Midland Probiotics

SCD Probiotics

White Paper:
Application of SCD Probiotics Technology
for Crop Production

Sustainable Community Development, LLC ("SCD"), based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a company specializing in natural microbial-based products and services for human health, agriculture industry, industrial waste management and environmental sustainability. Through 10 years of research and development, SCD has selected 16 different microbial strains for production of various probiotic products. These include lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus; yeast such as Saccharomyces; photosynthetic bacteria such as Rhodopseudomonas; and other beneficial bacteria such as Bacillus.

In essence, the SCD Probiotics Technology is a consortium of lactic acid bacteria, phototrophic bacteria, nutritional yeast and other beneficial microorganisms. The SCD consortium culture synergistically works to inhibit the growth of pathogenic harmful bacteria through competitive exclusion. In addtion to competitive exclusion effects, the metabolites produced by the consortia and its chemical characteristics contribute to antimicrobial properties and health benefits. Average pH of the product ranges from 3.2-3.5. Some products with SCD Probiotics Technology microorganisms consortium, can for instance, include Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casie, L. fermentum, L. Plantarum, Rhodoseudomonas palustris, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Steptococcus thermophilus, etc. These microorganisms have been known to be associated with human foods and are ubiqitously used in manufacturing of probiotic dietary supplement products for human, animal and aquaculture health.

While the traditional meaning of the word “probiotic” is applied to human and animal digestive microorganisms, SCD is on the cutting edge of developing technology to apply the concept of “probiotics” to many fields globaly including wastewater treatment, odor control, environmental bioremediation, agriculture, pest control, mold remediation, industrial and home agriculture, aquaculture, gardening, prevention of skin diseases, turf grass, composting and other fields.

All SCD products are manufactured under high and strict quality control standards. Products are manufactured in a food grade facility, utilizing food grade equipment, raw materials and utensils. SCD complies with the Food Grade current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) Guidelines enforced in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration. GMP guidelines provide a system of processes, procedures and documentation to assure the product produced has the identity, strength, composition, quality and purity that it is represented to possess. Information about SCD Probiotics Technology can be found at www.SCDProbiotics.com.

Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) provides certifiers, growers, manufacturers and suppliers an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing (Organic Materials Review Institute, 2006). OMRI’s services are directed to all aspects of the organic industry with a primary focus on the decision makers who deal with the compliance status of generic meterials and brand name products. With the OMRI Generic Materials List and OMRI Products List, OMRI provides guidance on the suitability of material inputs under the USDA National Organic Program standards (Organic Materials Review Institute, 2006). Many SCD products are certified with OMRI as “safe for use in organic production.” Please visit www.omri.org for more information and to verify SCD’s registered status.

SCD’s compliance with the above-mentioned regulatory agencies illustrates the safety and quality of the products manufactured as well as routine testing that has been conducted over the past two years. SCD products are routinely tested both in house and by third party independent laboratories for the incidence of pathogenic activity, heavy metals, and mycotoxins. Certificates of analysis of Probio Balance™ Plus is enclosed.

Probio Balance™ Plus is recommended for use in live stock, agriculture and environment applications. It can be used to manufacture secondary products such as SCD Bio Ag™ for specific applications in the area of agricultural and composting. The secondary products are as below.

SCD Bio Ag™:This is an all-natural probiotics inoculant containing exclusive microbes and their metabolites, which is recommended for soil application. SCD BioAg™ is an environmentally safe, and distinctly effective at improving soil quality.

SCD Plant Saver™: This is an all-natural probiotics inoculant containing exclusive microbes and their metabolites, which is recommended for prevention of fungal and viruses related plant diseases. SCD Plant Saver™ is an environmentally safe, and distinctly effective at preventing plant diseases.

Currently, application of beneficial microorganisms is being considered as an economical and simple way to increase crops yield, alleviate the environmental pollution and control diseases. A number of studies were designed to investigation the effect of probiotics as microbial inoculants in crop production. Positive outcomes of the growth, yield and physical response have been postulated for sweet corn (Zhengao et al., 2006; Xu, 2000), rice (Lee and Sho, 2006; Primavesi, 2006; Iwaishi, 2000), tomato (Xu et al., 2000), soil properties and citrus (Paschoal et al., 2006) and tobacco (unpublished date).

Xu (2000) reported that Sweet corn plants in probiotic plots showed slightly higher dry mass under all fertilizations at most growth stages. Probiotic application showed a positive effect on relative growth rate and net assimilation rate at all growth stages under both organic and chemical fertilizations. Grain yield and harvest index were found to be higher in probiotic plot (Xu, 2000). Consistent results were found by Zhengao et al (2006), who reported that the yield from one hectare of plants grown with organic matter and probiotics has 1,410kg more than that grown with other treatments. In addition, the content of sugar also increased after probiotic application.

The yield increase due to probiotic treatment for all rice varieties except brown rice ranged from 8 to 19% (Iwaishi, 2000). Probiotic treatment was found to be beneficial on increasing the grain number, ear number, length and kernel weight, consequently increasing yield of rice variety. For glutinous varieties, it was found that the glutinousness of rice in the probiotic-treated was higher than the non-probiotic treated plots (Iwaishi, 2000). It was observed that there was no significant different in growth during early stages. Higher growth rate was found during maturing stage, which is likely the result of enhanced plant growth from probiotic treatment after panicle formation.

Paschoal et al (2006) summarized the following. Analyses of the chemical characteristics of the soil and citrus leaves indicate: 1) a significant (P<0. 05) increase in the organic matter content of the soils treated with probiotics at both the 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm depths can be attributed to probiotic’s humus forming capacity from dead grass mulch; 2) a significant (P<0. O1) increase in soil pH at both sampled depths in the probiotic-treated lots is an indication that probiotic alone can change soil reactions; 3) a significant (P<0. 05) increase in soil CEC at both depths in the plots treated with probiotic can be related to the enhanced soil organic matter formation; and 4) no statistical differences for any of the other chemical parameters in the soil or for the macro- and micronuinents in citrus leaves was found. The effect of probiotics on nitrogen and phosphorus in Rhizophere has been studied. The growth, yield and nodulation of plants grown in the presence of organic amendments, especially those with low C:N ratios, were enhanced by probiotics. The nitrogen and potassium levels in the rhizosphere were also significantly increased; these results could account for the higher crop yields that are often reported when organic systems are inoculated with probiotics (Sangakkara, 2006).

As a soil inoculant, probiotics has been reported to decrease the inoculum density of several crop pathogens (Castro et al., 2006; Lin, 1991; Higa and Wididana, 1991). Inhibition of fungi and bacteria by Probiotic such as efficient microbes was investigated by a double-layer plate method. Colony diameters of fungi (Sclerotium rolfsii, Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Alternaria sp., Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Phytophthora capsici, Aspergillus sp., Fusarium moniliforme and Fusarium oxysporum fs phaseoli) and numbers of bacteria (Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria and Pseudomonas solanacearum) were compared with untreated controls after 24 or 48 hours of incubation. Phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria were inhibited by probiotic efficient microbes.

(Unpublished data) Philips Morris in Poland experimented the use of SCD’s secondary products as a start up of a “soil healing” program in 2007. The experiment objectives were to use SCD Probiotics Technology to improve soil quality and to control tobacco fungal and viral disease. Soil analyses were done before the application of SCD Bio Ag™. After one year of application, soil nutrient contents have increased when compared to soil treated with fertilizers (Figure below).

An increase of phosphorus, magnesium and calcium soil nutrients was also observed. Soil pH has improved to such an extent that liming was unnecessary.

SCD Plant Saver™ was applied on the farm that was infested with aphid. The results indicated that honey-dew left by the aphids, which could cause fungal disease was disappeared. In addition, the positive results were found in vivo whereby SCD Plant Saver™ showed competitive exclusion affect against fungal disease in tobacco leave. The competitive exclusion effects show biological broad-spectrum pesticide. It was postulated that SCD Plant Saver™ could be used to resolve the problem of fungal diseases, such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Thielaviopsis basicola, Rhizoctonia solani, Peronospora tabacina, Botrytis cinerea. Further field study is an on-going project for 2008- 2009. The group of farmers cultivating tobacco for Philip Morris in Poland currently are using SCD BioAg™ and SCD Plant Saver™ on the total area of 240 ha to control fungal and viral tobacco disease and to treat soil prior to tobacco cultivation

Control root rot of strawberry by probiotic inoculant was studied by Jonglaekha et al. (2006). The pot experiment showed that soil mixed with inoculum of Rhizoctonta causing root was controlled when probiotic efficient microbes solution (1:1000) was applied 4-6 times at weekly intervals. In addition, Growth of the plants has been significantly stimulated when compared with the growth of control pot.

The suppressive effect of probiotic inoculant on bacterial leaf blight pathogen, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae, was investigated suing susceptible rice variety Taichaung Native 1 (Lwin et al., 2006). The result suggested that probiotic efficient microbes can be used to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacterial; the longer the standing period, the lesser was the disease severity. The time required to ensure good suppression ranged from 15minutes to 1hour.

Nasiruddin and Karim (2006) compared efficacies of probiotic efficient microbes inoculant, neem plant extract and chemical insecticides in reducing the damages casued by the red pumpkin beetle (Aulacophora foveicollis) and the melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae) in cucurbitaceous vegetable crops. Probiotic inoculant reduced beetle infestation by 38% over the untreated control. The result was not significantly differed to neem plant extract. Chemical insecticides indicated 80% reduction of infestation leaves comparing to the infestation level of the untreated control.

The probiotics technology such as SCD Probiotics creates an opportunity to reduce the quantity of chemical fertilizers as well as the quantity of pesticide and insecticide. A number of plant varieties have been studied and positive results were found from those varieties Microbial ecology can be improved, thus enhancing soil properties as well as the amount of available soil nutrients in soil to plants.

The successful application of SCD Probiotics Technology is expected to have the following impact on crop applications

• Improve soil quality
• Improve soil microbial ecology
• Reduce or eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers
• Control or prevent plant diseases
• Improve production yield
• Overall reduction in the cost

*SCD Probiotics is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by EM Research Organization, Inc. or their affiliates.