Use HumaTerra to harness the power of microbial communities. We’re driving
the circular economy through sustainable sourcing and manufacturing methods.
Bacterial and fungal bioinoculant strains must be local to meet the needs of the soil and climate. Our H-Start blends are made in Western Canada and are suitable for the majority of the country’s boreal zone. We have alliances with urban municipalities and corporate recyclers to source compost microbial communities.
Millions of years ago, soil began as volcanic material – a layer of bedrock that weathered into rock fragments and then into immature soil. Microbes and algae used the minerals in the immature soil, along with nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and lichen began to grow at the surface. As the lichen died, and a layer of organic matter built up, fungal spores arrived through the air and caused humification. Grasses and small shrubs began to grow, and topsoil increased and diversified. Decomposition formed mature soil comprising parent material at the bottom, subsoil in the middle, and topsoil and leaf litter at the top. Mites and larva thrive in the parent material. Bacteria and fungi are active in the subsoil and encourage root development. Insects, invertebrates, mammals, mushrooms (fungi), ferns (vascular plants), and trees (perennial plants) co-exist on the surface. The soil is much more than a layer of nutrition for plants: It’s a complex ecosystem and is the reason there are three core H-Start inoculant blends.
The vast Prairie eolian/alluvial/fluvial deposits come from the Rocky mountains.
The further from the source, the finer the deposit are. Gravel>sand>silt>clay. Sediments and horizons to the east of the prairie will have a more clay-like composition.
Moving further east in Saskatchewan, there is more clay-like soil composition in the profiles.
Plants stand at the beginning of the soil food web. Through photosynthesis they are able to capture the energy of sunlight and manufacture organic molecules that supply the energy for all other organisms. This dynamic system works best if living plants occupy the field year-long.
Conventionally farmed soil has around 2% organic matter and looks like a desert under
the microscope – there’s barely any activity. The common philosophy is that the only good
fungus is a dead fungus. However, aerobic activity is crucial for healthy soil, and this is achieved with fungi.
In contrast, fertile soil is active
with micro-organisms consuming
each other.
Hyphae (the structure of fungus) and roots have a symbiotic relationship. The hyphae gets its energy from the plant, the bacteria move along the highways provided by the hyphae, and the plant absorbs nutrients from the soil.
Apply
H-Start can be soil placed, broadcast incorporated, or dissolved in hydroseeding solutions.
Consume
Each plant serves a specific purpose within an ecosystem. Other plants, animals and humans consume produce.
Mature
We aerate and water the compost so that it matures into rich organic matter. We have stringent quality control and assurance.We manage our compost to archive the highest F:B ratio.
Pellet
Using a proprietary process, we combine the compost with other nutrient-rich ingredients to produce easy-to-use pellets. We can prove exactly what’s in HumaTerra H-Start due to A&L Canada Laboratories’ Category A certification for our compost, and DNA and PLFA sequencing for our compost and pellets.
Compost
Bacterial and fungal bioinoculant strains must be local to meet the needs of the soil and climate. H-Start blends are made in Western Canada and are suitable for the majority of the country’s boreal zone. We have alliances with urban municipalities and corporate recyclers to source compost microbial communities.
