Understanding the soil microbiome

Microbes are in your gut, in your medicine…and in the soil. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Feb. 1 Soils Matter blog post explains how the soil microbiome makes a big impact on plants’ productivity and health.

“The health of the soil microbiome can affect the health of the plants living in it,” says Jo Anne Crouch, USDA-ARS. “Many of the worst diseases in crops or other environments are linked with changes in the soil microbiome. And many of the changes made in soil affect both the soil microbiome and the plants that live in them.”

Even an urban setting such as the U.S. National Mall hosts an incredible population of microbes: 1,600 species were found during renovations to the lawn in 2010.

“Just like humans live in towns and cities where people cooperate, soil microbes rarely act alone. They normally occur as populations within complex communities, the soil microbiome,” Crouch says.

Read the entire blog post here.