The Role of Bacteria in Conditioning Soil

Bacteria are the unsung heroes of gardening. Without bacteria, gardeners would not have the rich, loamy soil in which plants grow without bounds. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that chemically digest organic matter in soils into smaller nutrient components in forms available to plants. There are hundreds of thousands of different kinds, and many types of bacteria can digest hundreds of different forms of organic matter into humus. The bacteria are able to do this because they can produce many different types of enzymes to digest different compounds.

Bacteria in Soil vs. Bacteria in Compost
Each type works best under certain conditions. In a cool compost pile, or in garden soil, bacteria that thrive in cool conditions will form the bulk of the bacterial population. In hot compost, other bacteria that can survive the high temperatures dominate. When considering a bacterial soil conditioner, keep in mind the way in which you plan to use the conditioner. Understand the bacteria you are adding, if you are adding bacteria as soil conditioners, so that you add the right kind. Once conditions change drastically, bacteria that cannot function in those conditions will perish. (Bacteria are not very mobile, unless they have water to float along in or wind to carry them.) The upside of bacterial immobility is that they will stay and multiply in place as long as conditions are favorable.

Bacteria for Soil Structure Improvement
Using a bacterial soil conditioning program not only helps with nutrient availability, it also helps to improve soil structure. Soils with poor structure benefit as bacteria breaks down soil compounds and the soil re-aggregates. Spaces for air and water will open up, and the structure of the soil will become more uniform.

Add Beneficial Bacteria for Oxygenation
Well structured soils provide plants with necessary oxygen in the root zone. Plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, but they use oxygen for respiration, which is the process whereby plants break down stored sugars and starches to use as energy for growth. They get their oxygen by absorbing it in the root zone. Soils with good structure have plenty of spaces for oxygen. Soils without structure or organic matter generally do not have enough oxygen. When the plant cannot successfully undergo respiration, it cannot grow well.

Not all Bacteria is Good Bacteria
There are beneficial bacteria and there are bacteria that spread diseases. For bacteria to aid in soil conditioning, they need to be beneficial. Not just any bacteria will do. You can't really open your refrigerator, grab something old and throw it in the garden! You need the type of bacteria that will function well in your soil, in your climate, to decompose organic matter. Good bacteria does something other than break down organic matter. Good bacteria in soil is instrumental in keeping harmful fungi and viruses at bay. Be careful about your source for garden bacteria. Many will sing the praises of compost tea for adding bacteria to your soil, but these teas can also add pathogens that will harm your plants. If adding bacteria to your soil, it is best to go with a reputable source that can provide beneficial bacteria that will produce results.

Casey Coke is a Marketing Manager for Natural Environmental Systems, LLC. The company is a global supplier of humic acid and other organic soil conditioners.

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Microbiology - A Brief Introduction to Microorganisms

Microbiology is the study of "small life" - in other words the study of all living organisms that are too small to be visible with the naked eye and are usually visible only through a microscope. Such organisms are referred to as microorganisms or microbes. Microorganisms were first observed over three hundred years ago and it is estimated that only one percent of the species of microorganisms that exist have been studied so far. Microbiology is a broad term that includes bacteriology, virology, mycology, phycology, parasitology, and other branches of biology.

Microorganisms include bacteria, archaea, viruses, protozoa, protists, microscopic fungi and moulds, yeasts, and microscopic algae. Note that viruses, though not always strictly classed as living organisms, are included. Bacteria are a large group of unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms. A few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals. Archaea are single-celled microorganisms. Like bacteria, Archaea are prokaryotes and have no cell nucleus or any other organelles within their cells. Generally, archaea and bacteria are quite similar in size and shape however archaea possess genes and several metabolic pathways that are more closely related to those of eukaryotes. Viruses are sub-microscopic infectious agents that are unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell. Microbiologists debate whether or not viruses are living organisms. They do not meet all the criteria used in the common definitions of life, however, viruses have genes and evolve by natural selection.

Fungi are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms. The majority grow as multicellular filaments called hyphae forming a mycelium but some fungal species grow as single cells. Fungi that are largely invisible to the naked eye are classed as microorganisms. Yeasts, moulds and mushrooms are examples of fungi. Algae include many single-celled organisms that are also considered protozoa, such as Euglena. Blue-green algae are in fact bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis. They are generally, and more correctly, referred to as cyanobacteria.

Protozoa are mostly single-celled, motile protists that feed by phagocytosis, though there are numerous exceptions. Examples of protozoa include Euglena, Amoeba, Paramecium and Toxoplasma. Protists are a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms. Protists were traditionally subdivided into the one-celled animal-like protozoa, the plant-like protophyta (mostly one-celled algae), and the fungus-like slime molds and water molds. These groups have been replaced by phylogenetic-based classifications but are still used as informal names for describing the various protists.

Microbiology encompasses both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms but the majority of microbes are prokaryotes. Prokaryotes are a group of organisms that do not have a membrane-bound nucleus; they do not possess a nuclear membrane or nuclear envelope. They have DNA but the DNA is not enclosed in a membrane or envelope. In addition, they do not possess other membrane-bound organelles. Most are unicellular, but a few prokaryotes such as Myxobacteria have multicellular stages in their life cycles. The prokaryotes are divided into two domains: the bacteria and the archaea. Eukaryotes are defined as possessing a nuclear membrane enclosing their nucleus. Many eukaryotic cells also contain other membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria, chloroplasts and Golgi bodies. Animals, plants, fungi and protists are eukaryotes.

More information and resources on microbiology at Microbiology and recent scientific developments in microbiology at the Microbiology Blog.

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