Multi-Strain Soil Inoculant and Microbial Biofertilizer for Crops

Continuous cropping, heavy fertilizer programs and repeated tillage all pull in the same direction. Microbial diversity narrows, nutrient cycling slows and soil structure breaks down. The soil then needs more fertilizer to do the same work, and the crop shows it first under drought, salinity or a cold wet start.

Sunrise is a multi-strain soil inoculant and microbial biofertilizer built to put that biology back. It is a dry, spore-forming powder at 50 billion CFU per gram that disperses in non-chlorinated water and goes out through the irrigation, fertigation or in-furrow equipment already in the field. At the 13 g per acre rate a single 22 lb pail covers up to 769 acres per application, which is what makes it economical to freight into distributor and export programs.

What is in a multi-strain microbial inoculant

Sunrise pairs three bacterial genera with three fungal genera rather than relying on one organism to do everything. The Bacillus fraction includes Bacillus velezensis, one of the most studied plant-associated species in the genus, alongside Brevibacillus. Both act as phosphate-solubilizing and potassium-solubilizing bacteria, releasing organic acids and enzymes that convert bound nutrients into forms roots can take up. Pseudomonas species are classic plant growth promoting rhizobacteria: they colonize the root surface, produce siderophores that chelate iron, and synthesize the auxins and cytokinins (IAA, IBA, CK, GA) that drive root elongation.

The fungal side, Trichoderma, Aspergillus and Penicillium, works on the material the bacteria cannot reach. These species break down crop residue, recycle organic matter, release phosphorus held in it, and secrete polysaccharides that glue soil particles into stable aggregates.

The reason to use a consortium rather than a single strain is coverage. One organism performs one set of functions well and leaves gaps. Six working together cover solubilization, hormone production, residue breakdown and aggregate formation at the same time, which is why results hold up across soil types instead of only in the conditions that suit one strain.

How a biofertilizer builds soil fertility and structure

Soil that performs is soil with active biology in it. As an organic soil amendment, Sunrise works on structure and fertility together rather than adding a nutrient charge and leaving.

• Aggregation: microbial polysaccharides bind particles into stable aggregates, improving porosity, aeration and water infiltration.
• Organic matter turnover: residue and organic carbon are broken down and converted toward humus, which holds fertility in place season to season.
• Moisture: better aggregation means better retention and better root zone oxygenation, which matters most on compacted or depleted ground.
• Biological recovery: degraded and low organic matter soils rebuild activity fastest, since there is the most headroom.

How a microbial fertilizer improves nutrient efficiency

Most of the phosphorus and micronutrient load already in a field is present but locked up. A microbial fertilizer does not add nutrients so much as unlock the ones sitting there, which is why growers see the effect as better return on the fertilizer they were buying anyway.

• Phosphorus and potassium: organic acids from the Bacillus and Brevibacillus fraction solubilize bound macronutrients.
• Nitrogen: biological activity in the root zone improves nitrogen availability, reducing how hard the synthetic program has to work.
• Micronutrients: siderophores chelate iron and support uptake of the organic micronutrient fraction.
• Enzymes: cellulase, protease and amylase accelerate the breakdown that releases nutrients in the first place.

Beneficial bacteria for plants and root development

Roots are where the return actually comes from. Beneficial bacteria for plants work at the root surface, and Sunrise is formulated to colonize it early and stay.

The plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in the blend produce natural growth regulators that increase root elongation, branching and fine root density. More fine root means more surface area for water and nutrient uptake, which shows up as faster establishment in transplants and more uniform stands in direct seeded crops. The fungal fraction adds structural support, opening the soil around the root so it can actually extend.

Soil biostimulant effects under drought and salinity

A biostimulant is judged on what happens when conditions are not ideal. The clearest evidence for Sunrise as a plant biostimulant came from paddy soil in Jilin at pH 9 to 10, ground alkaline enough that most inputs do nothing. Treated rice yielded 182% more than the control.

The mechanism is not exotic. A functioning rhizosphere community keeps nutrient uptake and photosynthetic activity steadier when the plant is under drought, salt or nutrient stress, and a plant that stays fed through a stress event recovers instead of stalling. In practical terms this is the difference between a uniform field and a patchy one after a hard week.

Balancing the soil microbiome

Introducing a large, diverse population of beneficial organisms changes what dominates the root zone. Sunrise establishes a competitive community that occupies space and consumes the substrate, and it produces organic acids, enzymes and metabolites that keep that community stable over the season. The result is a rhizosphere that stays biologically balanced under intensive management, rather than drifting the way an unmanaged one does.

Where a soil inoculant fits across crops

Sunrise is a multi crop inoculant, not a crop-specific product, and the six field trials on this page span vegetables, cereals, tubers, fruit, fiber and ornamentals.

• Horticulture and vegetables: root establishment and transplant survival in intensively worked soils. Georgia commercial tomato returned 36% more marketable cartons per acre.
• Row crops and cereals: nutrient efficiency and structure across high-input systems, applied in-furrow at planting and again during the second pass.
• Orchards and vineyards: microbial diversity and long-term fertility where the same ground carries the same crop for decades.
• Greenhouse and high value: stable populations under controlled conditions. Greenhouse strawberry produced 24% more fruit per plant at higher brix.
• Organic and regenerative: OMRI Listed and CDFA registered, so it fits certified programs without a paperwork problem.

Hydroponic beneficial bacteria and recirculating systems

Sunrise is suitable for hydroponics, soilless media and recirculating nutrient systems, not only field soil. Coco coir, rockwool, perlite and clay pebbles start biologically empty, so a root zone in an inert medium has nothing living in it until something is added. That is the gap a hydroponic beneficial bacteria product fills.

The same mechanisms apply without the soil. The Pseudomonas and Bacillus fraction colonizes the root surface, produces the growth regulators that drive fine root density, and chelates iron and micronutrients in the solution so they stay plant-available instead of precipitating out. In a recirculating system the population persists in the root mass between top-ups rather than washing straight through.

• Water: use non-chlorinated water. Chlorine and chloramine will knock the population down before it establishes.
• Equipment: the powder passes a 100-mesh screen, so it moves through drip emitters, NFT channels and standard dosing lines without clogging.
• Timing: apply into the reservoir with gentle agitation and use the solution the same day. Viability holds 12 to 24 hours once mixed.
• Compatibility: works alongside standard nutrient programs. Keep it away from strong oxidizers, and separate it from hydrogen peroxide or chlorine sterilant dosing by at least 72 hours.

Published rates on this page are given per acre for field and greenhouse programs. For reservoir volume dosing in hydroponic and recirculating installations, contact the technical team with your system size and cycle and we will size it for you.

It mixes into a liquid biofertilizer solution in non-chlorinated water and can also go out by soil drench, in-furrow, seed treatment, foliar spray or fertigation.

Buying microbial biofertilizer in bulk

Sunrise is sold direct by the manufacturer. We produce it in Belgium, Wisconsin and verify every batch for CFU count, strain purity and stability before it ships, which is the part most buyers comparing microbial fertilizer companies actually need to check. A high spore count biofertilizer only performs if the count on the label is the count in the bag.

• Formats: 22 lb (10 kg) and 44 lb (20 kg) pails, 340 lb (155 kg) drums.
• Custom work: OEM, private label and custom concentrations on request.
• Buying direct: no intermediate layers between the fermenter and the field, and a supply chain you can plan a season around.
• Documentation: tech sheet, SDS and full trial PDFs are all on this page.

For pricing, samples or distributor terms, contact the sales team.