Written by: Margarita Cherkashyna
Bacteria are small, single-celled organisms that can be found almost everywhere on Earth and are vital to the planet’s ecosystem. However, not everyone knows the importance and benefits of bacteria in agriculture.
In soil, bacteria can contribute to the availability of many nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and water. Bacteria also produce plant hormones that promote plant growth. All fertilizers contain bacteria, and without these bacteria, plants would not be able to grow as a whole. Moreover, using additional bacteria in hard-to-reach areas can help reduce pollution and increase crop yields. Thus, microorganisms play an important role in soil fertilization, plant growth and well-being.
Different bacteria have different purposes and effects. For instance, phosphorus is the inorganic nutrient most needed by plants and microorganisms. Plants must absorb nutrients from the soil where their concentration is low due to how phosphorus reacts to ions such as calcium, iron or aluminum, causing precipitation and reducing availability for plants. Hence, using chemical fertilizers containing bacteria is key to increasing the number of nutrients available to plants to aid their growth.
Another example is nitrogen, which plants need to grow. In most cases, nitrogen fixation occurs naturally in the soil with the help of microorganisms. Bacteria receive energy through photosynthesis and, in turn, fix nitrogen in the form that plants need. The fixed nitrogen is then transported to other parts of the plant and used to form plant tissues so that the plant can grow.
In conclusion, bacteria are very important to us in agriculture because they can improve the health of the soil, plant growth and suppress many other functions. This is due to the ability to inhabit, decompose and compete with other harmful bacteria for nutrition.
(All pictures are mine) 🙂
Source used:https://ideagro.es/en/la-importancia-de-las-bacterias-en-la-agricultura/