“Six years ago, Rancho Verde, our 40 acre ranch in Mendanales, NM, was evaluated by Earthcrew, Inc.

Our pastures were struggling due to poor sandy soil, low Nitrogen levels and drought conditions, although it is irrigated land.

We decided to do a trial test on our 1 and 1/4 acre of established pasture.”

This remediation of a horse pasture in Northern New Mexico utilized Pecan Shell biochar as a permanent structural foundation to the high soil porosity typical of the area. The soil carbon will not degrade like compost, but act as a long-term, self-sustaining ecosystem within the horse pastures root zone. The rigid cellular structure resists crushing under hoof pressure, maintaining vital air and water channels. The initial application of biochar to the pasture was pre-inoculated Bacillus subtilis species to drive nutrient availability and build the structural root strength. Interaction with B. subtilis triggers Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR). This process essentially “alerts” the grass, priming its internal defense mechanisms to react faster and more aggressively to both root and canopy threats. 

Phosphorus is frequently locked up in high-pH environments. The B. subtilis secretes organic acids that break those chemical bonds, solubilizing locked-up minerals and making vital phosphorus available to the grass roots.  To support microbial activity, a synergistic blend of organic inputs was applied.