From the Soil Up.
A seven month pilot programme using living Bacillus biology to support root depth, thatch reduction and turf resilience on putting surfaces. Side by side, treated against control, on your course.
Greens are the most intensively managed turf you will ever oversee. Compaction, frequent mowing, organic matter accumulation, irrigation variability and constrained soil biology all conspire against root depth and resilience. RAD Microbes restores the functional soil ecology that managed environments tend to lose, using a consortium of five beneficial Bacillus strains designed to colonise the thatch and root zone.
Thatch & Root Zone
Cellulase production breaks down thatch and organic residues. Phosphate solubilisation supports deeper, denser root systems. Biosurfactants improve soil to water interaction at the rhizosphere.
One Spray, Monthly
Nine treated greens against nine untreated controls. One foliar application per treated green per month for seven months, aligned to your growing season. Light irrigation moves the biology into the thatch and upper root zone.
Two Outcomes. No Downside.
The microbes either support green health or do nothing at all. No burning, no contamination, no damage to the putting surface. The biology is benign by design.
Five Bacillus Strains, One Living Consortium
- B. licheniformis — cellulase enzymes degrade thatch, antifungal compounds suppress soil pathogens.
- B. megaterium — root associated symbiont, solubilises bound phosphate for deeper roots.
- B. subtilis — biosurfactant production, stabilises rhizosphere microbial balance.
- Two further Bacillus species — supporting strains for community resilience and competitive exclusion.
Genomic Sequencing, Not Just a Soil Test
Root and soil samples are taken at the midpoint and endpoint of the trial and analysed using microbial genomic sequencing.
- Full taxonomic breakdown of treated against control soils.
- Patterns of Bacillus colonisation across the root zone.
- Functional microbial pathways active in the rhizosphere.
- Plus observed metrics: root depth, turf vigour, water infiltration, thatch, stress tolerance.
What The Course Commits.
RAD Microbes supplies the product, covers the laboratory work, and provides the protocol walkthrough. The club commits the time of one greens team member. No budget required.
- Onboarding session — protocol walkthrough with Barry Bonner.
- Monthly application — nine designated greens, seven consecutive months.
- Maintain standard practice — treated and control under identical management.
- Sampling access — brief site visits at month three or four and month seven.
Let's talk about your course.
Limited number of pilot courses for the 2026 growing season. Reach out for the full programme document and a conversation about whether your greens are a fit.