What is the role of bacteria to increase soil fertility by humus formation and nitrogen fixation and importance of soil microbes in nutrient transformation?
В земледелии пора официально вводить термин "Дисбактериоз" в качестве диагноза. Если в почве нет достаточно растворенных солей и достаточно влаги, то микробиологическая истощенность почвы проявляется на состоянии растений незамедлительно
Bacteria play crucial roles in increasing soil fertility through humus formation and nitrogen fixation. Humus is a stable form of organic matter that contributes to soil structure, nutrient availability, and water-holding capacity. Bacteria, along with other microorganisms, actively participate in the decomposition of organic materials, breaking them down into simpler compounds. During this process, certain bacteria help convert organic residues into humic substances, which contribute to the formation of humus. In addition to humus formation, certain bacteria possess the remarkable ability of nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but atmospheric nitrogen (N2) is not directly available to most plants. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, known as diazotrophs, have the unique capability to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, a form usable by plants. These bacteria form symbiotic associations with certain plants, such as legumes, or exist freely in the soil. Through nitrogen fixation, bacteria enhance soil fertility by providing a vital source of nitrogen to plants, reducing the reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Apart from humus formation and nitrogen fixation, soil microbes play a pivotal role in nutrient transformation and cycling. They are involved in various processes such as mineralization, immobilization, nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus solubilization.
Bacteria help in fixing atmospheric nitrogen and increase the nitrogen available for the plants. Bacteria decompose the decaying matter and increase the nutrient content. They also help in improving the texture and quality of the soil. Bacteria provide large quantities of nitrogen to plants and nitrogen is often lacking in the soil. Many bacteria secrete enzymes in the soil to makes phosphorus more soluble and plant available. The role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria is to provide plants with nutrients that they cannot acquire from the air. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria perform what crops cannot: they obtain assimilative N. Bacteria absorb it as a gas from the air and release it to the soil, typically as ammonia. Rhizobium is an example of a symbiotic bacterium that attaches to the roots of leguminous plants and it increases soil fertility by converting atmospheric nitrogen into organic compounds. The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria invade the root hairs of host plants, where they multiply and stimulate formation of root nodules, enlargements of plant cells and bacteria in intimate association. Within the nodules the bacteria convert free nitrogen to ammonia, which the host plant utilizes for its development. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia and then convert it into nitrites and nitrates which can then be taken up by plants. This process is biological nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria may be free-living or symbiotic. 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. Soil microorganisms decompose these materials into inorganic nutrients and humus and are termed as mineralization and humification, respectively. The released nutrients further get chelated as organo-metal-complexes or leached through the soil or immobilized or become available to the plants. Microorganisms increase the source of nitrogen in the soil, or they can supply it directly to the plant, as they have the ability to take and set nitrogen from the atmosphere. Thanks to microorganisms, there is an increase in the bioavailability of phosphorus in the soil. 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.
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