Renewable Farming

University of Missouri study shows Vitazyme “heals” glyphosate damage in soybeans

When Paul Syltie, researcher for Vitazyme, visited our test farm earlier this August, he mentioned a University of Missouri study which showed that Vitazyme biostimulant “remediated” damage which glyphosate imposes on soil life such as beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae. 

We’d never heard about that study through regular Extension media or the farm press — even though the results were made public soon after research was completed in 2014. The trials were conducted by Dr. Robert Kremer, USDA/ARS scientist based at the University of Missour, and Dr. Manjula Nathan.

We’ve just receive a copy of the research results, which Paul assembled into a slide show which we can share with you as a downloadable PDF (portable document file, which will open in Adobe Acrobat). Just click on the link here, and look in your download file for the presentation.

Some of the bullet points you’ll find:

1. When Vitazyme biostimulant is applied with glyphosate, there’s a 10% increase in total weight of rhizobium nodulation, as measured by fresh weight per plant.  With glyphosate alone, there’s a 25% decrease in nodulation, which indicates one-fourth less nitrogen fixation.

2. When Vitazyme is applied with glyphosate, there was a 49% increase in total root weight compared with controls. That’s a contrast with an 18% decline with glyphosate alone. 

3. In Vitazyme-treated beans, there were 3% to 8% fewer colonies of fusarium, a fungal pathogen which probably predisposes beans to SDS (Sudden Death Syndrome).  Glyphosate treatment alone was associated with an increase of 108% in fusarium colonies on the root.  Dr. Kremer’s microbiological work stretching back a decade has verified this shift in soil microbiology “toward the fungal pathogen side” under glyphosate programs.  At the expense of beneficial bacterial organisms.  The Vitazyme study re-confirmed this: There was a “glyphosate decrease” of 69% in colony forming units of beneficial pseudomonas, while Vitazyme treated beans showed a 17% increase.

4. Vitazyme showed a modest ability to reduce glyphosate residues found in soils which had been cropped under glyphosate management — but only by about 5%. It appeared clear that it couldn’t “keep up” with the 163% increase in glyphosate residues which showed up in the soil where glyphosate had been applied during the testing season. 

There’s much, much more in the slide show… no need to repeat it here.  Just download the actual presentation and get the wide array of details.