Yes, microorganisms are key players in the decomposition of organic matter in soil. They break down complex organic compounds, release nutrients, contribute to humus formation, and participate in nutrient cycling, ultimately supporting plant growth and maintaining soil fertility.

Dr Sudip Ghimire thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Soil organisms, including micro-organisms, use soil organic matter as food. As they break down the organic matter, any excess nutrients are released into the soil in forms that plants can use. This release process is mineralization. Microbes need carbohydrates, fats, proteins, metals, and vitamins to survive, just like animals. The process of using nutrients and converting them into cellular material requires energy. Every microbe has unique nutritional requirements depending on the types of molecules it is capable of making for itself. During the decomposition process, microorganisms convert the carbon structures of fresh residues into transformed carbon products in the soil. There are many different types of organic molecules in soil. Some are simple molecules that have been synthesized directly from plants or other living organisms. However, micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes even though they go unnoticed in your compost pile are responsible for most of the organic material breakdown. They are chemical decomposers because they use chemicals in their bodies to break down organic matter. We cannot see soil microbes with our eyes, but they play a fundamental role in our lives: they feed the plants that we grow for food. Bacteria break down dead organisms, animal waste, and plant litter to obtain nutrients. But microbes don't just eat nature's waste, they recycle it. The process of decomposition releases chemicals that can be used to build new plants and animals. Bacteria known as decomposers break down wastes and dead organisms into smaller molecules. These bacteria use the organic substrates they break down to get their energy, carbon, and nutrients they need for survival. Bacteria and fungi are responsible for most of the mineralisation of organic matter in soils. Microorganisms release enzymes that oxidise the organic compounds in organic matter. The oxidation reaction releases energy and carbon, which micro-organisms need to live. Microbes are alive and must-have nutrition to survive and that nutrition comes from organic matter. As they consume the nutrients they need, microbes create foods like nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace minerals for our plants. These organisms have many tasks, and are central to crop fertility, purifying the environment from pollutants, regulating carbon storage stocks and production/consumption of many significant green house gases, such as methane and nitrous oxides.

Microorganisms release extracellular enzymes which act on complex food materials converting them into simpler sugars and organic acids. These simpler substances are absorbed by microbes as energy and carbon sources. the mineralization and immobilization go side by-side and thus microbes help in the decomposition of organic compounds.

Dr D.V.Pathak thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Soil organic matter and soil organisms are inextricably connected. Microbial biomass is the living component of soil organic matter, and microorganisms are the catalysts for most nutrient-releasing processes. They make it possible for crops to grow and for soils to be productive. Bacteria and fungi are responsible for most of the mineralization of organic matter in soils. Microorganisms release enzymes that oxidize the organic compounds in organic matter. The oxidation reaction releases energy and carbon, which micro-organisms need to live. By far the most important microscopic decomposers are bacteria, which do the lion's share of decomposition in the compost heap. But there are other microscopic creatures such as actinomycetes, fungi, and protozoa that also play an important role. The decomposition of cellulose is a relatively specialized depolymerization exercise followed by hydrolysis to glucose, which is rapidly utilized as an energy source by most heterotrophic soil microorganisms. Due to their close proximity to plant roots, soil microbes significantly affect soil and crop health. Some of the activities they perform include nitrogen-fixation, phosphorus solubilization, suppression of pests and pathogens, improvement of plant stress, and decomposition that leads to soil aggregation. Soil microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and archaea, perform vital ecosystem functions, such as decomposition and nutrient cycling, and form symbiotic relationships with plants. N-deposition can alter soil microbial community structure and function in multiple ways. But microbes don't just eat nature's waste, they recycle it. The process of decomposition releases chemicals that can be used to build new plants and animals. However, micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes–even though they go unnoticed in your compost pile–are responsible for most of the organic material breakdown. They are chemical decomposers because they use chemicals in their bodies to break down organic matter. Microbial biomass is the living component of soil organic matter, and microorganisms are the catalysts for most nutrient-releasing processes. They make it possible for crops to grow and for soils to be productive. Bacteria as decomposers break down wastes and dead organisms into smaller molecules. These bacteria use the organic substrates they break down to get their energy, carbon, and nutrients they need for survival.