Article

Strong positive links between microbes, fertility and productivity revealed by Next-Gen Sequencing

by Dr Ash Martin  PhD BSc(For)Hons

The relationships between soil biodiversity, fertility, and plant productivity at a continental scale across Australia have been revealed using Next-Gen Sequencing. Findings have shown that these positive associations are strong in the topsoil but weaken significantly in deeper layers. The critical role of surface soil biodiversity in maintaining soil fertility and plant productivity suggests that poor practices and the loss of topsoil could disrupt these essential ecological functions. The study used Next-Gen-Sequencing, along with standardized methods for sampling and analysis, including molecular and bioinformatic techniques, to assess soil properties and biodiversity. These results underscore the importance of managing and conserving topsoil to ensure sustainable nutrient cycling and food production in the face of environmental changes. Read the in-depth article to find out more.

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Click below to read the in-depth article:
Delgado-Baquerizo et al. (2017). Circular linkages between soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity are limited to topsoil at the continental scale. New Phytologist. 215: 1186–1196.
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