The scientists tested pristine soil samples from Australia and South Africa as well as agricultural specimens from Hawaii. All had similar microbial communities, indicating that they existed in all soil, no matter its age or location on Earth. Without it, farmers couldn't prepare soil and plants couldn't extend beyond the soil's surface to photosynthesize. There is an interesting symbiotic relationship between the microorganisms, the soil, the plants, and even the farmer or lawn owner. Knowing how these microbial communities work could lead farmers, gardeners and growers to use smaller amounts of fertilizer.
Commercial fertilizer is often petroleum-based and requires much energy to manufacture.
Guiding growers to use less fertilizer could indirectly reduce the consumption of resources and the emission of pollutants, N sslein said. Related Sites Klaus N sslein is an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Massachusetts . For more information about microbes and the like, Dr. N sslein recommends the Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology and the International Society for Microbial Ecology . The ISME web site has a related links page as well. N sslein also suggests checking out the Microbe Zoo on the DCL-ME page.