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com

Who is in Your Soil?

Soil Biology: What Gardeners Need
to Know
NOFA-VT Winter Conference 2008
Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.
Vegetable and Fruit TA Advisor
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont

www.nofavt.org fungal-jungle.blogspot.com
 Soil Organisms: Today
SMB

• Examine Soil Biology: The amazing web of

life that makes garden soils healthy.
• Answer: Why is soil biodiversity important
in the garden?
• Discuss: How to improve soil biodiversity
for successful gardening.

DFW
Soil: the Foundation of the
Garden

WSH
 A Plant & Soil
Ecosystem Light
Air
Water, etc

Moisture Pollutants
Temperature
Nutrients
Air
Texture pH

Structure CEC
Microbes,
Earthworms, etc
OM = Organic Matter
 Mi Moisture
c ro Nutrients
be
s

CEC

atter
ic M
a n
Org
Air

ure
uct
tr
S
Pollutants
ture
Tex pH
A Simplified Soil Ecosystem
 Soil Fertility is
The ability of a soil to provide a physical,
chemical, and biological environment for the
plant that is health sustaining.

This is a long-term ecosystem based or

ecological agriculture perspective!
 Seven Principles to Maintain Soil
Fertility
1. Maintain a Proper Air to Water Balance
2. Maintain Soil Tilth
3. Prevent Erosion
4. Maintain Soil Organic Matter Levels
5. Maintain Biological Diversity
6. Maintain a Proper Soil pH
7. Maintain a Balance of Nutrients
A systems approach means you gotta do them all.
Each alone will not make a fertile soil.
 The Ecology of Soil Organisms
& Soils

Sizes

Feeding
Levels

DFW
 Microflora Swimmers: Bacteria

DFW

SMB SMB

SMB
 Microflora Swimmers:
Actinomycetes

SMB
SMB

SMB
Microflora Swimmers: Fungi & Molds

Mold

SMB
DFW
Fungi
SMB

University of Edinburgh

SMB
 Microflora Swimmers: Fungi
SMB

Parasitic
Saprophytic SMB
 Microfauna Swimmers: Protozoa

SMB
DFW Amoebas
Flagellates

DFW

Tulane University
Ciliates
 Microfauna Swimmers: Rotifers

Microscopy-UK

DFW

Microbus
 Microfauna Swimmers: Nematodes

SMB

DFW SMB

SMB

Parasitized
Nematode
Mesofauna: Walk Knee-Deep in Water

DFW
DFW
Beetle Mite
Mold Mite
Soil-USDA

DFW
Predatory Mite
Mesofauna: Walk Knee-Deep in Water
Spring Tails

DFW
Bark Lice DFW

DFW
DFW
Pseudoscorpion Feathered-winged
Beetle
 Macrofauna: Pore Makers

DFW
DFW White Worms or Potworms
Earthworms

Millipede

DFW
 Macrofauna: Pore Makers

Ispod, Pill or Sow Bug

DFW
DFW
Land Snails DFW Maggots or Fly Larvae

Slug
DFW
 Macrofauna: Pore Makers
Ground Beetle

Centipede

DFW

DFW

Ants

DFW
 Macrofauna: Pore Makers

DFW
Wolf Spider
DFW
Land Planarian,
Flat Worm or
Turbellaria
 Interesting Relationships!!
SMB SMB

SMB

DFW Captured
Nematodes
DFW

Parasitized
Nematode

Population Checks and Balances.

Fungal
Hyphae
Nooses
 More Interesting Relationships!!
Phoresy: Detritivore Hitchhikers

DFW

Sucker Disc

DFW

DFW
Immature
Mites
Phoretic
Nematodes
DFW
Plant - Microbial Relationships
Rhizobium and Legumes: Mutualism

SMB
 Plant - Microbial Relationships
Ectomycorrhizae Mycorrhizal Fungi Endomycorrhizae
www.profileproducts.com

Brady
and
Weil, SMB
2002. Brady
and
Weil,
2002.

SMB

fungal-jungle.blogspot.com
SMB
Plant to Plant
Mutualistic
Relationships

Brady
and
Weil,
2002.
The Ecology of Soil Organisms
& Soils

DFW
 SMB

In Soil Organisms:
‘ Decompose plant and animal residues SMB
releasing nutrients and making humus
’ Change nutrients to plant available forms
“ Improve soil structure and tilth (thru 1)
” Improve plant nutrition (thru 1,2, & 3)
• Diverse populations increase biological
stability and balance
• resistance to system degradation
• resilience or “the bounce back” factor
– Create self-sufficiency (Emergent properties)
– system nutrient cycling,
– beneficial mutualistic organism relationships,
– system pest population management, and SMB
disease suppression.
The Food Web Foundation is Food!
& Soils

DFW
 The Importance of Soil OM or Humus
1. Source of Nutrients - N P S & micronutrients
2. Acts as a chelating (binding) agent for the micronutrients
3. Has high CEC; holds cations in soil
4. Chelates potentially toxic elements (ex. Al3+, Cd2+, Zn2+)
5. Extracts “base” nutrient cations from minerals
6. Buffers soil pH reaction
7. High water holding capacity
8. Promotes aggregation & improves structure
9. Improves drainage (less erosion) & aeration
10. Affects soil temperature w/ dark color
11. Provides energy (NRG) & nutrients for microbes
12. Stimulates plant root growth
13. Active OM helps maintain a diverse group of soil organisms =
less pests and diseases
Soil Organic Matter Profoundly Influences Soil Fertility
 That Means….
• Soil OM Î Biodiversity Î
• Ecological Balance
– Efficiency of Soil Processes
– Resistance: System’s Resistance to Degradation
– Resilience: System’s Ability to Bounce Back
– Self-Regulation or Self-Sufficiency (Emergent Properties)
• Nutrient cycling
• Mutualistic organism relationships
• Pest checks and balances
• Stability
5. Maintain or Create Biodiversity
 Create Functional Biodiversity
Provide Diverse Food: Organic Matter
Add Organic Residues
Add Manure or Compost
Grow Cover Crops
Provide Diverse Habitat
Rotate Crops
Grow Cover Crops
Plant Mixtures of Species
Interplant, Under-sow, Companion Plant, Polyculture
Add Compost
Use Mulches
Plant Biological or Ecological Islands; Habitat and Food For
Beneficial Organisms
Bio-strips, Flower Strips, Beetle Banks, Strip Insectary
Intercropping, Vegetative Corridors, Hedge Rows
Selective Weeding
Reduce Tillage, Bare Land, and Chemical Inputs
Change Tolerance Levels for Pest
Use Integrated Pest Management
 Biological or Ecological Islands www.sare.org

www.attra.org
www.sare.org

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
Syrphid Fly Parasitic Wasp

www.sare.org
NCSU-IPM

NCSU-IPM

Lacewings NCSU-IPM
 Refugia or Conservation Head Lands

www.ukagriculture.com

www.sare.org

University of Minnesota Extension www.sare.org

NCSU-IPM
 Hedge Rows as Habitat
www.sare.org

University of Idaho

USDA/NRCS/NAC

Vegetative Corridors
Wind Shelter Belt
National Corn Growers Association
Spined Soldier Bug

Texas A&M University

Vegetation Barriers Praying Mantis

 Mulch as Habitat
Spiders

DFW

WSH

Ground Beetles

WSH

DFW
Beetle Banks: Britain

http://www.orc.govt.nz/

www.snh.org.uk/

Ground Beetles
and other
Predatory Beetles

Oregon State University Extension

DFW
 Intercropping: Living Mulches

www.sare.org

www.omafra.gov.on.ca/
www.dereila.ca NCSU-IPM
Bigeyed Bug Minute Pirate Bug
Rover Beetle
Questions on Soils Biology or Ecology?

WSH

WSH

WSH

WSH

WSH WSH
 Resources
™ Start with the Soil.1993. G. Gershuny. Rodale Press.
™ The Rodale Book of Composting. 1992. D.L. Martin & G.
Gershuny. Rodale Press.
™ Tales From The Underground. 2001. D. Wolfe. Perseus Pub.
Î Soil Organic Matter in Sustainable Agriculture. 2004. F.R.
Magdoff and R.R. Weil. CRC Press.
Î Manage Insects on your Farm: a guide to ecological strategies.
M.A. Altieri and C.I. Nicholls with M.A. Fritz, SAN. 2005.
¾ Life in the Soil. 1966. R. Jackson & F. Raw. St. Martin’s Press.
¾ Soil Biology Guide. 1990. D. Dindal. John Wiley & Sons.
NYC.
¾ The Nature and Properties of Soils. 2002. N.C. Brady & R.R.
Weil. Prentice Hall.
‰ ATTRA: <http://attra.ncat.org/> (Soils and Composting)
 Biological Slide References
• DFW: The Decomposer Food Web: Ecology
of organisms of compost and soil litter by
Dr. Daniel Dindal, Professor Emertius, Soil
Ecologist, SUNY-Syracuse

• SMB: Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry

from Soil Science Society of America

• WSH: Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.

The End