What tests to order
Total Bacteria/Total Fungi
Total Bacteria/Total Fungi measures the total amount of bacteria and fungi,
including the active populations differentiated in the previous tests.
This test measures the total amount of bacteria and fungi, including the
active populations differentiated in the previous tests. These tests determine
the long-term amount of carbon or nitrogen held in these organisms, assess
disease suppressiveness, benefits to soil aggregation, and relate to decomposition
rates. There is a clear correlation with diversity. The higher the biomass
present, the more diverse the bacterial or fungal populations.
These tests are used to determine:
- Has the soil been dominated by fungi or bacteria or both in the recent
past?
- Is there a pool of retained nitrogen in the form of protein that can be
released to plants later?
- What is the size or capacity of the food supply to support higher forms
of organisms in the soil foodweb that graze on bacteria and fungi. These
higher forms balance the population levels of bacteria and fungi and excrete
nitrogen into the soil in the form of ammonium for plants.
what tests to order > |
Useful information
Information given by each test
Active Bacteria/Active Fungi
measure the numbers and biomass of bacteria and fungi that are actively feeding
and reproducing
Total Bacteria/Total Fungi
measures the total amount of bacteria and fungi, including the active populations
differentiated in the previous tests
Morphological Species Diversity
a significant improvement over plate counts
Nematode Numbers and Community
Structure
count and identify nematodes and report numbers of nematodes per gram dry soil
Protozoa
Assess whether the sample is aerobic, or anaerobic
Mycorrhizal fungi (VAM)
The kind and amount of beneficial mycorrhizal colonization on the roots
Beneficial Organism
Package
Are the desirable beneficial organisms in your soil, compost or compost tea?
Find Out! Build Soil Health!
Microarthropods
Provides information on the numbers and identification to major group of the
visible soil critters
Foliage Assay
Determination of the area of leaf surface occupied by microorganisms
Total Foodweb Assay
There is a discount for running all these assays instead of each individual
one |
