If you’ve ever dumped microbes into your soil and wondered why nothing changed, this episode is for you. Glen Rabenberg and Dr. Tom Dykstra dive into one of the most misunderstood topics in regenerative agriculture: microbial inoculants. Spoiler alert - bugs in a jug won’t fix broken soil.
In this episode, you’ll learn why soil biology can’t thrive in the wrong environment, why calcium and sugar are foundational to microbial success, and what really needs to be fixed before biology can work. If your microbial program feels like throwing money in the dirt, Glen and Dr. Dykstra have answers.
Glen’s Tools (penetrometer, EC Meter, BRIX Refractometer): https://www.soilworksllc.com/home-tools-2/
Purchase GSR Dormant Calcium (for the soil) and GSR Growing Calcium (for the plant) at https://shop.soilworksllc.com
For more information and resources, visit https://www.soilworksllc.com or call us at 605.260.0784.
For more information on Dr. Dykstra, visit https://www.dykstralabs.com
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Bugs in a Jug? Microbial Myths in Modern Agriculture
02:20 Failed Field Trials: Why Microbes Didn't Work
04:05 The Real Problem: Soil Conditions That Kill Biology
06:00 Lava, Chaos & Microbial Survival: Dr. Dykstra’s Volcano Analogy
08:15 The Missing Ingredients: Calcium, Sugar & Soil Oxygen
10:10 Fixing the Foundation Before Adding Biology
11:45 Are You Diagnosing the Soil or Just the Symptoms?
13:20 Why Biology Fails Without Soil Structure & BRIX