Freshwater Wastewater Treatment 3 Soil Remediation 3 Agriculture 3 Turf Management 3 Store

Soil Microbes and Nutrient Uptake

Ready to Chat More?

Improvement in crop growth obtained from crop and soil management practices is the
result of increased activity of microbes in the vicinity of plant roots (the rhizosphere).
There is still much unknown in the relationship of roots and microbes because of the
complexity of this symbiotic relationship.

Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi are critically important for virtually all crop
plants. Research has shown that the lack of VAM can result in poor plant growth. Most
crop elds have adequate VAM spores present if crop residue, compost, or liquid humic
substance (Humega®) is placed back into elds.

Intensive pesticide use, or intense fertilizer use will reduce VAM so low that plant growth
will be in jeopardy.

The mycorrhizae linkage between plants and soil fungi varies greatly. Some types of
plants do not use the fungi for nutrient uptake, while other plants have trouble even
surviving without mycorrhizae. Clearly, the evolutionary process over millions of years has
led di erent plants down di erent paths.

It is known, that the zone of soil next to plant roots support a much higher population of
microbes than the soil even a short distance away from the roots. The number of
microbes near the roots (rhizosphere) is from 10 to 100 times greater than 1/4″ away.

Plants often exude from 25 to 50% of their photosynthates to attract and feed those
mycorrhizal fungi. Why?

Microbes digest chemical compounds and make them available to the plants.

Colonization by VAM fungi can limit root-feeding nematode attacks of the root
system.

Microbes receive nutrition from plants and soil organic matter and convert them to
humus storage for plant use.

Rhizosphere fungi provide a protective coating on roots that bu er the negative

e ects of salts and other toxic compounds in the soil.

The greater the diversity and number of microbes, the higher the fertility of the
soil.

Maintenance of an environment around the plant roots, which is favorable for the good
growth of bene cial microbes, will result in increased fertilizer e ciency and higher crop
yields.

Descriptions
Heterotrophic Bacteria (Aerobic Bacteria)
The functional group of bacteria utilizes oxygen in their growth and represents a very
diverse and important cross-section of soil microorganisms. The heterotrophic bacteria
enumeration is a good indicator of general soil conditions with the number of these
bacteria decreasing with the increasing depth in the soil.

Yeasts and Molds (Fungi)

Soil fungi are primarily in the top 4-6 inches of soil and are most abundant in well-aerated
soil. While some fungi are pathogenic to plants, many contribute to soil fertility by
breaking down organic compounds including cellulose, lignin, and pectin as well as
increasing phosphate uptake in plants.

Fungi are also important in binding together ne soil particles to form water-stable
aggregates thereby improving the soil crumb structure. Fungi typically tolerate a low soil
pH making them particularly signi cant in acidic soils.

Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria

Nitrogen xing bacteria are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen
compounds used by plants to synthesize plants. These bacteria can be free living or
associated with certain plant roots, although the nitrogen- xing bacteria enumerated at
BBC Laboratories are free-living bacteria.

There are bacteria of many genera in the soil that are capable of nitrogen xation and the
number of these bacteria will uctuate.

Actinomycetes
Actinomycetes comprise a signi cant proportion of the bacterial population in agricultural
soils. They are capable of degrading many complex chemical substances including chitin.
They favor alklaine or neutral soil pH and are intolerant of waterlogged soils.

Actinomycetes are responsible for the musty or earthy odor of a freshly plowed eld and
are helpful in improving soil crumb structure. Most soil actinomycetes are
streptomycetes, which are well known for the production of antibiotics.

Although the presence of antibiotic substances in the soil can rarely be detected, it is
possible they are present and active in a microenvironment.

Anaerobic Bacteria
Anaerobic bacteria are capable of growth without oxygen. The anaerobic bacteria
enumeration is predominantly a count of facultative anaerobes, or those organisms that
have the ability to live and grow both with and without oxygen.

High numbers of anaerobic bacteria in the soil usually indicate soil that needs better
aeration and is possibly waterlogged or too compact.

Pseudomonads
These organisms are very nutritionally versatile and capable of degrading many natural
and synthetic organic compounds. These are typically aerobic and contribute to the
decomposition and nutrient release process by attacking a wide variety of organic
substrates including humic acids and synthetic pesticides.

Particular pseudomonads have been linked to the biological control of plant pathogens.

More Articles in This Category

Webinar – Lot125® for Drought

Protection
https://youtu.be/TtcPCBST_Kw In this short 7-minute video, our Lead Agronomist, Scott Anderson talks about the
science behind Lot125's ability to protect plants in times of extreme weather.

Read More

OUR OFFICE W H AT W E D O PRODUCTS C O M PA N Y

255 Park Ln #204 Plant Startup (WWTP) Water & Wastewater Products Sales Reps & Sta

PO Box 1499 Nitri cation Landscaping & Turf Products About Us

Estes Park, CO H2S Remediation Agriculture Products Careers

FOG Reduction Soil Remediation Products Blog

GET IN TOUCH Denitri cation Fresh Water Programs® Testimonials

o ce: 970-586-3391 Food to Microbe Ratio (F:M) Golf and Sports Turf Products

fax: 970-577-1387 Plant Toxicity

sales@biolynceus.net Solids Reduction

Water Clarity