Dr. David Johnson, Adjunct Professor for the College of Agriculture at Chico State and Faculty Affiliate for the Center for Regenerative Agriculture, is investigating the use of biological soil enhancements and their effect on soil fertility in crop land and carbon sequestration for the Institute of Sustainable Agricultural Research at New Mexico State University.

In the course of his work, Dr. Johnson and his wife, Hui-Chun Su, created a bioreactor for producing the fungal-rich compost used in their experiments. The design improves on most composting systems by allowing the plant material to be composted aerobically without needing to be turned. It reduces water usage up to six times, produces no odors or associated insects, and is inexpensive and relatively simple to make.

The compost created looks different than most compost—more the consistency of clay than mulch. It takes about a year to make but the result is a more biologically diverse and nutrient-rich product that greatly improves the biology and nutrient availability of the soil, improves water-retention capacity, and increases soil carbon sequestration while greatly improving crop yields

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