Leprino Europe: When Bacteria and Fungi Get Together, the World Gets Interesting

Since 2021, Leprino Europe has been working with Sylgen Animal Health to assess the benefits of boosting the soil microbiome and reducing carbon impact to UK farmers.

Slurry for Soil (SforS) is “formulated for the benefit of soil and plant health” with bacteria and fungi designed for highly effective bioactivity. Leprino Europe has made SforS free to use for all UK supplier farms for the next three years in an effort to demonstrate the return on investment through increased yields and lowered fertiliser requirements.

The results are promising. Increases in availability in nitrogen (6.5%), phosphorus (10.0%), potassium (9.6%) and sulphur (13.9%) have been detected in the lagoons with SforS. In addition, available magnesium, copper, zinc and calcium levels all increased.

Monitoring on silage fields has shown a 30% crop yield increase. Other tests such as metabolizable energy (ME), protein, and Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) also showed significant and favourable results. In addition, farmers are happy with the results;100% of the farmers who participated in the test said they would purchase the product without further financial offsets.

The anecdotal reports from the farmers are overwhelmingly positive. Three participating farmers have reduced their inorganic fertilizer use 40% after a few years of application with no loss to yield. Another farmer has ceased to use any additional nitrogen fertilizer. Diesel use was down on farms as result of less surface crusting on the lagoons, and therefore a reduced need for mechanical treatment. Current trials are also showing increased biogas activity in anaerobic digestion with slurries dosed with SforS.

Roughly 50% of all Leprino Europe farms are now using SforS and reducing purchased fertiliser, resulting in an estimated carbon saving of over 9,000 MT of carbon per year.