What are the most important microorganisms in soil and role of soil microorganisms in the global circulation of nutrients?
The soil microorganism like bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and protozoans degrade the organic matter present in the soil. The SOM (soil organic matter) sustains the soil quality, suppresses the pathogenic activity, and releases nutrients. Bacteria are the crucial workforce of soils. They are the final stage of breaking down nutrients and releasing them to the root zone for the plant. In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization once said “Bacteria may well be the most valuable of life forms in the soil.”As soil microbes decompose organic residues, they slowly release nutrients back into the soil for the winter cover crops or for the preceding crop. Cover crops prevent the nutrients from being lost through soil erosion, leaching, volatilization, or denitrification. Microorganisms have the potential to improve plant growth under abiotic stress conditions by promoting the production of low-molecular-weight osmolytes, such as glycinebetaine, proline, and other amino acids, mineral phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, organic acids, and producing key enzymes
Soil microbes decompose organic residues; they slowly release nutrients back into the soil for the winter cover crops or for the preceding crop. Cover crops prevent the nutrients from being lost through soil erosion, leaching, volatilization, or denitrification. Soil microbial metabolism boosts plant nutrition by converting recalcitrant forms of N, P, and S to forms that are more bioavailable for plant uptake. These microorganisms play important roles in soil including nutrient fixation nutrient solubilization mineralization, and loss of nutrients from soil through processes like methane production and denitrification. Microorganisms play a primary role in regulating biogeochemical systems in virtually all of our planet’s environments. Microbes participate in essential biogeochemical cycling events such as carbon and nitrogen fixation. Prokaryotes play several roles in the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil and within the root nodules of some plants convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to ammonia. Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrites or nitrates. A teaspoon of productive soil generally contains between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria. That is as much mass as two cows per acre. A ton of microscopic bacteria may be active in each acre.” While bacteria may be small, they make up both the largest number and biomass of any soil microorganism. Common bacterial genera isolated from soil include Bacillus, Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium, Alcaligenes, Clostridium, Flavobacterium, Corynebacterium, Micrococcus, Xanthomonas, and Mycobacterium. In contrast to simple morphology, bacteria have the greatest metabolic diversity. Within food plant cropping systems, microorganisms provide vital functions and ecosystem services, such as biological pest and disease control, promotion of plant growth and crop quality, and biodegradation of organic matter and pollutants.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Agricultural Science
- Agronomy
- Crop Science
- Crop