The carbon and nitrogen cycles work together.

If plants are very high in carbon and low in nitrogen the process of decay will be very retarded and the nutrients needed for crops and soils will not be released in a timely manner.

If the plant residues are 20 to 30 carbon to 1 nitrogen the decay microbes will give a timely release of nutrients from decay as long as water is available.

The decay respiration will narrow soil C to N to about 10 to 1 which is ideal for plant growth.

Water carbon or nitrogen can limit the decay process.

In case of legume based agriculture system the Nitrogen should not be limited as 80% of the atmosphere is nitrogen.

For this abundance of atmospsheric Nitrogen to be optimized the legume cropping is critical.

For this to occur the emphasis needs to point to Rhizobia and their optimization within a broad concept of focusing on soil effect over time and mixed agriculture of crop and animal mixed culture.

When the focus is on agriculture input it avoids the negative long term effects of inputs.

The alternative is regenerative agriculture where agrichemical inputs avoided the plants are signaled to depend on natural biology rather than the luxury of chemical inputs with their multiple negative issues.

Dr Paul Reed Hepperly thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Soil microbes can break down plant organic matter to carbon dioxide or convert it to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compounds. This leads either to long-term carbon storage, because DOC can bind to soil particles, or to the release of carbon back to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. 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. The actions of soil organisms are extremely important for maintaining healthy soils. These organisms can change the physical organization of soil by creating burrows, can add nutrients to the soil through the breakdown of dead leaves, and can help to control the populations of other soil organisms. The symbionts of microbes enhance the efficiency of nutrient acquisition of nutrient and water by plants. Decomposition, mineral- ization, and nutrient flow are also regulated by these microbial associations. Earth crust is an important biological component for microbial activity. Plant microbiomes are agriculturally important bioresources for agriculture as beneficial microbes may enhance plant growth and improve plant nutrition uptake through solubilization of P, K, and Zn, nitrogen fixation, and other mechanisms including siderophore production. 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. Micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa can be used to protect plants, as some of them are parasites or pathogens of insects or other organisms that are pests or cause disease in plants. The main role of bacteria in carbon cycle involves breakdown of organic compounds. Some cyanobacteria are involved in photosynthesis too, but photosynthesis is primarily carried out by plants. And some proteobacteria are chemoautotrophs, that synthesize organic compounds from basic elemental carbon. The bacteria include Bacteroides succinogenes, Clostridium butyricum, and Syntrophomonas sp. This bacterial collaboration, which is termed interspecies hydrogen transfer, is responsible for the bulk of the carbon dioxide and methane that is released to the atmosphere. They replenish the carbon to form carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis. The bacteria also act as decomposers in the carbon cycle to release carbon from the dead and decaying bodies. Communities of microbes that work together release more carbon dioxide than competitive communities, contributing more to climate change. Despite being small, microbes, and especially bacteria, contribute a lot to the global carbon cycle -- the movement of carbon in various forms through nature.

Respected Sir,

The role of microbes in soil fertility, crop production and role of bacteria in carbon cycle are:

Soil Fertility and Crop Production:

Microbes such as bacteria, fungus, and archaea help with soil fertility and nutrient cycling. Decomposition is the process by which they break down organic matter, such as dead plants and animals, into simpler components. This breakdown releases vital nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, allowing plants to absorb them. Furthermore, certain microbes form symbiotic partnerships with plants. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, for example, create nodules on the roots of leguminous plants and transform atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use. This procedure adds nitrogen to the soil, encouraging plant development and increasing agricultural output. In addition, some bacteria operate as biocontrol agents, fighting plant diseases and supporting plant health. They have the ability to inhibit the growth of hazardous organisms, decreasing the need for synthetic pesticides.

Carbon Cycle:

The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon through different reservoirs, such as the atmosphere, oceans, land, and living creatures. Microbes, particularly bacteria, are important in numerous stages of the carbon cycle:

a. Decomposition: Bacteria use decomposition to break down organic stuff such as dead plants and animal excrement. Carbon molecules are broken down during this process, releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the environment. This decomposition helps to recycle carbon naturally in ecosystems.

b. Carbon Sequestration: Some bacteria help to sequester carbon by converting atmospheric CO2 into organic carbon molecules, which are then stored in soil. This process, known as carbon fixation, reduces CO2 levels in the atmosphere and promotes long-term carbon storage.

c. Methane Production and Consumption: Methane (CH4), a strong greenhouse gas, is produced and consumed by some bacteria. Methanogenic bacteria produce CH4 in anaerobic (oxygen-free) environments such as marshes and rice paddies. Methanotrophs are bacteria that consume methane and oxidize it, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.

In conclusion, bacteria and other microorganisms are critical for soil fertility and nutrient cycling, enabling healthy plant growth and increasing agricultural yield. Furthermore, they are important players in the carbon cycle, regulating carbon storage, release, and greenhouse gas dynamics in ecosystems.

Dr Himanshu Tiwari thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Dr Rana Hamza Shakil thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Soil microbes can break down plant organic matter to carbon dioxide or convert it to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compounds. This leads either to long-term carbon storage, because DOC can bind to soil particles, or to the release of carbon back to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. 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. The symbionts of microbes enhance the efficiency of nutrient acquisition of nutrient and water by plants. Decomposition, mineralization, and nutrient flow are also regulated by these microbial associations. Earth crust is an important biological component for microbial activity. The actions of soil organisms are extremely important for maintaining healthy soils. These organisms can change the physical organization of soil by creating burrows, can add nutrients to the soil through the breakdown of dead leaves, and can help to control the populations of other soil organisms. 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. Plant microbiomes are agriculturally important bioresources for agriculture as beneficial microbes may enhance plant growth and improve plant nutrition uptake through solubilization of P, K, and Zn, nitrogen fixation, and other mechanisms including siderophore production. Micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa can be used to protect plants, as some of them are parasites or pathogens of insects or other organisms that are pests or cause disease in plants. Bacteria help fix the atmospheric nitrogen with the help of nitrogenase enzyme and increase the nitrogen content in the soil. It is referred to as Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria. Soil microbes break down organic matter: Microorganisms play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter. As plant material and animal wastes are decomposed by micro-organisms, they release inorganic nutrients to the soil solution, a process referred to as mineralization. Those nutrients may then undergo further transformations which may be aided or enabled by soil micro-organisms. 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. Microbes thrive under no-till conditions and winter cover crops. Cover crops and manure can be used to feed soil microbes and recycle soil nutrients. As soil microbes decompose organic residues, they slowly release nutrients back into the soil for the winter cover crops or for the preceding crop.