The function of soil is to help grow crops by holding water and supplying nutrients. We all know how important it is to have soil that can “breathe.” The roots of a plant will die without oxygen. In a process that creates vital “spacing” in the soil, bacteria use glue to stick food to themselves so it’s available when they need it. Where do they get this glue? Fungi produce glomalin (glue) to seal the outside of their root-like hyphae from leaking water and nutrients that they transport within hyphae. Bacteria use this high quality glue to store food and in the process, grow the world around them. The outcome is the production of sturdy water-stable aggregates. These bacteria have formed a symbiotic relationship with fungi using the glue that is so critical to building soil aggregate, mainly macro aggregates.
Soil texture (fineness or coarseness) affects plant rooting, soil structure and organic matter content. Soil texture and structure determine pore size distribution, water-holding capacity and the amount of water in air-filled pore spaces in soil aggregates that provide habitat for soil organisms. Soil aggregates often contain fine roots that grow into soil pores, further expanding microbial habitats resulting in improved soil health.
Both biological and physical-chemical processes are involved in the formation of soil aggregates. Physical-chemical processes tend to be most important at the smaller end of the scale and biological processes at the larger end as pointed out above. Generally, smaller aggregates are more stable than larger ones, so maintaining the much-prized larger aggregates requires great care and clearly, the growth of fungi in the soil. Any soil disturbance such as tillage, would destroy this fragile world.
Andaman Ag promotes the use of specific products to promote essential fungi growth. Our FertiZONE WP and Granular formations are packed with mycorrhizae, including a broad array of microbes, and humic and fulvic acid for the chelation of minerals. Our Pacific Gro fish hydrolysate also promotes fungi growth in the soil as well as providing plant-available calcium from chitin. Finally, we recommend composts that are more wood-chip concentrated than manure-based as wood chips promote greater fungi growth in the soil.
Consider that an aggregate, a unit of soil structure in a micro scale, is a glimpse of the universe with its interactions of gases, water, organisms and inorganic and organic constituents!