The Soil Microbiome: A Hidden Universe Beneath Our Feet

We tend to think of soil as lifeless dirt. In reality it is one of the most densely populated habitats on the planet — a teeming city of bacteria, fungi and tiny animals.

Partners with plants

Many of these microbes live in close partnership with plant roots, trading nutrients for sugars. Mycorrhizal fungi, for example, extend a plant's reach for water and minerals many times over.

• Bacteria fix nitrogen that plants can use.
• Fungi transport water and phosphorus to roots.
• Microbes lock carbon into stable soil structures.

“Healthy soil is a living system, not an inert medium.”

— Soil Biology Review

Caring for the soil microbiome — through cover crops, reduced tillage and less chemical disruption — is emerging as one of the most powerful tools for sustainable farming and carbon storage.