The Soil biological fertility section of the Soil Quality Knowledge Base explores how some soil organisms benefit plant growth and function, while other soil organisms such as nematodes harm plants or cause disease. The webpage explains beneficial organisms decompose organic matter, cycle nutrients and make them available to plants, suppress soil diseases and pests, degrade pesticides and pollutants, and improve soil structure. It describes the factors that influence the survival and functioning of beneficial soil biota, management practices that can be beneficial or detrimental to the soil biota, features of soil with biological fertility and how to encourage beneficial soil organisms. The webpage includes a video, Percentage composition and number of organisms in soil [2:14]. It explains how soil is teeming with life that is responsible for the functioning of the soil and underpins agricultural systems. While the content focuses on Western Australia, the information is applicable to other Australian regions. #
This is a carefully curated database of important soil resources. The data base is not exhaustive but rather a library of the resources we believe are the most useful for the audience. Each resource has been added after careful consideration against our selection criteria, including but not limited to its scientific validity, accessibility, and readability. The library generally does not include most academic research papers but may include some open-source papers written in accessible English.
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SSA reminds users that these resources are a guide only. Our understanding of soil science is improving continuously so it is important to check the suitability of the information for your purpose with an appropriately qualified professional such as a Registered Soil Professional or a Certified Professional Soil ScientistÂ
