We’ve all heard about probiotics for gut health - but what if our soil needs a little microbial love too?
Beneath our feet lies a living ecosystem that quietly sustains everything we eat. Yet, decades of intensive farming have left much of the UK’s soil tired, overworked, and stripped of life. In this article, we’ll dig into what soil really is, what’s gone wrong through over-cultivation and chemical use, how that’s affecting the nutrient quality of our food, and the exciting new movement bringing “probiotics for soil” to the forefront of regenerative farming.
What Actually Is “Soil” - The Living System
Soil is far more than just dirt. It’s a complex ecosystem comprising minerals, organic matter, water, air and an immense diversity of microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa) that drive nutrient cycling, structure and fertility. A healthy soil microbiome underpins plant health, supports water filtration, carbon storage, and ultimately our food supply.
A paper in Sustainable Microbiology notes that “The complex community of soil microbes and their interactions are known to underpin soil health and consequently food security, resilience to climate change, global health, biodiversity, and more”. (1)
When the microbial component is depleted or disrupted, the soil becomes less resilient - structure declines, nutrient cycling slows, and crops may be less nutrient‐dense.
What Has Happened To UK Soils?
Over‑cultivation, monocultures & nutrient depletion
Over decades, many UK agricultural soils have been subject to intensive cropping, monocultures, repeated harvests and minimal rest periods. These practices erode organic matter, reduce biodiversity of soil organisms, and lead to compaction, loss of structure and diminished microbial life. A recent report found that about 40% of British soils are degraded due to intensive farming practices! (2)
Furthermore, although synthetic fertilisers and pesticides speed up yield, it often happens at the cost of soil health. A long‑running UK study of grassland found that high fertiliser uses drastically reduced flower numbers and pollinator insects, indicating broader ecological damage. (3)
Pesticides, biosolids, and hidden chemical burdens
Modern agricultural soils are exposed not only to fertilisers but to pesticides, herbicides and other agrochemicals. Additionally, practices such as spreading treated sewage sludge (biosolids) add nutrients but also bring “forever chemicals”, microplastics and pharmaceuticals. For example, a UK investigation highlighted that millions of tonnes of sludge containing PFAS, microplastics and heavy metals are spread on farmland annually. (4)
These chemical burdens may impair microbial communities or shift them toward undesirable states, reducing the beneficial functions of the soil microbiome.
Impact on food nutrient density and human health
What does all of this mean for you when you eat your food? When soils are degraded, plants may struggle to access nutrients, have lower microbial interactions and therefore the nutrient density of food can decline. While the data on human health are still emerging, the logic is clear: poorer soil can lead to less optimal plant growth which then leads to possible reduction in vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients in our food. (5)
The Optimistic Frontier: Soil probiotics & regenerative solutions
Fortunately, a growing body of research and practice is pointing toward regenerative agriculture and the use of soil probiotics - beneficial microbial enhancements designed to restore microbial activity, structure and fertility in soils. (6,7)
What Are Soil Probiotics?
In essence, soil probiotics are live microbial treatments applied to soils or seeds, which aim to restore or improve the beneficial microbial communities in the soil environment. Much like gut probiotics aim to restore microbial balance in the gut, soil probiotics target the microbial ecosystem beneath our crops. (6)
Recent Evidence.
- A recent, open‑field study found that applying microbial “biostimulants” (labelled as probiotics) to cereal crops (wheat and oat) increased yields, increased protein accumulation in grains, and improved soil agrochemical traits such as organic carbon, humic acid, available phosphorus and nitrogen. (8)
- UK‐based research at University of Sheffield is also investigating how beneficial soil bacteria can boost plant immune systems, reduce reliance on pesticides and support urban/controlled environment farming. (9)
- A recent review makes the case: “restoring the health of soils and soil‑dwelling microbes is an essential prerequisite for a thriving planet.” (10)
What This Means For You (And Your Food)?
- If soil microbes are replenished, plants may better access nutrients, therefore produce more nutrient‑dense food.
- Reduced chemical input may lead to cleaner produce with fewer residues and potentially lower ecological burden.
- Enhanced soil structure and microbial life mean soils can retain water better, resist erosion and support long‐term productivity, which in turn supports food security and stability of food supply.
Practical Examples & Emerging Practice
"What I’m realising is that our health depends on the health of the soil. We can’t solve the human health crisis without also addressing the ecological one. By rebuilding soil and microbial life, we’re improving our own wellbeing through the food we grow and eat - because, ultimately, we’re completely connected to nature"
- Katie Ward, Managing and Director of microbz.
These pioneering groups are applying microbial inoculants, cover cropping, reduced tillage, plant‐microbe associations and seed microbial treatments to rebuild soil health. The analogy: just as you might take a probiotic to support your gut microbiome, farmers and soil scientists are “feeding the soil microbiome” to support the crops.
The Gutology Podcast
Want to dig deeper into the world of soil microbes? Tune in to the latest episode of The Gutology Podcast, where we chat with Katie, Managing Director at microbz, about how probiotics are transforming the health of our soils - and our future food.
