We got our soil test results back this week and John and I talked a bit in class today about how we might use these tests to better understand what is happening in the soil of our different growing areas. We also talked at length about the limitations of such standard soil tests, which measure the chemical make-up of soil but don't take soil biology into consideration. In this 15 minute video, soil biologist Dr. Elaine Ingham gives a nice, succinct overview of the role soil biology plays in the health of plants and how agricultural practices affect the life within the soil:
And for more in-depth information about the soil food web, check out the National Resources Conservation Service's "Soil Biology Primer". Here's the soil food web diagram from the primer that we looked at in class:
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