Beneficial soil microbes and the soil food web
Beneficial soil microbes and the soil food web

Learn about the microorganisms that feed all plants

Bacteria and fungi are fed directly by plant exudates (photosynthetic sugars and other nutrients) and organic matter (decomposing plant remains). They are in turn the food source for all other microbes. Once consumed, the waste produced by their consumers, or the excess nutrients provided by bacteria and fungi, which their consumers don’t use, becomes the natural source of plant nutrients (fertiliser). Fungi and bacteria have powerful enzymes and acids capable of breaking down rock. In this way they release minerals from parent rock material and the mineral component of soil which they incorporate into themselves, and when they are consumed by predators, the poo the predators release is filled with minerals nutrients for plants. However, root symbiotic or mycorrhizal fungi, actually exchange minerals, particularly P, S and N for photosynthetic carbon from the plant. It has been shown that the plant “requests” particular minerals from bacteria and fungi “rewarding” these microbes with particular nutrients that they prefer, thus selecting the exact microbes and nutrients a particular plant requires.

Plant associated bacteria

Bacteria are the most nutrient rich organisms on Earth. When they are consumed by other organisms, the excess nutrients they provide are released by their predators in plant available form. Some bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen in root nodules of legume plants such as cow pea, beans, peas and lentils. This N is taken up by the plant and when plant matter it is broken down by bacteria and fungi, this nitrogen again becomes available to growing plants. The tiny comma shaped specs in the image are bacteria.

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Plant beneficial fungi

Can be symbiotic - living within plant root tissue, providing and exchanging nutrients for photosynthetic exudates.

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Free living decomposer fungi organic matter dropped by plants storing those nutrients until they are consumed. Fungal grazers like nematodes, springtails, earthworms and other invertebrates, release N, P, S and other plant available nutrients on tained in the fungi they consume.

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Protozoa

Unicellular microscopic animals including amoebae and flagellates, which consume bacteria releasing excess plant available nutrients.

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Beneficial nematodes

Microscopic worms classed based on their food preference and availability, some feed on bacteria, some on fungi, and some on other nematodes especially parasitic root nematodes.

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Beneficial soil microbes and the soil food webBeneficial soil microbes and the soil food web

Beneficial soil microbes and the soil food web
Beneficial soil microbes and the soil food web