how do microbes help soil
Key points. 1  Soil fertility depends on three major interacting components: biological, chemical and physical fertility. 2  Soil organisms improve soil fertility by performing a number of functions that are beneficial for plants. This article examines six of these functions. Some management practices may help improve and maintain the biological fertility of soil. Releasing nutrients from organic matter. Soil microorganisms (figure 1) are responsible for most of the nutrient release from organic matter. When microorganisms decompose organic matter, they use the carbon and nutrients in the organic matter for their own growth. They release excess nutrients into the soil where they can be taken up by plants.