b'Regenerating SoilBobbi Helgason is fascinated by the holo-biontthe idea that the microbes that live in and on other living beings are criti-cal contributors to how they function. For example, research shows us that human cells make up only 43 per cent of your body. The rest are microbial cells.Were more microbes than human. Similar principles hold true for plants. The microbes that grow in them, and on them, represent a whole secondary metabolic machine. Those microbes help carry out many biological processes that the plant cant necessarily achieve on its own, she says. Through its partnership with its microbiome, plants can do amazing things.Her fascination led her to becoming a soil microbiologist at the University of Saskatchewan, where she is studying the soil microbiome. Her research is about understanding how soil microbes help plants grow better, and how soil microorganisms cycle nutri-ents that plants need to grow, and how different management practices impact those activities. A new project focusses on regenerative agriculture and the possibili-ties it holds for bolstering soil, seed and plant health.There are more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than are humans on earth, she notes. The majority of these organisms get their energy from organic matter and thus building soil organic matter sup-ports the ecosystem services provided by microorganisms. This focus on building soil organic matter and better understand-ing how soil microbes function has helped give birth to regenerative agriculture. Regenerative land management is a set of principles and practices which reverse current trends of degradation in soil, water and air quality by enhancing the soil eco-system and restoring its biology, accord-ing to Regeneration Canada, a non-profit organization promoting soil regeneration.Viewing a cropping system as an ecological entity fits perfectly into the way that we strive to understand potential benefits of soil microbial communities asBobbi Helgason is a soil microbiologist at the University of Saskatchewan, where she is ecological entities. Its incredibly com- studying the soil microbiome.NOVEMBER 2021 GERMINATION.CA 15'