in this micro-region in  the State of Mexico, harvesting rain and applying drip irrigation systems, growing fruit trees, medicinal plants and many types of vegetables and converting organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizers.