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WHAT WE OFFER
A biologically driven soil solution to meet the needs of modern agriculture. Bringing the power of the microbial world to the forefront of your farming needs with insights into living soil management. Using the advantages of new microscope assessment tools and understandings the relationship between microbes, plants and a successful yield. These methods are based on the teachings of pioneering soil scientist Dr Elaine Ingham who developed our understanding of the Soil Food Web. Using the microscope to assess soil biology gives us a way of understanding what is really driving the success or failure of our crops. Through training to use a microscope, identifying soil micro-organisms, their relationships with the plants and the application of that for farmers, SoilScopes offers consultation services based on understanding your soils.
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If you are a farmer, compost producer, landscaper or gardener who has an interest in soil health this is the solution you have been looking for. SoilScopes was started to give people access to understanding the role of the microorganisms in their soil along with testing their soil's microbial numbers. If you are interested in better understanding your soil and how you can harness the benefits that microorganisms can offer, SoilScopes is your solution.
MEET THE FOUNDER
Wesley Soule
Founder and Lead Consultant
Certified Soil Food Web Lab Tech
My passion and drive come from the ability to offer a solution to these problems through SoilScopes. Having worked in education for many years, I understand the support needed to maximize success. When adopting a new process like biological farming there is a lot to understand, having worked as a teacher I have the ability to guide you through the process. The benefit of having someone test your soil while creating a biological system that works for you is what I offer. As we implement changes the reaction of the microbial community is tested to assess our success in developing the microbial populations. As a person who is solution-driven, I will find a way to fit the principles of biological farming into any context. Small-scale organic farmers, large conventional farms, compost producers or small urban gardens are all able to benefit from soil assessments that offer insight into the organisms that shape the health of your soil.
At SoilScopes, we are looking to the future of agriculture and soil health is at the centre of that. Bringing modern agricultural practices into South Africa means that new tools are now available to help you return fertility to your soil. Restore your soil's ability to grow productively without the reliance on synthetics, contact us to learn more about what your soil can do for you.
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Soil, plants and microbiology are the three-legged stool that has supported man through the age of agriculture. Farming is something that has been with us for easily over 10 000 years and is still a process we are developing and correcting. Since the Second World War ended and the green revolution began we looked to synthetic fossil fuel-based fertilizers to grow 'healthy food'. The increase in crop productivity came at a heavy cost to the land as we see rampant topsoil loss, water nitrification, soil crusting or acidification and excessive greenhouse gas release. How can humans farm in a sustainable way that gives the farmer all the tools they need to produce quality food in a way that supports their business? This is what brought me into Soil Microbiology.
The mystery of the microscopic world that is soil is a complex topic to delve into as these are creatures we cannot see without highly specialised equipment and training. This led me to study and learn from the world leader in Agricultural focused soil microbiology, Dr Elaine Ingham. Through the education she offers at the Soil Food Web school I received training in assessing the microbial communities within soils, how they function to support healthy plants and how we can implement this system to farm. This is a biologically driven soil solution for fertiliser, pesticides and crop management to give power back to the farmer. Reliance on synthetic fertilizers means the farmer is spending more and more money every year as the land degrades further and further. Investing in the right soil management practices means long-term rewards as the cost of production falls.
A and B - Photographs shot at our Living Soil Workshop in Cape Town, 3rd September 2022.
C - Stellated Trichome / D - Fungal Hyphae and Amoeba / E - Nematode