Management of Soil Biota and Their Processes

This chapter explores the human management of soil microorganisms and the processes that microorganisms control through energetic metabolism. We detail examples of human manipulation of microorganisms to provide beneficial services to humankind, many inadvertent manipulations. Soil microorganisms play a central role in food and fiber production on a worldwide basis. They also play a major role in soil health, including nutrient cycling and aggregation of soil particles. Organic agriculture is particularly reliant on the microbial cycling of nutrients from organic amendments because inorganic plant nutrients are not applied. Other management strategies for soil microorganisms include the introduction of plant-growth promoting organisms, biocontrol agents for pests and weeds, and to control soil-borne pathogens. However, introduced organisms only survive for a period of days to weeks. Thus managing organisms for human benefit may be more up to the soil organism community than mankind.