Advantages of Plant Biostimulants as Feed Additives

Where sprawling poultry farms and lush crop fields paint a picturesque scene, a remarkable individual stands out among the pastures. Meet Russell Taylor, a visionary figure whose love for sustainable agriculture, water conservation and soil vitality illuminates the landscape as a beacon of progressive farming practices.

He is a revered advocate for regenerative agriculture, embodying a profound commitment to enhancing soil health and reshaping the livestock and poultry industry through the power of cover crops and organic fertilizers. His pioneering spirit extends to harnessing the potential of plant biostimulants in revolutionizing agricultural practices for a more sustainable future.

At the helm of Live Earth, a family-run business championing humic shale derivatives for fertilizers and animal feeds, his journey epitomizes the essence of the American dream intertwined with a passion for water conservation and soil health.

“We truly embody the American dream. My father envisioned coming out to the desert, digging his fortune from the hillside and building a thriving business,” Taylor said. His dedication to mining for humate and passion for water conservation practices in agriculture has not gone unnoticed as he was honored with the 2023 Certified Crop Adviser Conservationist of the Year award.

The significant materials mined by Live Earth, humic acid-based products, enhance plant productivity by enriching soil organic matter.

Farmers can enhance nutrient management and water conservation by improving soil structure and increasing organic matter content through livestock grazing management.

Livestock and Poultry Management Increases Soil Health

Russell Taylor is a mineral specialist and organic beef farmer practicing effective livestock and poultry management to improve soil health and conserve water. He told AcreageLife that rotational grazing techniques prevent overgrazing and promote sustained root growth.

In addition to being omniscient about minerals and plant biostimulants, he can give a TED Talk about livestock and poultry farming. In central Utah, he has been raising organic beef since 1999 and proudly holds the title of the state’s first certified organic beef producer. His family previously cared for a flock of chickens and is currently studying plant biostimulants in poultry feed additives.

“Livestock grazing management is underappreciated in influencing soil organic matter levels and water conservation. Maintaining adequate plant height is one of the biggest drivers for producing robust root systems. By avoiding overgrazing and allowing sufficient plant mass to remain, roots can continue to grow. These deeper, healthier roots increase soil organic matter and improve soil structure,” Taylor said.

“When you start talking about how grazing and overgrazing affect soil organic matter, you can better understand how this practice impacts water-holding capacity and soil health.”

By moving livestock on and off grass quickly, plants will avoid being overgrazed, enabling them to develop robust root systems.

Boost Soil Organic Matter

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages livestock producers to balance the requirements for watering livestock and crops with conserving water. A USDA National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) program, called the 1% program, urges farmers to change their soil organic matter and helps ranchers with several conservation practices that build healthy soil.

“Conservation is the main reason for improving soil organic matter; you use less water because you lose less water. Remember, soil organic matter helps store water from rain and irrigation lost by surface runoff or infiltration through the soil. As your soil organic matter increases, those losses decrease significantly,” Taylor said.

A 1% change in soil organic matter will conserve 30,000 more gallons of water per acre.

He told AcreageLife that the USDA NRCS program is built on the idea that your soil’s organic matter is your pantry for the soil.

“That’s where your water and nutrients are stored.”

The top strategies to ensure sustainable water usage include:

Reduce or eliminate your tillage. Organic no-till systems, such as the roller-crimper, have helped organic producers reduce the intensity of soil disturbance in annual crop rotations.

Always have something growing and producing roots. Sometimes people plant one crop but keeping plants growing throughout the year feeds the soil.

Improve rotational grazing. Rotational grazing plays a role in preventing overgrazing. This practice allows vegetation to recover, promoting root growth.

Implement cover cropping and plant diversity. This protects the soil from erosion and adds organic residues. Many cover crops like peas can extend your grazing season. Plant diversity helps with crop growth but can also impact animal gains.

Use tools like the free web soil survey. This tool helps a homeowner or farmer learn more about their soil. This provides information about your starting point and potential for your soil type. Some soil types are predetermined to be bad due to texture and salinity.

Feed humate to your poultry and livestock. Feed humate to livestock free-choice and use it as a soil amendment. Humic and fulvic acid-based products can help with nutrient management to help increase forage production. These products improve soil structure, enhance nutrient uptake and increase microbial activity. (Feeding animals free-choice involves providing unrestricted access to various feed options. This method allows animals to regulate their intake).

When considering cover crops, it’s crucial to select those that enrich the soil and support a thriving soil food web. In just a teaspoon of healthy soil, a myriad of organisms coexist. Certain cover crops excel at retaining essential nutrients and nitrogen while also attracting beneficial insects. Among the top choices for maintaining nutrient levels are alfalfa, barley, buckwheat, clover, mustard, oats, peas, radishes, ryegrass, vetch and wheat. If you choose barley, oats or wheat you’ll even have something saleable to harvest.

Humic Acid-Based Products for Various Feed Additives

Humate has organic acids and minerals that can enhance the health of soil. It’s about two-thirds organic acids and one-third minerals and livestock eat it just for the mineral content!

“I feed the humate to the livestock on my ranch free-choice and use it as a soil amendment. Humic and fulvic acid-based products can help with nutrient management to help increase forage production,” he added.

“These products improve soil structure, enhance nutrient uptake and increase microbial activity. Increasing nutrient availability, such as phosphorous, can help produce deeper roots, making pastures more resilient to drought.”

“Anything with hooves, feathers and fins can be fed this mineral supplement. The animals are fed humate and the byproduct is rich in organic acids. ”Humic acids are the backbone of your soil organic matter. For years, farmers have observed positive results from including humates in their livestock feeding programs,” Taylor said.

What about techniques for poultry to improve soil health and their overall wellbeing? The latest poultry research shows humic substances used in poultry diets improve feed conversion and egg production. Humic acid has a positive role in boosting productive performance in chickens, including nutrient utilization and absorption. This plant biostimulant is used as an alternative growth promoter for antibiotics in improving poultry health. The supplement fed in water or their diet improved feed consumption, feed efficiency, egg weight, egg mass and egg production of laying hens.

Although he may no longer have flocks of chickens due to his busy schedule and focus on organic beef, he actively participates in poultry feed studies.

“The biggest things you see in the published research about poultry is reduced odor from waste and improved feed conversion.”

Emerging Studies

Research is advancing in areas such as adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing, which optimizes grazing patterns for soil health and uses amendments like humate to improve soil structure and water retention. Research has produced clear data showing that AMP grazing increases carbon sequestration and soil carbon and nitrogen stocks and improves soil microbial life.

In the veterinary field, humic acid in ruminant feed may exclude the possibility of antibiotic residue or microbial resistance. According to the latest studies exclusively about cows, humic acid supplementation increases eosinophil levels and the activity of neutrophils, protecting individual animals against bacterial pathogens and reducing mortality in acute bacterial infections.

Livestock and poultry play a critical role in enhancing soil organic matter and water conservation. Taylor and other experts encourage livestock farmers to adopt these practices and stay informed about new trends for sustainable agriculture.