What are soil organism? Fungi, Bacteria, Protozoa, Nematodes, Arthropods, Earthworms. What are there functions in the soil? How to improve your soil health & ultimately improve the health of your plants.

 Soil organisms are the life force of soil. They are microscopic living organisms such as Bacteria and fungi which are the foundation of a healthy soil, because they are the primary decomposer of organic matter in your soil. Protozoa,
Nematodes, arthropods, earthworms feed upon the bacteria, fungi, and also one
another, which in turn makes nutrients available for plants throughout the growing season on the whole, soil can contain millions of soil organisms, as they feed off decaying material such as old plant material, mulch & unprocessed compost.

Create the correct ratio, when you add a good quality compost, compost tea or soil inoculates that have a good range of activity in them particular bacteria & fungi, your soil will be able to suppress disease & produce a disease free plant. “Healthy soil produces a healthy plant”.

The role of soil organism’s is to assist in fertilisation of the soil; giving life back to the soil. Soil organisms aid in decomposition of plant material. If you look after the soil organisms in your soil you can maintain your current crop yields organically. The main key, is to improve the overall health of your soil, which in turn will take care of soil chemistry and physical structure ( the holding computability of the soil ) while significantly reducing the runoff of water-soluble nutrients( most fertilizers are water soluble) in turn this will  reduce your farm operating costs as you are no longer adding large amounts of water soluble fertilizers, plus your soil will hold the nutrients better because of the improved physical structure of the soil.

 Add or increase natural soil organism. Many agricultural soils are highly depleted of carbon (organic matter); to replenish the organic matter in your soil you need to start adding compost, mulches, and cover crops (green manure crops). Mineral deficiencies in the soil can be fixed by adding non-soluble rock products such as limestone and rock phosphates. Along
With organic matter and minerals, appropriate biology management must be inoculated via composts and compost teas.
                 
Soil organisms assist in nutrient retention and aid in the release of locked up nutrients. Once these nutrients are released through the balancing of soil organisms it is amazing to see the results of the many nutrients released from fertilizers that have been added through the years that had otherwise been locked up in the soil due to soil imbalances.

Stimulate soil organisms with the correct soil management, unleash all those locked up nutrients in the soil and equally as important clean up chemical residues left in the soil after each application of chemical or pesticide treatment. The use of chemicals kills these living soil organisms, leaving the soil lifeless and ineffective, unable to grow ‘healthy’ produce full of those vital vitamins and minerals given by healthy soil.

Soil organisms can do amazing things to your farm, with the right conditions (moist soil with heaps of organic matter in the soil) & right food sources( cover crops, humic acid, kelp, fish hydrolates,compost) they can thrive in the soil over the growing period. Doing what the do best decomposing material, releasing nutrients & suppressing disease.
 We do not need to know the name of every soil organism in our soil. But you do need to know the diversity of bacteria & is adequate, if there is enough bacterial activity so the functions of nutrient retention, disease-competition can be preformed properly. Fungal diversity needs to be adequate too, so the functions of the fungi are carried out properly. You can get a soil test on your activity levels through a company called soil food institute.

Soil organisms need a cover on the ground to live under, best practice is to always have a layer of mulch above the soil; this helps with moisture retention and creates a good living environment for soil organisms.