EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Bacteria are by far the most numerous and diverse soil microorganisms [6]. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes (mostly smaller than 2 µm). It is estimated that one gram of soil contains about one billion bacteria and between 2000 and 10000 bacterial species depending on their health status [7].

Detailed explanation-2: -Bacteria are the most numerous of the culturable soil microorganisms. Their numbers are often as high as 1 x 108 per gram of soil. Therefore, a handful of soil may contain more living organisms than there are people on the face of the earth. Bacteria have a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and functions.

Detailed explanation-3: -Microorganisms are members of complex soil food webs that also include numerous species of protozoa, arthropods, oligochaetes, annelids, molluscs, and other organisms (Killham, 1994).

Detailed explanation-4: -Excluding viruses, bacteria are the most abundant microbes in soil (Table 1.2), attaining populations in excess of 100 million (108) individuals per gram (g–1) of soil and representing perhaps as many as 103–104 different species.

Detailed explanation-5: -There are five different types of soil microbes: bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. Each of these microbe types has a different job to boost soil and plant health.