The Mikhail system is like Chicken soup for the soilThis is an important point because it is one of the main distinctions between The Mikhail System and other soil balance systems. Where others were often based on research carried out with a limited range of soils, this one has been tested and proven in over 26 countries around the World. I know its starting to sound like I have shares in the Company, but it really is very different and it is worth understanding why. Another important difference is that it lacks the nutrient focus of most others. For instance, if we look at the Albrecht System, it speaks almost exclusively in nutritional terms - using words like 'nutrient', 'deficiency', 'excess' and so on. Of course, at the time Albrecht was doing his research (the 1920s and 1930s), the prevailing view was that soil fertility was based on a balance of nutrients. Today, we understand that the soil is actually the environment within which plants (and many other organisms) live. As such, it needs to do more than just provide nutrients. Another faulty assumption used by most of the earlier researchers was that the physical character of the soil was determined by the proportions of sand silt and clay it contained. While this does have an effect, it has since been found that the most important thing to influence soil physics is the proportions of five elements - calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and hydrogen. Everybody prior to Ted Mikhail (who developed the Mikhail System) missed this because they thought of these elements only as nutrients. Basic principlesSo how does the Mikhail System work? Well, the basic principle is that soil function depends on the interaction between three major components - Structure (soil physics), Nutrients (soil chemistry) and Biology. Each of these is made up of several constituents and these need to be in balance (relative to each other), while the three major components also need to be in balance (as shown in the diagram).
This balance relationship strongly influences the way we now improve and manage soils, since it gives a clear starting point,
and this has led to the development of a simple 5-step process for soil improvement.
Research based on this principle also allows us to work out precisely what a soil needs by using a specific range of laboratory tests. To find more information on this subject, you should go directly to the source. Ted Mikhail still operates his business - SWEP Analytical Laboratories - where he continues research into the Mikhail System. You can also keep up with the latest research results balanced soil management by subscribing to our email newsletter - The Food Gardener.
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