Building Healthy Soil with
Biological Fertilisers
Soil health is not just about how much nutrient is present in the soil, but how effectively those nutrients are made available to the plant. Biological approaches focus on improving this availability through nutrient cycling and soil biology.
Liquid Fish and Seaweed Biological Fertilisers provide a premium soil care solution. Made through a biological fermentation process, these ocean-sourced mineral concentrates boost soil health and crop nutrition by introducing organic minerals and beneficial microbes.
These microbial inoculants trigger microbial activity in the soil, breaking down organic matter and delivering nutrients in a plant-available form. Healthier plants, nourished by organic nutrition and beneficial microbes, lead to stronger more resilient crops, and more nutritious produce.
Supporting and feeding your soil’s biology builds a sustainable, productive foundation for long-term farm success
How is Biological Fertiliser Made?
SONIC Biological Fish and Seaweed Fertilisers are made using a cold fermentation process, which preserves the integrity of ocean fish and seaweed kelp ingredients, ensuring the final product is rich in organic nutrients and beneficial microbes. Each batch is made fresh for every order, ensuring maximum microbial activity and nutrient value.
The Production Process
Our biological fertilisers are produced using a controlled cold fermentation process designed to preserve natural nutrients and biological activity. This process uses 100% naturally occurring microorganisms, including beneficial bacteria, fungi, and other soil-supporting microbes.
During fermentation, these microbial cultures break down raw fish and seaweed materials into simpler, stable compounds. This process helps retain the integrity of nutrients and naturally occurring bioactive compounds.
Using a cold fermentation method, to produce biological fertilisers, compounds are converted into a soluble form, preserving all minerals and trace elements in a naturally balanced, bio-available state. This allows for easy uptake and utilisation by animals, soil, and the roots and leaves of your crops.
Biological Fermentation
Microbial Starter Cultures are introduced at the beginning of fermentation to inoculate, activate, and maintain a healthy balance of beneficial microbes throughout the processing period.
We produce our own microbial starter cultures containing a diverse range of indigenous microbes sourced from a number of unique Australian locations.
By selecting soil microbes from different soil types and environments, we ensure a broad, resilient microbial profile in our cultures, that produce high-quality biological fertilisers suited to a wide range of soils and climates across Australia.
Unlock the Superpower of Soil Microbes
How Do Biofertilisers Benefit the Soil?
Biological fertilisers are a soil amendment with both microbial fertiliser and mineral fertiliser effects.
Biofertilisers support natural soil processes by feeding and stimulating the microbes that drive nutrient cycling in the soil. They provide organic compounds, carbon sources, and trace nutrients that help bacteria and fungi become more active.
Rather than simply adding nutrients, biological fertilisers help the soil system function more efficiently, allowing nutrients to be cycled and delivered to plants in a more balanced and wholesome way.
Benefits of Boosting Soil Microbes:
- Enhanced nutrient cycling
- Improved plant immunity
- Fix atmospheric nitrogen
- Supports seed germination
- Increased nutrient brix levels
- Improved soil structure and aggregation
Bring Your Soil Back to Life with ‘Living’ Biological Fertilisers
What Makes Biofertilisers Different?
Biological fertilisers work in a fundamentally different way to conventional synthetic inputs. Rather than supplying nutrients in a readily available synthetic (chemical) form, they focus on supporting the living processes within the soil that naturally create fertility over time.
At the centre of this approach are beneficial microbes—bacteria, fungi, and other soil organisms—that help drive the cycles that plants depend on. These microbes don’t just sit in the soil; they actively interact with plant roots, organic matter, and minerals to improve how nutrients are accessed and used.
When these biological systems are functioning well, they help:
- Enhance nutrient cycling, making nutrients already in the soil more available to plants over time
- Support plant health, through improved root function and natural plant-soil interactions
- Improve water retention, as healthier soil structure allows better infiltration and moisture holding capacity
Instead of acting as a direct feed to the plant, biological fertilisers work more like a catalyst—helping the soil system perform the work it is already capable of doing, but more efficiently.
Beneficial Microbes – The Workforce In Your Soil
Biologically fermented Liquid Fish and Liquid Seaweed contain a range of naturally occurring microbes that can directly benefit soil health and, when applied, encourage the growth of these beneficial microbes in the soil. These microbes work in synergy with plants to improve nutrient availability, enhance disease resistance, and support soil biodiversity.
| Beneficial Microbe | Primary Function in the Soil |
|---|---|
| Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) | Enhances nutrient cycling, suppresses harmful pathogens, promotes breakdown of organic matter into plant-available forms. |
| Bacillus species | Enhances nutrient availability (especially phosphorus), breaks down organic matter, controls soilborne diseases. |
| Actinobacteria | Decomposes organic matter, especially complex materials like cellulose and lignin. Improves soil texture and nutrient availability. |
| Rhizobacteria | Fixes nitrogen, enhances nutrient uptake, produces growth-promoting hormones (e.g., auxins, cytokinins). |
| Pseudomonas species | Produces antimicrobial compounds, improves nutrient availability, suppresses harmful pathogens, breaks down organic matter. |
| Yeasts | Promotes fermentation of organic matter, produces beneficial byproducts like vitamins and enzymes that support plant growth. |
| Fungi (Mycorrhizal Fungi) | Forms symbiotic relationships with plant roots, enhances nutrient absorption (particularly phosphorus), increases plant disease resistance. |
Some of the Many Roles Soil Microbes Perform
Soil biology plays a crucial role in the availability and absorption of nutrients by plants. Here’s the basics:
- Microbial Activity
Soil microbes break down organic matter (like dead plant and animal material) into simpler forms of nutrients, making them accessible to plant roots. Without microbes, many of these nutrients would remain locked in organic forms and unavailable to plants. - Symbiotic Relationships
Certain microbes, such as mycorrhizal fungi, form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, enhancing the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients (especially phosphorus). In return, plants supply the fungi with carbohydrates. - Nutrient Cycling
Soil microbes are integral in the nutrient cycle. They help decompose organic material, release minerals and nutrients, and create healthy soil conditions, which directly influence which nutrients plants can absorb. - Nutrient Availability
The activity and diversity of soil organisms determine the types of nutrients that are available in the soil at any given time. For example, some microbes convert nitrogen in the air into forms that plants can use, while others make phosphorus more accessible. - Influence on Soil pH
Soil microbes can also affect the pH of the soil, which in turn affects nutrient availability. For instance, some microbes acidify the soil slightly, making certain minerals (like iron and manganese) more accessible to plants.
In summary, healthy soil biology is a key factor in nutrient availability, and plays a significant role in determining the nutrients plants absorb.
Why Use Liquid Seaweed and Fish Biological Fertilisers?
Liquid seaweed and fish biological fertilisers are used because they provide both plant nutrition and support for soil biology, helping improve overall soil health and plant performance.
Unlike synthetic fertilisers that deliver nutrients in a direct chemical form, these biological fertilisers supply a combination of bioavailable nutrients and beneficial microbes.
Liquid fish fertiliser is particularly rich in organic nitrogen and amino acids that support growth, while liquid seaweed contains trace elements and natural plant compounds that help with stress tolerance and overall plant health.
Used together, they provide a balanced approach that supports both immediate plant needs and longer-term soil function.
Biological Fertilisers encourage earthworms, fungi, bacteria and other beneficial organisms to thrive
Healthy, biologically active soils don’t just improve nutrition – they also enhance drought resilience, water infiltration, and soil structure for better overall growing conditions.
Biological Fertiliser FAQ's
Conventional synthetic fertilisers are designed to deliver nutrients rapidly, creating fast and predictable plant responses. When nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are applied in synthetic forms, plants often respond with quick greening and a surge in biomass.
Biological fertilisers, on the other hand, work in a fundamentally different way to conventional synthetic inputs. Rather than supplying nutrients in a readily available chemical form, they focus on supporting the living processes within the soil that naturally create fertility over time.
Read article Rethinking Soil Fertility: The True Meaning of Fertiliser
These products begin working immediately by stimulating soil biology and delivering bioavailable nutrients. Results vary depending on soil condition and management practices.
Early benefits such as improved seed germination and plant establishment can be seen quickly, while longer-term improvements—particularly in grazing systems—build over one to three years. In horticulture and orchards, growers often notice improved growth, quality, and extended shelf life of produce with regular use.
Read more about SONIC Biological Fertilisers
Liquid seaweed extracts, such as Seasol, are usually produced using chemical or heat extraction to concentrate certain compounds. While these products are widely used, the process can reduce some of the natural components of the seaweed. Seaweed biofertiliser, on the other hand, is cold fermented, preserving a wider range of nutrients and natural compounds in a form that supports soil biology and plant uptake.
Read Article – Liquid Seaweed Fertiliser Comparison: Ferment Vs Extract
We source both fresh and dried fish waste, generated after processing for human consumption, from a network of fish shops and processors handling ocean-caught fish across Australia. By utilising these by-products, we help divert organic waste from landfill and repurpose it into valuable liquid fish hydrolysate biological fertiliser.
Read article Turning Fish Waste Into Premium Hydrolysate Fertiliser
SONIC biological fertilisers can help balance soil pH over time by improving overall soil function. The microbes in our biologically fermented fertilisers enhance nutrient cycling and soil structure, which can help buffer pH fluctuations and create more balanced soil conditions.
Rather than directly changing soil pH like lime or other amendments, biological fertilisers work by supporting the natural processes that help maintain a more stable and productive soil environment.
Read article Adjusting Soil pH on Australian Farms (and Why Microbes Matter)
SONIC Liquid Fish and Seaweed Biological Fertilisers are used because they provide both plant nutrition and support for soil biology, helping improve overall soil health and plant performance.
Key benefits include:
• Providing fast-available nutrients for plant uptake
• Feeding and stimulating beneficial soil microbes
• Supporting nutrient cycling within the soil
• Improving root development and crop resilience
• Enhancing soil structure and long-term fertility
Liquid fish fertiliser is particularly rich in organic nitrogen and amino acids that support growth, while liquid seaweed contains trace elements and natural plant compounds that help with stress tolerance and overall plant health. Used together, they provide a balanced approach that supports both immediate plant needs and longer-term soil function.
Read article Top 3 Strategies To Get The Most From Your Biological Fertilisers
