Every grower knows that what happens below the surface shapes what happens above it. Soil structure, chemistry and biology all influence how well a crop can use the water and nutrients it is given. Of the three, soil biology in broadacre farming is the hardest to see, measure and manage.
Beneficial soil microbes can play a role in nutrient cycling and root health. But they are living organisms. Between production, storage, transport and application, they meet heat, drying and handling that can reduce their viability long before they reach the soil.
The problem with delivering soil biology
For a biological product to be useful on a broadacre farm, it has to do more than work in a laboratory. It has to survive the journey to the paddock, fit the equipment growers already use, and be practical at the scale of thousands of hectares.
Soil conditions add another layer. Acidity, moisture and temperature can all influence whether introduced organisms establish, which is one reason results from biological products can vary between paddocks and seasons.
Many biological products are applied as liquids or seed treatments, each with its own handling requirements. For growers already running tight seeding and spreading programmes, anything that adds a pass, a new piece of equipment or a short shelf life is a hard sell, however promising the science.
That is the problem DuraTerra was founded to work on: how to deliver soil biology in a form that suits the way broadacre farms actually operate.
Our approach: a coated mineral granule
We are developing a mineral granule with a protective coating that carries a consortium of beneficial soil microbes. The granule is designed to go out through existing spreading equipment in a single pass, alongside normal farm operations.
The coating is designed to protect the organisms through storage and handling. The mineral core provides a carrier that growers already know how to store and apply. The aim is a product that fits into the farm system rather than asking the farm system to change around it.
Granular products are already part of most broadacre operations, so storage, calibration and spreading are familiar. Using a mineral granule as the carrier means the biology travels with something growers already handle, rather than requiring a separate system or an extra pass.
Evidence first, claims second
We are a young company, and we are clear about what we do and do not yet know. Our planned field programme will compare three treatments: the coated granule, the mineral granule alone, and an untreated control. Comparing all three matters. If a crop responds, we need to know whether the response comes from the mineral, the biological coating or the combination.
Replicated trials across multiple sites will help us understand whether the biological coating adds value, under which soil and seasonal conditions, and what needs further development. Viability testing will tell us whether the coating protects the organisms as designed.
Until those results are in, we will not make claims about yield, soil carbon or environmental outcomes. Any claims we make will follow the data. We think that is what growers and agronomists should expect from anyone selling a new input.
What you will find on this blog
This blog is where we will share what we are learning: about soil, about the science behind biological inputs, and about the wider shifts reshaping agriculture. That includes why input efficiency matters in a high-cost season, how Scope 3 emissions are reaching the farm, and what insetting could mean for growers.
If you work in agronomy, grain, livestock, land rehabilitation or agricultural research, we hope you will follow along.
Frequently asked questions
What is DuraTerra developing?
A mineral granule with a protective coating that carries a consortium of beneficial soil microbes, designed for broadacre farming and application through existing spreading equipment.
Has the product been tested in the field?
Not yet. Our planned field programme will compare the coated granule with the mineral granule alone and an untreated control, using replicated trials across multiple sites.
Why not just apply microbes as a liquid?
Liquid and seed-applied biologicals each have their own handling and shelf-life requirements. We are testing whether a coated granule can protect the organisms and fit more easily into existing broadacre operations.