ORGANIC SOIL IMPROVER: Providing a full nutritional profile for you soil to make it healthier and more productive
For generations, farming has worked around seasonal variability. But recent years have brought something much more difficult to manage: increasingly pronounced swings between prolonged heat, dry periods, intense rainfall, waterlogged ground and narrowing windows for fieldwork.
The challenge is no longer simply producing the best crop in a favourable year. It is creating farming systems capable of maintaining performance when conditions are anything but favourable.
That places resilience at the heart of modern crop production.
Resilience can be difficult to quantify. It may mean preserving yield during drought, maintaining soil structure after heavy rainfall or helping plants continue to access nutrients when conditions restrict biological activity. Increasingly, it also means reducing exposure to volatile input costs without compromising crop health.
Whatever form it takes, resilience begins below ground.
Much of the agricultural conversation around resilience understandably focuses on machinery, crop genetics and chemistry. All have an important role. But the biological condition of the soil ultimately influences how effectively crops use water and nutrients, and how well they tolerate stress.
Biologically active soils support nutrient cycling, root development, moisture retention and soil structure. Beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, earthworms and arthropods form an interconnected system. When that system functions well, nutrients become more accessible to plants and soils are better equipped to cope with environmental pressures.
Without the right soil biology, even a well-managed crop may struggle to fulfil its potential. The implication is significant. Crop nutrition cannot be considered solely in terms of what is applied to the plant. It must also account for the biological system responsible for nutrient availability.
It is tempting to view resilience as a response to a difficult season. In reality, it must be developed over time.
Once soils are waterlogged, crops are suffering from drought or roots are poorly established, the opportunity for corrective action is limited. The stronger strategy is to establish the biological and physical conditions that help soil and plants withstand those pressures before they arise.
This is where soil improvers such as Sea2Soil can contribute. Produced from responsibly sourced fish by-products, Sea2Soil contains naturally balanced amino acids, fatty acids, macronutrients and micronutrients in a bioavailable formulation. Rather than operating simply as another source of nutrition, it feeds soil biology and supports the processes through which nutrients are cycled and made available to crops.
The objective is not to prescribe one rigid system. It is to help create healthier, better-functioning soils across conventional, regenerative and organic farms.
Resilience is too important to become another loosely defined agricultural claim. Solutions need to demonstrate their value across different soils, cropping systems and management approaches.
Pelagia’s research programme has therefore tested Sea2Soil under farm and independent research conditions for more than five years. Participating growers have reported greater biological activity, maintained or improved yields and, in some cases, reduced requirements for synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. Farmers have also observed benefits during periods of drought stress, including improved canopy cover, crop growth and plant verdancy.
Independent research is helping to examine the mechanisms behind those observations.
Work at the University of Nottingham recorded increases in earthworm abundance, organic matter, soil moisture and porosity in non-replicated trials conducted during 2024 and 2025. The treated soil showed an additional 1.85 million earthworms per hectare—five times the control—alongside a 35.8% increase in soil organic matter and a 1.2% increase in soil carbon compared with untreated soil.
Research with NIAB has also explored resilience to biotic pressure. Greenhouse trials found reductions in cabbage stem flea beetle feeding damage of 32% on cotyledons, 90% on leaves and 59% on stems following Sea2Soil treatment.
These findings reinforce an important point: soil resilience is not a single outcome. It encompasses physical structure, biological activity, nutrient availability, water dynamics and a crop’s ability to tolerate environmental and pest pressure.
Paul Davey, Lincolnshire farmer and Arable Innovator of the Year 2021, said: “Sea2Soil is now the base for all my crop nutrition. I use it on all my combinable crops, herbal leys and cover crops. I’ve seen the positive effects of the product. Under dry conditions, which caused many challenges in maintaining plant nutrition and managing crop stress, after applying Sea2Soil in late spring I saw visible benefits. It stimulated increased canopy cover, allowing optimal growth through this period of drought stress, leading to higher yields that season. Two 10 L/ha applications on spring beans in a dry spell improved growth and removed chlorotic symptoms of stress, significantly improving the verdancy of the plants.”
Farmer James Walgate initially used Sea2Soil to feed soil biology rather than the plant itself, applying it at drilling at a rate of 5 L/ha, with a carbon source, seaweed and humic acid. Having had good results as a soil-applied seed drench, he now uses foliar applications as well in the early spring, also at 5 L/ha. He said: “We are building up the soil biology so it can play a role in feeding the plant and keeping crops healthy.”
Applied at a rate of 6 L/ha with humic acid as crops are drilled, Jonathan Hodgson in East Yorkshire has aimed to improve soil biology. In addition to using the product for early foliar applications in certain crops: “I put some onto the oilseed rape in the autumn to see if it could help with flea beetle control and as an effective deterrent.”
No product can remove the uncertainty from farming. Nor can soil health prevent every consequence of extreme weather. But uncertainty makes it more important to build systems with a greater capacity to absorb pressure and recover from it.
That means moving beyond the pursuit of maximum output under ideal conditions. It means considering how soils perform when rainfall is scarce, when fields become saturated or when crops face simultaneous environmental and biological stresses.
“We see Sea2Soil as far more than a natural source of nitrogen, but as a soil prebiotic that leads to a healthier soil environment, an increase in microbial activity, and more resilient crop health. This research gives us vital understanding of how Sea2Soil delivers on yield responses and helps refine our processes to produce a product which reduces reliance on chemical inputs, is environmentally sustainable and is easy to use by farmers,” added Dr Geraldine Fox, Technical Director, Pelagia.
In this context, resilience is not an environmental extra. It is a practical business consideration.
Healthier soils can help growers use nutrients more effectively, establish stronger root systems and maintain crop performance through difficult conditions. They may also support lower reliance on synthetic inputs and create soils that are easier and less costly to work.
The farms best prepared for the coming years will not necessarily be those built around one particular label or farming philosophy. They will be those that understand their soils, measure changes over time and invest in biological function alongside conventional crop management.
The average season may be becoming harder to define. Farming’s response must be to build soils and cropping systems ready for a wider range of possibilities.
Season One of The Sea2Soil Podcast is complete! Across six episodes, we’ve heard from six expert voices and listened to their insights into the future of soil health and regenerative farming.
And what a journey it's been. From conservation agriculture principles to real-world regenerative systems, from microbial activity to amino acid applications, we’ve explored the challenges and opportunities facing modern farming through honest, expert-led conversations.
Hosted by our Business Development Manager, Grant James, each episode brought together leading voices from across the UK and Europe to tackle the questions that matter most to growers, agronomists, and farm advisors working to build healthier, more resilient farming systems.
What we covered
We kicked off with Steve Townsend from Soil First Farming, who set the tone by explaining why chemistry, physics, and biology must work together for truly healthy soils. Steve’s insights into conservation agriculture and the role of BASE-UK in farmer-led knowledge exchange reminded us that sustainable change happens through community and shared learning.
Regen Ben opened the doors to his Herefordshire farm in Episode Two, showing us regenerative farming in action. His candid discussion about profitability, biodiversity gains, and how Sea2Soil fits into his system across cereals, potatoes, and agroforestry proved that regenerative practices and commercial success can go hand-in-hand.
In Episode Three, James Warne from Soil First Farming introduced us to the concept of ‘underground livestock’, exploring how feeding soil microorganisms is just as crucial as feeding the crops above ground. His practical advice on boosting microbial activity gave listeners tangible steps to improve soil health from the ground up.
Joel Williams delivered a masterclass in Episode Four, breaking down the science of amino acids and soil conditioners. His expert knowledge on application timing, particularly heading into autumn, offered invaluable guidance for growers looking to enhance soil fertility and build long-term productivity.
Episode Five took us to Claydon Farms with Simon Revell, where we explored two years of Sea2Soil trials alongside the Claydon Opti-Drill System. Simon’s insights into establishment technology, soil structure, and upcoming Net Zero trial work with Nottingham University showed the exciting direction farm innovation is heading.
We closed the season with Marian Dichevski, who gave us a window into farming in Bulgaria and across Europe. Marian’s perspective on climate challenges, drought conditions, and the growing need for products like Sea2Soil in European markets reminded us that soil health is a global conversation.
The bigger picture
Running through every episode, however, was a commitment to practical, implementable knowledge. These weren’t theoretical discussions. They were field-based insights from people working directly with soils, facing real challenges and finding real solutions that are already working in their fields.
Whether you’re exploring regenerative practices for the first time or fine-tuning an established hybrid system, this podcast season offered something for everyone.
To our guests: thank you for your time, your expertise, and your willingness to share openly about both successes and challenges. Your contributions have created a resource that will support farmers and advisors for seasons to come.
To everyone who listened, subscribed, and shared episodes: thank you for being part of this community. The feedback we’ve received has been genuinely encouraging, and it’s clear these conversations are resonating with people working to farm better, smarter, and more sustainably.
What’s next?
All six episodes remain available to stream on Spotify and watch on YouTube. If you missed any along the way, now’s the perfect time to catch up. Each episode stands alone, so dive in wherever your interests lie.
As for what comes next, watch this space. The conversations around soil health and regenerative farming are far from over, and we’re committed to continuing to bring expert voices and practical insights to the community. 2026 is already looking very exciting…
Keeping winter crops healthy to set up well for early spring 2026 looks to be even more vital this season given the very rapid establishment and initial crop growth around UK farms this autumn.
Winter crops including cereals, oilseeds and pulses have established extremely well on the whole this season in response to being drilled into good seedbeds, with sufficient moisture and relatively mild temperatures, which encouraged rapid germination and early growth conditions.
This pronounced early growth and extra plant biomass that many crops now have will need careful subsequent management over the coming winter period, especially as they head into early spring next year. Forward crops can very easily suffer as they come out of winter if sufficient nutrition, a healthy soil environment and soil microbiome is lacking.
A critical stage for crop growth and development, ensuring good soil health and correct plant nutrition before the onset of new spring growth will be essential to enhance and protect yields and profitability. All in the hope of avoiding a repeat of lower yielding crops in 2025.
Of course, we cannot predict what the weather will do next year but, experience tells us that increasing the health and resilience of our soils, through use of soil amendments like Sea2Soil, is getting more important each year as we see changing climatic patterns. Helping crops through difficult periods and extremes of drought, heat or flooding is a part of farm management that is becoming more vital.
“Feeding the soil is part and parcel of feeding the crops. Ensuring good soil health by applying Sea2Soil in early spring feeds the underground livestock in our soils, fostering beneficial microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and protozoa, and earthworms, which in turn help support more resilient crops,” says Grant James, UK Business Development Manager, Sea2Soil.
Split applications of Sea2Soil are recommended for all winter crops in both early autumn and early spring. This coincides with some of the most important periods in a crop’s life, where the first 30-60 days help a crop establish, develop shoots and roots in autumn before the main phase of growth and development in the crop kicks in during the early spring, once soil and air temperatures begin to rise after winter.
“Sea2Soil promotes a biologically active soil substrate, so the soil has better aeration, can retain moisture and releases nutrients in a bio-available form to plants, contributing to better stress tolerance in plants and promoting healthy growth of crops,” explains Grant James.
Cereal crops in particular can be vulnerable at these key stages if sufficient nutrition and soil health is not in place in soils to support them. Application of Sea2Soil is versatile and can be combined with other inputs such as early T0 spring fungicides, early spring herbicides or other crop nutrition applications.
Sea2Soil fish hydrolysate is a versatile soil improver that can be utilised by both the soil microbiome and the plant directly and contains a full range of naturally balanced amino acids and fatty acids. Rich in essential macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the product also provides vital micronutrients like calcium, magnesium and other trace elements in a bioavailable formulation, establishing a good basis for any crop nutritional plan. All these nutrients play a critical role in plant growth and development phases in the spring, flowering and yield-set. Helping the soil early this spring really will help the crops deliver healthier growth, yields and quality.
To find out more about early spring applications of Sea2Soil in either winter crops or ahead of establishing spring crops, please contact Grant James:
T: 07976 879646
Tillage with Intention: How to Balance Cultivation and Regeneration
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