I need to assess the effects of a particular treatment on microbial activities in soil. I feel having an optimum microbial population will give a clearer view of the effect of the treatment on the microbial activites
I'm not sure about using an inoculant to assess microbial activity, but you could run a simple FDA analysis (fluorescein diacetate - see Schnurer and Rosswall, (1982), Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis as a measure of total microbial activity in soil and litter. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 43:6, pp 1256-1261). This is an inexpensive, simple, and quick assessment of total microbial activity; it does not identify who is in the soil, but how much. Running this analysis over time will show how your amendments are changing the microbial biomass.
Yes, you may go for FDA analysis which will indicate the activity of fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes/actinobacteria. You may also analyse total microbial biomass. You may also go for dehydrogenase activity which will indicate your total bacteria and actinomycetes activity. For beneficial microbial activities you may analyse enzyme activities like Phosphatases, Phytase, Urease, arylsulphatase, nitrate reductase etc, depends on your requirements, If you want to enhance your microbial population in the soil then you may amend the soil with FYM and maintain soil moisture content between 60-75% and temperature 28-32 degree celcus.
Thanks a alot. I aprreciate your responses. They have given me a clearer picture.
Very informative discussion and good input from the experience of Dr. Tarafdar in this area
Apart from FDA analysis you can also go for soil respiration, soil dehydrogenase (as stated by Dr. Tarafdar Sir) and acid or alkaline phosphatase activity test for assessing the microbial population.
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I appreciate all responses. They have been quite helpful!
Unfortunately , there is hardly any rider to establish , a given soil microbial population is optimum or suboptimum with regard to given rhizosphere population or endosphere population..
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