Soil Microbiology Testing Equipment

1. What Physical Factors Affect the Activity of Soil? Soil is not one thing; rather, it’s the composition of different things. Even if you pick a sample for soil microbiology testing or other soil tests, you will find lots of things in it. You will find living as well as non- living things. Because of these things only, soil works and helps in production. Sometimes, these elements are a savior for the soil. Without them, the soil will be infertile and of no use. But, the story doesn’t end here. Other than these elements, the activity of the soil depends on physical factors. The factors affect the components and help them to process to enhance the productivity of the soil. Many times, the farm owners don’t pay attention to these physical factors and suffer consequences later. You will be surprised to know that physical factors influence the result of soil microbiology testing or related tests. In this post, we will discuss the physical factors that affect the activity of soil. Environmental temperature Changes in environmental temperature determine the rate of physiological activity such as enzyme activity. Indirectly, temperature affects physic-chemical properties such as diffusion & solubility of nutrients, and so on. The biological activity increases with increasing temperature. The organisms and microorganisms operate at a specific range of temperature. The biological activity takes place accordingly. It’s very challenging for microorganisms to survive volcanic hot springs & springs. It’s because temperature reaches a considerably higher temperature. The cellular processes do not work efficiently as the temperature increases away from the upper limit. Soil pH level Just like temperature, the soil pH level impacts its activity. Rarely, organisms in the soil can tolerate extreme soil pH levels. Even lower pH level doesn’t work for these organisms and impact the activity of the soil. According to experts, the pH level of the soil should be 7. Organisms like bacteria & archaea can tolerate extreme pH values such as pH 1 or pH 11. But, there is nothing to worry about because these extreme conditions are not found in agricultural soils. Other than this, pH level impacts the solubility of elements. Also, essential minerals become unavailable at extreme pH levels. Soil moisture In two ways, soil moisture affects its activity. The effect of soil moisture is negative as well negative. Soil needs water for life and the activity of enzymes and metabolism. If the moisture in the soil is properly maintained, it affects its temperature and aeration. This affects the movement and predation of microorganisms in the soil. The soil microbiology testing helps in knowing the moisture level. On the other hand, if there is no moisture in the soil and it’s completely dry, the plants will not get enough sufficient water for growth. It’s because the plants don’t have much energy to remove water from the small pores or recover it properly. Also, the oxygen doesn’t diffuse through the soil readily under wet conditions.

2. Other than this, soil mineralogy and natural light affect the activity of the soil. So, before you start planting and take a sample for soil microbiology testing, consider these physical factors. Source: https://microbiometer.com/