Soil Health Case studies

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  How the Interreg project ReNu2Farm is supporting Soil Health and the Circular Economy

  This case study focuses on The European Interreg project ReNu2Farm, which is studying the use of recycling derived fertilisers (RDF) to substitute a portion of the current synthetic fertiliser usage.

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  Enhancing Crop Performance using Soil Microbes

  This case study focuses on how the Agriculture and Food Development Authority (TEAGASC) have identified a novel bacterium, which can modify plant characteristics and provide beneficial traits, such as resistance to diseases.

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  The role of microbes in plant adaptation to rising soil salinity

  This case study explores how plants microbiomes have more variability than human microbiomes, and different species, habitats, soils and growth conditions impact upon the microbes present on and within a plant.

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  Fixing the Problem of Nitrogen Limitation in Agriculture

  This case study focuses on harnessing microbiology to sustainably increase the availability of nitrogen, which, besides phosphorus, is commonly the main limiting factor for plant growth.

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  U-GRASS: Microbial indicators for soil sustainability

  This case study focuses on how, as part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded Soil Security Programme, the “U-GRASS” project has questioned how soil microbial communities and the functions they provide are affected by land management.

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  The use of indigenous micro-organisms in the sustainable farming of Amaranthus hybridus

  This case study outlines the present study which seeks to improve the yield of Amaranhus hybridus, a vegetable common in Nigeria and other West African countries, through the use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).

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  Linking soil and tree health, and pathogen ecology

  This case study is written by Bethany Pettifor who is a PhD researcher at Bangor University, Wales and a member of the Microbiology Society. It focuses on linking soil and tree health, and pathogen ecology.

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  Using evolution to understand the impact of human-induced stressors on the future of sustainable agriculture.

  This case study is written by Matthew Kelbrick, who is a PhD researcher at the University of Liverpool and a member of the Microbiology Society. It focuses on using evolution to understand the impact of human-induced stressors on the future of sustainable agriculture.

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  Understanding soil carbon storage in tropical forests

  This case study is written by Dr Emma Sayer who is Reader in Ecosystem Ecology at Lancaster University. It focuses on understanding soil carbon storage in tropical forests.

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  The dynamics of rhizoplane colonisation: quantification of the early stages of lettuce root colonisation by Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25

  This case study is written by Daire Carroll, who is a PhD researcher at the University of Warwick and the James Hutton Institute, and a member of the Microbiology Society. It focuses on the dynamics of rhizoplane colonisation: quantification of the early stages of lettuce root colonisation by Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25.

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  Harnessing natural bio factories against deadly soil fungal pathogens of potato seed tubers: Bacillus subtilis

  This case study is written by Dr Touseef Hussain, a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Botany at Aligarh Muslim University, India. It focuses on harnessing natural bio factories against deadly soil fungal pathogens of potato seed tubers: Bacillus subtilis.

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  Microbial functional diversity as an indicator of sustainable farming practices

  This case study is written by Dr Nasmille L. Larke-Mejía, who is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Earlham Institute, UK and a member of the Microbiology Society. It focuses on microbial functional diversity as an indicator of sustainable farming practices.

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  A role for soil in food safety for crops

  This case study is written by Professor Nicola Holden, a member of the Microbiology Society based in the Rural Land Use Department at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Aberdeen, UK on behalf of an European Union Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, HuPlantControl. It focuses on the role of soil in food safety for crops.

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  AHDB GREATsoils stakeholder engagement

  This case study is written by Dr Amanda Bennett, who is a Resource Management Scientist at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), UK. It focuses on the Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership, a five-year programme of work funded by AHDB and BBRO (British Beet Research Organisation), and is a collaboration between 14 organisations, including academic institutes, commercial companies and charities.

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  Measuring soil health

  This case study is written by Professor Bridget Emmett, who is the Head of Soils and Land Use Science Area for the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. It focuses on measuring soil health.

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  Redefining soil health

  This case study is written by Dr Mark Pawlett, who is a Senior Research Fellow in Soil Biology, and Dr Jacqueline Hannam, who is a Senior Research Fellow in Pedology, at Cranfield University, UK. It focuses on redefining soil health.

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  Understanding the role of microbial necromass in soil organic matter

  This case study was written by Dr Kate Buckeridge, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Edinburgh and by Dr Jeanette Whitaker, a Principle Scientist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. It focuses on understanding the role of microbial necromass in soil organic matter.

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  Exploiting the relationship between plant genotypes and soil microbial communities for agricultural benefit

  This case study was written by Alba Pacheco-Moreno, who is a PhD student and by Dr Jacob Malone, who is Group Leader in Molecular Microbiology; both are based at the John Innes Centre, UK. It focuses on exploiting the relationship between plant genotypes and soil microbial communities for agricultural benefit.

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  Microbiology as part of interdisciplinary soil science

  This case study was written by Professor Paul Hallett, who is Professor of Soil Physics and tutor of the MSc Soil Science programme at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK. It focuses on microbiology as part of interdisciplinary soil science.

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  Rooting around the wheat microbiome

  This case study was written by Dr Tim Mauchline, who is a plant and soil microbiologist at Rothamsted Research, UK. It discusses the plant microbiome studies that have focused on studying the root microbiome of wheat, the UK’s most cultivated crop.