Renewable Farming

British sugar beet grower raises tonnage a third — with beneficial bacteria

British farmer Jim Thompson’s test of four beneficial rhizobia bacteria resulted in a one-third increase in weight of sugarbeets while maintaining sugar content.His Allpress Farms in Cambridgeshire Fen tested a new bacteria mix on about 15% of his beets last season.

Aug. 1, 1018 — This season, Thompson is followup up with the organisms on all his beet acres. The rhizobia mix came from a biofertilizer company called Smart Rotations. 

We encourage you to read the full report in the UK’s leading ag magazine, Farmers Weekly. It’s at this link. The article is one more signal that more farmers are exploring the potential of unleashing biological power instead of relying primarily on NPK and chemical toxins.

Jim Thompson (Photo courtesy of Farmers Weekly)