DCM presents innovative product Soil Activ |
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Bacteria and fungi enhance soil life beneath sports fields
A hectare of healthy soil contains approximately 10 tons of fungi and 10 tons of bacteria. This invisible soil life is crucial for the growth of strong plants. DCM has developed a soil improver with fungi and bacteria to activate the soil life.
| Damage caused by snow mold |
Gerrit Klop, account manager at DCM for twenty years, explains: "All living organisms function in essentially the same way: they convert nutrients into building materials and fuel. Balance is always key. Unhealthy food contains no quality building blocks or fuel, and therefore does not support healthy growth. That applies to you and me, to any animal, and to all plants, including grass."
Interaction
"If you fertilize the soil only with mineral fertilizers, you are mainly adding fast-acting nutrients in the form of salts," says Klop. "The plant can absorb those and grow quickly. But it's not happy, because the soil life around the roots cannot tolerate those salts and dies off. That was the reason DCM has always worked primarily with organic fertilizers and soil improvers, and has increasingly developed biological products.
If the soil life around the roots (the rhizosphere) is thriving, nutrients are released that the plant can use. A mycorrhizal fungus, for example, brings phosphorus to the surface and delivers it to the plant. A portion of the sugars produced in the leaves by the plant is given back to the soil life. It's truly an interaction vital to both parties.
In addition to stimulating soil life, it's important to protect a plant from external influences, such as pathogenic fungi like red thread and snow mold. Symbiotic bacteria and fungi added to the rhizosphere make a plant more resilient."
Trials
Last spring was extremely wet. Several sports fields in The Hague suffered from severe fungal infestation. Klop conducted trials using organic fertilizers, Trichoderma fungi, and bacterial strains. "We selected the worst field and treated it. Soon the fungal pressure decreased, and we saw the turf recover. It was a big difference compared to the untreated field next to it.
We carried out a similar trial in Leusden with the same results. That outcome led to the development of the new mix Soil Activ. It's a soil improver enriched with fungi and bacteria to stimulate the interaction between plant and soil life and to protect plants against pathogens and other external influences. This creates a strong root system underground, making the turf dense and therefore well playable.
Once the soil life under a sports field is healthy and the interaction with plants is established, only maintenance fertilization is needed."
Investment
Sports fields often use Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), and Festuca rubra (red fescue), often in a specific ratio. For all grass species, healthy soil life is essential.
"The nutrients in the new soil improver benefit all plants, and thus all grass types," says Klop. "And yes, good fertilizers cost money, but you should see it as an investment. The stronger your field, the less play damage it incurs. You can play about 250 hours on a decent field; on a truly high-quality turf, that can go up to 500 hours. That's a doubling.
If you frequently need to overseed or carry out repairs, the costs will definitely be higher, and your fields will be temporarily out of use. Unfortunately, tenders are still too often awarded based on price alone. At DCM, we consistently choose quality and are always innovating. The customer is an important sounding board: what are their needs? What can be improved? What is in demand? That's what we work on."
 | | Gerrit Klop |
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Organic matter and additives
Soil Activ consists of more than half organic matter. The nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are derived from organic sources. The product is also enriched with magnesium, calcium, silicon, and various Trichoderma and Bacillus strains. This ensures an optimal rhizosphere around the roots.
The mini granules can be used right up until sowing or planting. Due to sensitivity to UV light and drying out, it is important to incorporate the product into the soil or irrigate after application. The exact dosage depends on the crop's needs, the time of application, and the soil condition. For sports field maintenance, 8 to 15 kilos per 100 m² is recommended.
Klop: "This product is actually suitable anywhere you want to stimulate soil life and make plants more resilient. So for sports fields, but also in public green spaces, ornamental gardens, you name it.
The beauty is that it's composed of multiple fertilizers with different effects and release rates. It's not just a bag of fries, but a six-course meal that is served very gradually."
This article was previously published on June 27, 2025, on the Fieldmanager website.
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