The Relationship Between Plants and Soil Microbes

July 18, 2022 at 08:00 AM EDT

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / July 18, 2022 / When it comes to plants, we have all heard of Photosynthesis, the process where plants capture light and use it to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugars but many of us aren't familiar with soil microbes and how they help plants grow. The plant uses the sugars derived from photosynthesis in many ways, such as for respiration, producing amino acids, fats, and starch, to name a few, but plants need more than this to be healthy and productive. Luckily for the plant, there is an array of microbes in the soil that are very efficient at mining and collecting the hard to get elements needed by the plants.

The Rhizosphere and exudate exchange

These microbes can be found in the Rhizosphere, the area surrounding the plant's roots. The rhizosphere is where the plants release the sugars produced during photosynthesis to attract these beneficial microbes, specifically bacteria, and fungi. Generally, the bacteria acts as food storage banks consuming organic matter and carbohydrates (sugars), storing the nutrients that will, upon death, be released into the soil in a form that is more available to plants. The fungi, specifically Mycorrhizal fungi, attach and grow from the root tips. The fungi works to extend the reach of the plant roots, mining much needed nutrients far more efficiently than plant roots alone. The elements mined and collected are sent back to the plant in exchange for the sugary exudates.

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Nutrient Cycling

The exchange between plants and soil microbes is a big part of nutrient cycling, the circle of life and death that keep the plants' natural system flourishing. Healthy plants eventually wither and die, falling onto the soil surface. Here the dead plant material is broken down into organic matter, which holds moisture and feeds the microbes that once again will store the collected nutrients and water, which in turn eventually makes them available to plants grown in the area.

Beneficial microbes that defend

Beneficial microbes are not the only life in the soil, there are many harmful bacteria and fungi that can cause disease, steal nutrients and kill plants. In healthy soil, the harmful microbes are outnumbered by beneficials and are far less likely to ever reach a plant root to cause harm. The more beneficial microbes, the more protection. Leading to happier plants and increased yields.

Happy microbes, happy plants, happy planet, and happy people

When you apply pesticides, herbicides and man made nutrients to plants and soil you kill off many of the beneficial microbes that cycle nutrients, help the soil retain water, and fight off harmful microbes. Leaving soils depleted and plants to fend for themselves. Overtime, if the practice of adding chemicals is not corrected, the soil dies and the plants become sick, increasing the amount of water needed, fertilizers, "cides" needed to produce a crop. As one would expect, a sick plant will produce a crop that will have lower yields and less nutrients for people and animals. The end result of herbicides and man made nutrients being used repeatedly is a crop prone to disease and pests that will cost far more to produce. Before adding anything to your soil, think of the microbes and all the amazing things they do for the plants and our planet and so the next time you are about to apply man made nutrients, herbicides, or pesticides, you may want to find a natural solution that can help keep these beneficial microbes alive.

The Author

Dustin Harkins is a plant and soil specialist that has achieved a mastery of no till and minimally invasive gardening solutions for the hemp and marijuana industry. You can see his work all over Colorado in places like the Healing Canna, where he is a master grower, and at Discover CBD, where he consults on maintaining true organic crops and CBD extracts. His continued drive for a better solution to our current heavy fertilizer, pesticide, and herbicide use has driven him to find easy and profit generating solutions to an otherwise chemically dominated sector of the cannabis industry.