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WHAT IS THE SOIL FOOD WEB ANYWAY?
The soil food web is the interaction of the soil microorganisms with each other and with plan
t
roots. A
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members must be present in the proportions required by the plants you want to grow.
Who are these soil microorganisms anyway and what do they do?
BACTERIAFUNGI
PROTOZOANEMATODES
MICRO
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ARTHROPODS
NUTRIENT RETENTIONNUTRIENTRETENTIONMAKE NUTRIENTS AVAILABLEMAKE NUTRIENTS AVAIL
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ABLEMAKE NUTRIENTS AVAIL
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ABLE
DISEASE SUPPRESSION
DISEASE SUP
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PRESSIONBUILD SOIL STRUC
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TUREBUILD SOIL STRUCTUREBUILD SOIL STRUCTUREBUILD SOIL STRUCTUREBUILD SOILSTRUCTURESTIMULATE PREY GROUPSSTIMULATE PREY GROUPSDECOMPOSE TOXINSDECOMPOSE TOXINSINHIBIT ROOT
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FEEDINGNEMATODES TAXI CABS FOR ALL OTHERORGANISMS
So how do they do it?
Bacteria and fungi consume dead organic matter and breakdown soil particles to get nutrients. To get en
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ergy to do their work they depend on roots to feed provide them with “ cakes and cookies” in the form of simple sugars, carbohydrates and protein exudates. Bacteria and fungi concentrate and hold on to nitro
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gen, sulfur, calcium and other nutrients so they do not leach out of the soil.Bacteria secrete glues that bind them to soil particles, fungal hyphae, and each other, creating microporesin the soil. Fungi attach themselves to soil particles and organic matter also creating soil structure.Both bacteria and fungi out
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compete disease organisms for nutrients so that diseases cannot get estab
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lished. Having large populations of beneficial organisms insures that disease organisms will not survive.Bacteria and fungi break down toxins such as pesticides into nutrients they can use and carbon and water.
Employee Training Manual
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Managing the Soil Food Web
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BACTERIACLUSTERBENEFICIALFUNGIPROTOZOA
FUNGUS
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FEEDINGNEMATODE
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