Peat granules: only in America you say? Pity.
Tonnes of new Rhizobium bacteria and Penicillium bilaii fungi-infected peat moss granules are growing quietly on palates in a shiny new, 110,000 sq. foot warehouse and production facility in Saskatoon.
But the new technology that will allow American producers of pulse crops to take advantage of the peat’s moisture-holding capacity is not available in Canada.
While American authorities permit the peat system to help deliver enhanced levels of naturally occurring fungus and bacteria into the soil to support nitrogen fixation and phosphate absorption in pulse crops,
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Canadian authorities are still studying the matter.
Philom Bios, which produces several fungus and bacteria products that enhance plant growth and seed yield, will begin shipping the new peat pellets to American farmers in time for spring planting.
Canadian growers can take advantage of the same yield-enhancing bacteria and fungi in their crops but will need to use the traditional gypsum-based granule formulation, non-granule peat or liquid applications.
Calvin Sonntag, president and chief executive officer of Philom Bios, said it isn’t his company’s preference to launch first in the United States.
“It is a regulatory reality; it takes more time to get approvals from the Canadian system,” he said about the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s process of allowing new delivery systems.
“We’re looking forward to the day when there is harmonization between the Canadian and U.S. systems.”
CFIA provides approvals for the type of products that Philom Bios creates because the product is treated as a fertilizer.
“The peat provides a better home for the micro-organisms than even the gypsum-based granules,” said Sandy Gleddie, Philom Bios’s vice-president of research and business development.
The peat granules are hard, round pellets one to two millimeters in diameter and provide a protective home for bacteria and fungus.
Fran Walley, professor and head of soil science at the University of Saskatchewan, while not commenting on the peat system specifically, said granule formulations are more tolerant to extremes of temperature than other mediums that carry microorganisms to the field.
“Any method used properly and under the right condition will get them into the soil and allow them to multiply there,” she said.
Ray McVicar of Saskatchewan Agriculture said the challenge for farmers has often been keeping “the bugs” alive in the air seeder overnight or when environmental conditions in the field are hostile and would result in desiccation of the carrier medium.
“Granules are the most forgiving,” he said.
Sonntag said the peat granules are an improvement in application and provide farmers with more latitude for application and handling.
“The irony isn’t lost on us that technology that was developed here in Western Canada is going to be first used commercially by U.S. farmers. It’s not what we’d prefer.”
