Soil microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) are responsible for biomass decomposition, biogenic element circulation, which makes nutrients available to plants, biodegradation of impurities, and maintenance of soil structure.As soil microbes decompose organic residues, and 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 play a key role in decomposition and the cycling of nutrients and water to our plants and crops. Microorganisms have potential roles to play in sustainable agricultural production due to their ability to promote plant growth and enhance biotic and abiotic stress resistance, remediate contaminated soils, recycle nutrients, manage soil fertility, and weather and mineralize rocks and other abilities. 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.

Beneficial soil microbes perform fundamental functions such as nutrient cycling, breaking down crop residues, and stimulating plant growth. They maintain soil fertility and soil tilth. They clean up all the dead organic material; without them we would be up to our ears in dead things, like our ancestors. They fix gaseous nitrogen into forms that can be used by plants to maintain the fertility of soils. They can be used to extract minerals from ores. Soil organisms, which range in size from microscopic cells that digest decaying organic material to small mammals that live primarily on other soil organisms, play an important role in maintaining fertility, structure, drainage, and aeration of soil. Microorganisms have several vital roles in ecosystems: decomposition, oxygen production, evolution, and symbiotic relationships. Decomposition is where dead animal or plant matter is broken down into more basic molecules. This process only happens because of the microorganisms that find their way into the dead matter. 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.Soil microbes play a vital role in the sustained growth of plants. They decompose and recycling nutrients bound in organic materials. They help access minerals in rocks large and small and, they can even refine nitrogen from the air into a useful form for plants. Microorganisms are responsible for the degradation of organic matter, which controls the release of plant nutrients, but is also important for the maintenance of soil structure and sustainability of soil quality for plant growth. Soil microorganisms are responsible for most of the nutrient release from organic matter. When microorganisms decompose organic matter, they use the carbon and nutrients in the organic matter for their own growth. They release excess nutrients into the soil where they can be taken up by plants.

Soil microorganisms play very very important roles in decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling. Through these vital processes the microorganisms helps in converting unavailable complex form of nutrients to the simpler forms which are available for the plants. In addition to these, the microorganisms are very efficient decomposers and they clean the soil of harmful chemicals and pesticides. They are known for the decomposition of herbicides residues in the soil, maintaining and enhancing the soil health.

The microorganisms at each and every step are required in nutrient cycling. The mineralisation of organic matter to nitrates are facilitated by organisms such as Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter through which nitrogen is made available to plants. These nitrates are again denitrified in the absence of oxygen with the help of Pseudomonas and Bacillus to produce nitrous oxides and N2 which is released into atmosphere. The nitrogen fixing organisms such as rhizobium and Azotobacter, Azospirillium fix atmospheric nitrogen and again make them available to the plants for the production of organic biomass. In this way the microorganisms have a role to play at every step of nutrient cycles.

Dr Muskan Porwal thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Rhizosphere bacteria may improve the uptake of nutrients to plants and/or produce plant growth promoting compounds. They also protect plant root surfaces from colonization by pathogenic microbes through direct competitive effects and production of antimicrobial agents. Soil organisms play a principal role in modification of their environment, nutrient cycling and soil formation. These effects can be achieved by contribution of soil biota to food webs which facilitates mineralization of soil organic matter and release of nutrients. Microbes create nutrient-like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace elements, vitamins and amino acids and make them available for plant in right form for their growth and health. Bacteria and fungi are the major decomposer on earth and crucial component for composting and humus formation. Microorganisms have several vital roles in ecosystems: decomposition, oxygen production, evolution, and symbiotic relationships. Decomposition is where dead animal or plant matter is broken down into more basic molecules. This process only happens because of the microorganisms that find their way into the dead matter. Microorganisms are responsible for the degradation of organic matter, which controls the release of plant nutrients, but is also important for the maintenance of soil structure and sustainability of soil quality for plant growth. Soil microorganisms are responsible for biomass decomposition, biogenic element circulation, which makes nutrients available to plants, biodegradation of impurities, and maintenance of soil structure. Soil microbes play a vital role in the sustained growth of plants. They decompose and recycling nutrients bound in organic materials. They help access minerals in rocks large and small. And, they can even refine nitrogen from the air into a useful form for plants.