Re: [compost_tea] Here's an Internet book to add to your library

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 22:05:56 EST

Krasilnikov used plate methods, which means he missed a whole bunch of
organisms in the soil. About 99.9% of the bacteria and fungi in soilo DO NOT grow
on any medium we know about.

So while the work is good from a human pathogen view, it is extremely limited
from a soils point of view.

Molecular methods are being developed, and that's where we will really be
able to address true soil diversity.

There's a good relationship between total bacteria biomass and bacterial
diversity, and total fungal biomass and fungal diversity. The relationship is
pretty linear. But of course, we can't say what species ARE present, just
whether you have adequate levels of not.

For the species listing, we can send you to molecular people who will give
you the list of DNA sequences you have in your soil
.
So, what does that then mean? You know the number of unique species you
have.

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc,
1128 NW 2nd ST., Suite 120
Corvallis, Oregon
Soil Foodweb Inc., Australia
Soil Foodweb Inc., New York
Soil Foodweb Inc., New Zealand
Soil Foodweb Inc., The Netherlands
Soil Foodweb Inc., Mexico
Board Member, Sustainable Studies Institute, Eugene, OR

"Hope is not a feeling. It is not the belief that things will turn out well,
but the conviction that what we are doing makes sense,
no matter how things turn out."
-- Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic




Received on Mon Feb 02 2004 - 00:03:29 EST

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