HYGROBEN™ and the Direct Mechanisms of Bacillus Species

If you follow us on social media, you’ve probably seen or heard the buzz around HYGROZYME’s® newest member of the family, HYGROBEN™, that was launched in the US in June of 2023! If not, go ahead and check out our previous blogs on HYGROBEN™ and the specific bacterial species of Bacillus to learn more, then come right back here for more details as to how the bacteria affect plant growth! If you have heard the good news, you may know that HYGROBEN™ is a beneficial microbe product with 5 specific strains of Bacillus bacteria that are targeted at increasing yield, terpene and cannabinoid content in your plants. However, do you know how HYGROBEN™ and these bacteria work to achieve these amazing results? This post will break down the direct mechanisms of those bacteria present in HYGROBEN™ to help you truly understand how they benefit your plants and garden!

Nitrogen Fixation:

The first mechanism we’ll look at is Nitrogen Fixation. This is a chemical process that occurs when certain bacteria, like those present in HYGROBEN™, take the Nitrogen molecules already present in the atmosphere and growing environment and convert them into bioavailable compounds that can be used by the plant. This process helps to boost yield in your plants, while also facilitating the production of deep green leaves and reducing the need for additional synthetic fertilizers. Nitrogen fixation also helps to reduce nitrogen runoff from the plants that may be harmful to the environment by ensuring they are directly utilized by the rootzone. Nitrogen uptake also positively affects the glandular trichomes in cannabis plants, resulting in increased cannabinoid and terpen production.

Phosphate Solubilization:

The next direct mechanism we’ll dig into is Phosphate Solubilization, so, if you’re wondering what that even means, and how it helps your plants, look no further!
Phosphate solubilization is a scientific term that basically means the bacteria is taking the phosphates present in the soil or other growing media and converting them into a form that is bioavailable for your plants to use and consume. Similar to Nitrogen fixation, Phosphates and phosphorous are naturally occurring elements in soil, rocks and minerals, but not all phosphates are available in forms that your plants can use, meaning your plants can miss out on valuable nutrients if they’re not made bioavailable to the rootzone of the plant. That’s where bacteria like the Bacillus species found in HYGROBEN™ come in, to take these elements that are already present and give them back to the plant in a usable form. In turn, your plants will intake more phosphates, which helps to promote root and overall plant growth, flower formation, and energy storage in your plants.

Siderophore production:

Next, we move into the final direct mechanism of HYGROBEN™, Siderophore Production! Siderophores are organic compounds that are created by microorganisms, such as the Bacillus bacteria species present in HYGROBEN™. These siderophores function by chelating with iron molecules present in the growing environment. These scavenger compounds look for iron present within the growing environment and bond with them to bring bioavailable iron to your rootzone and plants. Iron is essential for plant growth and development as it is needed for the synthesis of chlorophyll and other metabolic processes your plants cannot thrive without, resulting in greener leaves, and higher yield potential.

Conclusion:

After learning more about how the specific direct mechanisms of the Bacillus species in HYGROBEN™ function and how they help to benefit your plants and garden, hopefully you have a stronger understanding of how important and vital beneficial microbes and bacteria are in your growing recipe, and how these amazing microorganisms can help you reach the full genetic potential of your plants. For more information on HYGROBEN™ and the other products in the HYGROZYME® family, check out our website and resources page for more details and blog posts.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7922199/#:~:text=Phosphate%20solubilizing%20microorganisms%20(PSMs)%2C,amounts%20of%20P%20in%20biomass.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/siderophore#:~:text=3%20Siderophore%20production,of%20almost%20all%20living%20organisms.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6853763/#:~:text=Most%20bacteria%20secrete%20powerful%20ferric,from%20their%20environment%20%5B32%5D.

https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/how-to-optimize-phosphorus-fertility-for-cannabis/#:~:text=Phosphorus%20(P)%20is%20essential%20for,and%20metabolic%20activities%20in%20cannabis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6888403/

https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/news/nitrogen-fixing-bacteria-within-leaf-cells-could-reduce-need-for-inorganic-nitrogen-fertilizers-313971