What are soil microorganisms – Microbz Soil

Microbz Soil

The invisible world
beneath our feet

What are soil microorganisms

Soil microorganisms are microscopic microorganisms (quite a mouthful). They can exist in single cell form or as a colony of cells. There are microorganisms everywhere. There are more soil microorganisms in a teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on earth, around 50 billion. 

You may already know that each of us humans has a microbiome: our own wonderful community of trillions of single cell, living organisms. As we look after it, it looks after us. The same is true for the microbiome of the soil, which is the combination of microorganisms within the soil.

Most microorganisms are helpful and life enhancing; very few cause disease. In trying to kill the bad ones, we can strengthen them and weaken the environment and our bodies. Chemical fertilisers and cleaning products are destructive to microbiomes because they wipe out all bacteria, or microorganisms, not just the bad ones.

microorganisms are essential to the harmony of life underground.

They complete the cycle of life through the process of fermentation and decomposition. They break down organic waste and use the remaining minerals and nutrients for regeneration, enabling life under our feet to flourish.

A healthy soil microbiome contains an enormous and diverse variety of microorganisms doing thousands of different jobs. Microorganisms are responsible for keeping soils nutrient rich and they help soils to extract nutrients from organic matter. The soil microbiome consists mainly of bacteria and fungi. 

Soil organisms are usually divided into five groups:

  • Protists: including bacteria, actinomycetes and algae

  • Microfauna: single-celled protozoa, including small flatworms and nematodes

  • Mesofauna: creatures that feed on microorganisms, decaying matter and living plants, including nematodes and mites

  • Macrofauna: this group includes slugs, snails and millipedes

  • Megafauna: makes up the largest soil organisms and includes the largest earthworms

Earthworms are perhaps the most important creatures that live in soil. They pass both soil and organic matter through their guts, in the process aerating the soil, breaking up the litter of organic matter on its surface and moving the material vertically from the surface to the subsoil. This develops the soil structure for plants and other organisms making it extremely important to soil fertility.

The image below shows some of the organisms that live beneath our feet.

To have healthy soil and crops, it’s important to re-establish a diversity of effective microorganisms.Â