AGRICULTURE, MICROBES AND GUT HEALTH

 

AGRICULTURE, MICROBES AND GUT HEALTH

By Vishal Nagda

 

The Green Revolution, initiated in the 1960s under the influence of American agronomist Norman Ernest Borlaug, has had lasting impacts on both soil health and human well-being in India.

Traditionally, farming in India was never viewed purely as a business. Health, Education and Agriculture were deeply intertwined, each supporting and enhancing the other. Regenerative agriculture was a common practice in India, a fact documented by Sir Albert Howard in his 1940 book, An Agricultural Testament.

 

Regenerative Agriculture, Organic agriculture and Chemical Agriculture:

Regenerative Agriculture produces nutrient-dense food by improving soil health, which can lead to healthier crops and livestock. Organic agriculture produces food without the use of synthetic chemicals, potentially lowering the risk of chemical residues. However, this does not guarantee that the food will be nutrient-rich. Chemical Agriculture can produce high yields, but the use of synthetic chemicals may result in residues in food and potential health risks for consumers.

 

Do our soils truly require chemicals? All the mineral nutrients plants need are already in soil but not in soluble form.

 

(Source: Environmental Soil Chemistry, 2003, Donald L. Sparks (Ph. D.))

 

•Why would there be a need to add more minerals?

•Why do plants grow better when inorganic fertilizers are added?

•Because mineral nutrients have to be converted to SOLUBLE forms for plants to take them up.

•What converts minerals to soluble forms is SOIL LIFE

 

The significance of microbes for both soil and human well-being..

The connection between gut health and soil health is profound and reflects the deep interrelationship between humans and the soil. Both systems rely on microbial ecosystems that are crucial for overall health, nutrient absorption, and resilience. Soil microbes interact with plants in a symbiotic relationship, helping them resist diseases and pests. This natural resistance reduces the need for chemical pesticides, leading to healthier food. A healthy gut microbiome supports the immune system by protecting against pathogens, producing anti-inflammatory compounds, and maintaining the gut barrier. Exposure to a wide variety of soil microbes, especially in childhood, can help "train" the immune system, reducing the likelihood of allergies and autoimmune diseases. Eating food grown in microbially rich soils can introduce beneficial microbes to the gut, further supporting immune health.

 

Soil Microbes:

A healthy food web of beneficial microbes will

·         Make nutrients available at rates plants require (eliminate fertilizer) leading to flavor and nutrition for animals and humans.

·         Retain Nutrients (stop run-off, leaching)

·         Suppress Disease (competition, inhibition, consumption; no more pesticides!)

·         Build Soil Structure (reduce water use, increase water holding capacity, increase rooting depth, create aerobic conditions)

·         Decompose Toxins.

 

How do microbes do the nutrient cycling work?

During photosynthesis, plants combine carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sunlight to produce simple sugars and carbohydrates. But just like humans, plants can't live on sugars and carbs alone. Fortunately for plants, there's a rich source of nutrients right under their feet and the soil parent material and inorganic matter. When dead plant material or organic matter falls to the surface of the soil, it's gradually decomposed by microorganisms. Nutrients are then released into the soil in plant available form.

The plants, then absorbs these nutrients and so nutrient cycling begins again. The microorganisms harvest nutrients from the parent material, the rocks and pebbles and the much smaller particles such as sand, silts, and clays. At the molecular level, the parent material comprises large lattice structures which hold nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, boron, calcium, iron, and all the other nutrients that a plant needs.

With a balanced Soil Food Web in place, plants can control the nutrient cycling that's happening in the root zone. They invest some of the sugars and carbs they produce during photosynthesis into the soil in order to feed bacteria and fungi. This causes bacterial and fungal populations to increase dramatically. The bacteria and fungi then get busy harvesting nutrients from the organic matter and parent material, absorbing these nutrients into their bodies. Predatory microorganisms like Protozoa and Nematodes are attracted and they begin consuming the bacteria and fungi. The wastes left behind by these predators contains an abundance of nutrients in plant available form. These are easily absorbed into the plant roots, so the plant gets a good return on its investment, exchanging sugars and carbs in return for all the other nutrients it requires. This results in well nourished, resilient plants and in nutrient dense food for us humans.

 

7 Activities Suggested for improving your gut microbiome:

1.   Make own vermicompost from the kitchen waste.

2.   Maintain indoor plants using the compost.

3.   Grows green leaves or vegetables using the compost.

4.   Do soil related work everyday morning,

5.   Buy from Farmers who practice Regenerative Agriculture.

6.   Avoid all foods which has synthetic preservatives.

7.   Avoid water with chlorine/chloramine.

 

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