Agronomy Library > Insects

Microbial Engineering to Enhance Your Bottom Line
Author: Dr. Kris Nichols
Date Created: November 27, 2008
Last Reviewed: November 27, 2008
Dr. Kris Nichols - Soil Microbiologist, USDA - Mandan, ND Microbial Engineering to Enhance Your Bottom Line Soil microbes manipulate their growing environment to more efficiently access food and maintain a habitat. This manipulation comes in the form of creating soil aggregates in the rhizosphere, or zone around the roots. Soil aggregates are small soil pellets which give the soil structure and improve soil functions such as water infiltration, water holding-capacity, and nutrient cycling. Plants growing in the high quality environment formed by soil aggregates have higher productivity with less water and synthetic inputs.  Click the pdf for the complete presentation