Soil Microbial Dynamics and Nutrient Management
Summary
Soil microbial dynamics encompass the composition, function and interactions of bacteria, fungi, archaea and protozoa that drive the transformation and availability of nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems. These communities regulate key processes such as organic matter decomposition, nitrogen mineralisation, nitrification and denitrification, and phosphorus solubilisation. Their activity is modulated by soil physicochemical properties, organic amendments, cropping systems and climate factors. Nutrient management seeks to harness these microbial processes to optimise crop nutrition, maintain soil structure and minimise losses of nitrogen and phosphorus to the environment. Innovations in molecular ecology and isotope tracing have revealed functional guilds and hotspots of activity, while precision application of organic amendments, biofertilisers and biostimulants is providing strategies to enhance beneficial taxa, improve nutrient retention and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Integrating these insights supports resilient, sustainable agriculture with global implications for food security and environmental protection.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have used controlled soil incubation to distinguish biostimulant effects from plant legacy impacts on microbial communities. A seaweed- and amino-acid-based biostimulant applied to bare soils triggered a delayed activation of saprophytic fungi and plant-growth-promoting bacteria over several weeks, increasing fungal richness beyond that observed after cultivation with model plants. Despite these shifts in community structure, rates of organic carbon mineralisation remained unchanged, underscoring the complexity of linking taxonomic changes to functional outcomes in soil ecosystems.
Soil Microbial Dynamics and Nutrient Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in soil microbial dynamics and nutrient management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Microbial biomass: The mass of living microbial cells in soil, reflecting the potential for nutrient transformation.
Rhizosphere: The soil region immediately adjacent to roots, where plant–microbe interactions concentrate.
Organic carbon mineralisation: The microbial-mediated conversion of organic compounds into inorganic carbon forms, primarily CO₂.
Biostimulant: A substance or microbial formulation that enhances natural soil processes to improve nutrient availability and plant growth.
Controlled-release fertiliser: A nutrient formulation engineered to release nutrients gradually over time, improving efficiency.
Nutrient use efficiency (NUE): The proportion of applied nutrients absorbed and utilised by plants.
References
- Responses of active soil microorganisms facing to a soil biostimulant input compared to plant legacy effects. Scientific Reports (2020).
- Effects of Humic Acid Added to Controlled-Release Fertilizer on Summer Maize Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emission. Agriculture (2022).
- Nutrient recovery from anaerobic digestion of food waste: impacts of digestate on plant growth and rhizosphere bacterial community composition and potential function in ryegrass. Biology and Fertility of Soils (2020).
- The Chemical Composition of Biogas Digestates Determines Their Effect on Soil Microbial Activity. Agriculture (2020).
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