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Protocol · Decomposer

Decomposer Protocol

Turn Crop Residue Into a Fertility Resource.

Recover nutrients. Improve residue breakdown. Build soil biology for the crop that follows.

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Crop residue lying in rows across a field after harvest

What Is Decomposer?

Residue Is a Resource, Not Waste

MetaGrow™ Decomposer is a shelf-stable, broad-spectrum microbial inoculant designed to break down crop residue and convert nutrients locked in plant material into usable fertility for the next crop.

  • Broad-spectrum microbial inoculant
  • Bacterial and fungal diversity
  • Designed to break down cellulose and lignin
  • Multiple nitrogen-fixing microbes
  • Helps cycle nutrients from residue into the soil system

Residue contains fertility. Decomposer is designed to help recover more value from that residue and cycle it into the next crop.

How Decomposer Works

From Last Year's Residue to Next Year's Fertility

  1. 1

    Decomposes Crop Residue

    Microbes colonize residue and break down cellulose, lignin and other organic material. Chopping, rolling or incorporation gives them more surface to work.

  2. 2

    Recovers Nutrients

    As residue decomposes, nutrients contained in the previous crop are released and recycled through the soil.

  3. 3

    Supports Nitrogen Fixation

    Nitrogen-fixing microbes working through high-carbon residue can contribute additional nitrogen to the system.

  4. 4

    Builds Soil Biology & Humus

    Decomposition adds carbon to the soil and supports a larger, more diverse microbial population.

Potentially recovered nutrients

  • N
  • P
  • K
  • S
  • Ca
  • Micros

This can improve

  • Nutrient and water holding capacity
  • Soil aggregation and tilth
  • Water infiltration
  • Aeration
  • Root development
  • Seed-to-soil contact

The Fertility Opportunity

What's Already Sitting in the Field?

The primary economic value of Decomposer is recovering fertilizer value already present in the field. The opportunity is calculated from:

  • Previous crop and yield
  • Residue quantity
  • Nutrient content
  • Soil tests
  • Next crop requirements
  • Current fertilizer prices
  1. Previous crop
  2. Residue
  3. Nutrients
  4. Next crop

Best Crop Candidates

Built for Tough, High-Carbon Residue

The strongest candidates are crops with high C:N residue, lignin, cellulose, or tough stalks and stems.

High-fit crops

Also evaluated: soybeans, peanuts and oats (medium fit) and potatoes (lower fit).

Ways We Use Decomposer

Deployed Around Each Field's Fertility Opportunity

Decomposer isn't one standardized protocol. It's built around what each field can recover.

  • 01

    Nitrogen Recovery

    Recover nitrogen from crop residue and support biological N fixation to reduce the following crop's purchased nitrogen. Best fit for fields with significant residue and a large N budget.

    1. Residue decomposition
    2. N recovery + fixation
    3. Reduced N requirement
  • 02

    Phosphorus Recovery

    Recover phosphorus from residue and improve P availability from existing soil reserves. Especially valuable when a field already has adequate P but the farm keeps buying it.

    1. Residue breakdown
    2. P cycling
    3. Reduced supplemental P
  • 03

    N + P Reduction

    Recover both nitrogen and phosphorus to cut the next crop's fertilizer budget. Often the strongest economic application, because it addresses two of the largest fertility expenses at once.

    1. Recover N + P
    2. Reduce purchased fertilizer
    3. Improve fertility efficiency
  • 04

    Full Nutrient Recovery

    Build the program around the field's full nutrient inventory (N, P, K, S, Ca and micronutrients) to see how much of the next crop's fertility can come from what's already there.

    1. Full nutrient inventory
    2. Fertility from the field
    3. Then add what's missing

Application

Applied Where the Residue Is

  • Timing

    As soon as possible after harvest or crop termination, up to about six weeks post-harvest. Earlier gives the biology more time to work.

  • Placement

    Directly onto the crop residue, where the microbes can reach the plant material.

  • Residue Conditioning

    Chopping, shredding, rolling or incorporation where applicable. More exposed residue means better microbial contact.

  • Biological Food

    Applied with the appropriate microbial food source to support microbial establishment.

Final rate and timing depend on residue type and volume, lignin content, soil conditions and program goals. Decomposer is shelf-stable and goes on through standard spray, irrigation and injection systems.

Field Evidence

Midwest Corn Decomposition Trial

A Midwest corn trial evaluated MetaGrow™ Decomposer's ability to improve nutrient availability from crop residue. The program was applied before light tillage at a total material cost of $34/ac, and spring soil tests compared treated and untreated areas.

+68 ppm

Available nitrogen

About 335% of the nitrogen in the starting corn residue, pointing to biological fixation as well as recovery. Matching it with urea at $625/ton would take about 329 lb/ac.

≈ $102/ac of nitrogen

+83 ppm

Available phosphorus

Spring available P was 150% higher than the untreated control. Matching it with MAP at $955/ton would take about 733 lb/ac.

≈ $350/ac of phosphorus

$34/ac

Total program material cost

Applied before light tillage. Spring soil tests compared treated and untreated areas.

Additional nutrient availability vs. untreated control

  • Sulfur+54%
  • Zinc+26%
  • Manganese+23%
  • Calcium+22%
  • Iron+21%
  • Potassium+17%
  • Magnesium+15%
  • Copper+7%

Crop Programs

Explore Decomposer by Crop

See how Decomposer fits into each crop program.

What's Your Residue Worth?

Tell us what you're harvesting, your expected yield and what you're planting next. We'll help evaluate the nutrient recovery opportunity.

Evaluate My Acres

Talk With Our Team

Prefer a conversation first? Reach the Legacy Acre team directly.

(619) 370-8283 admin@legacyacre.com