The proof of a pudding is in its eating and Sobac is 13 years in Ireland. When you use Sobac products Bacteriolit and Bacteriosol on soil you reduce the amount of chemical nitrogen (N) by 30% and eliminate the use of compound potassium (K) and phosphorus (P).
Sobac encourages new users to treat part of their farm/fields with Bacteriosol and Bacteriolit and compare the results to untreated areas.
It is important to be able to compare fields that are treated with fields that are untreated – you can really see the difference.
Another important part is to test the grass for dry matter and nutritional value and compare the results. Besides, the animals will tell you first!
A healthy soil will help the uptake of nutrients into the plant and animals will have access to better quality forage.
Sobac reduces nitrogen use
A French company in origin, Sobac is based in the south of France and has been specialising in organic soil amendments since the 1980s.
It was developed by Marcel Mezy, a French farmer and pioneer, whose aim was to produce high-quality, self-sufficient, profitable agriculture.
In developing his products Bacteriosol and Bacteriolit, he only had one idea in mind – to give new life to deteriorated soils, often from the overuse of chemical inputs.
He wanted to allow farmers regain their autonomy but also their pride by actively participating, at their level, in the protection of the planet.
Sobac now operates in over 12 countries and entered the Irish market 10 years ago in 2012 in partnership with Tom Stapleton from P&T Stapleton Ltd.
In more recent years, the company has developed a partnership with Francis Egan from Soil Life and Adrian Molloy Grassland Services.
Healthy soil with reduced nitrogen
Sobac works for the health of our soil. A living soil is a healthy soil, and its humus content is the primary sign of that.
While decades of chemicals, erosion and adverse weather have degraded soils all over the country, Sobac’s products Bacteriolit and Bacteriosol have proved that it is possible to give soils back their fertility by boosting their humus content.
As Mezy himself often says, when humus goes away, humans go away.
Humus is the natural storage capacity of the soil, and it is more important than ever that we are looking after our soil.
Sobac’s products work for the overall health of our soil, and the results speak for themselves.
In livestock farming, Sobac’s solutions focus on the relationship between soil, plants, and animals, to produce high-quality forage, beneficial to both animal health and product quality.
The overall concept provides real solutions for the sustainability of farms. Sobac is one of the only companies helping farmers to produce humus as fast, in all types of soils and in all weather conditions.
It is committed to implementing a new form of agriculture that is productive and environmentally friendly, whereby farmers regain their freedom and their pride in being farmers “for the soil for a long time”.
“If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got,” is one of its mottos.
Noel O’Toole – east Galway dairy farmer
Noel has been using Sobac, a soil amendment, for the last four years. Bacteriolit is added to the slurry and spread on the grazing platform.
Bacteriosol pellets are spread with a fertiliser spreader on the out farms. Noel has managed to stop using P and K fertiliser while maintaining his indexes.
He has also reduced his N usage by 40%. His soil structure has improved along with root depth, leading to increased worm activity and soil health.
John Murphy – Cork dairy farmer
“The grass is uniform, and we are finding loads of earthworms,” John Murphy from Cork has said.
“The cows are grazing the fields way tighter than before and they are cleaning out the docks as the docks are getting weaker.
“The cows are more content in the field, and they lie down earlier. Sobac was a company that got me interested as it allowed me to reduce my chemical inputs,” he added.
Sean McDermot – Galway dairy farmer
Sean McDermot hsas said that his herd is healthier as a result of Sobac.
“We wouldn’t even consider not using Sobac. On the grassland, the grazing clean out is very good,” he said.
“Sobac helps with grass production; the cows finish grazing with better condition now than we have done before and it is easier to maintain them during winter.”
John Harty – Cork dairy farmer
John Harty from Cork said that the quality of his silage has improved from 68-69 dry matter digestibility (DMD) to 78DMD.
“If I didn’t think it would work, I wouldn’t be buying it,” he said.
“Before using Sobac, I would use 50kg of CAN [calcium ammonium nitrate] between grazing rotation, now I just use 25kg.”
Sobac products – Bacteriosol
Bacteriosol is a granulated soil amendment which can be spread in a normal fertiliser spreader.
The application rate is 40kg/ac if you are under three livestock units (LU) to the hectare or 50kg if you are over 3LU/ha.
It creates humus in your soil and unlocks the potential of your soil. When you use Bacteriosol you reduce your nitrogen usage by 30% and eliminate the use of chemical phosphorus and potassium.
Bacteriolit
Bacteriolit is the first product that Sobac developed it is a selection of microorganisms.
It can be added to the bedding of animals to reduce ammonia, reduce smells and toxins.
It can be used in slurry tanks and dry bedding of cattle also. It is very effective at breaking down organic matter and composting straw.
It also creates humus in the soil and unlocks the potential of your soil.
Contact
For more information or to arrange a no obligation consultation about hoe to reduce your chemical nitrogen use and improve your soil health, contact:
- Tom Stapleton (087) 2328051 (north; east, south, south-west: south Tipperary);
- Adrian Molloy (087) 2325234 (west: Clare; Limerick,; north Tipperary,; Galway; Offaly);
- Francis Egan (087) 7523328 (west: Mayo; Roscommon; Longford; Galway; Offaly).
For more information, click here.
