Fertile Soil and Microorganisms
Land will be said to be fertile if it is able to be a good growth medium for plants during vegetative and generative periods which in turn will deliver plants that produce not only optimal but also maximum results. The land condition will only be fulfilled if the soil condition has physical, chemical and biological fertility criteria.
Factors that should be a major concern in the condition of agricultural land is biological soil fertility which has not been a special consideration in agricultural methods in general and emphasizes soil physical fertility and soil chemical fertility.
In the context of biological fertility, bacteria diversity in soils are said to be fertile if they have high microbiological or microorganism content and diversity needed by plants and are symbiotic mutualism of plant roots also play a role in protecting plants from the influence of pathogenic microorganisms as well as the chemical conditions of potentially toxic soils as well as forming physical characteristics the soil is a good environment for the growth of plant roots.
Fertile soils contain more than 100 million microbes per gram of soil.
the productivity and carrying capacity of the soil depends on the microbial activity. Most microbes have a beneficial role for agriculture, which plays a role in destroying organic waste, recycling plant nutrients, nitrogen biological fixation, phosphate dissolution, stimulating growth, biocontrol of pathogens and helping the absorption of nutrients.
Soil organisms (especially microorganisms) are important in soil fertility for agricultural crops because they play a role in the energy cycle, nutrient cycles, formation of soil aggregates, and determine soil health (suppressive / conducive to the emergence of diseases especially soil borne pathogenic diseases).
At least there are at least 6 (six) types of microorganisms that can be well developed by farmers in the soil on agricultural land to optimize agricultural output (especially rice) and plantations to the maximum, namely:
Azotobacter sp
Azotobacter acts as nitrogen tethering, a process that causes free nitrogen to be chemically combined with other elements.
Azozpirillium sp
Azozpirillium acts as a production of phytohormones such as auxin, cytokinins, and gibberellins), increased nutrient absorption, increased stress resistance, production of vitamins, siderophore and biocontrol, and P. dissolution.
Streptomyces sp
Streptomyces act as agents of plant pathogen control by producing antibiotics and hydrolytic compounds such as glucanase, chitinase that can degrade fungal cell walls.
Saccharomyces sp
Saccharomyces has the ability to break down the bonds of saccharides on high carbohydrates so that they are expected to play a role in releasing bound nutrient substances to digest digestive enzymes.
Aspergillus sp
Aspergillus is a phosphate solvent that dissolves phosphate from insoluble sources, thereby increasing plant growth / productivity, especially in marginal soils.
Trichoderma sp
Trichoderma becomes a biocontrol agent because it is antagonistic to other fungi, especially those that are pathogenic. Trichoderma can also be used by farmers in the process of accelerating composting.