Understanding and utilising soil microbiomes for a more sustainable agriculture

Contributions by Dr Mamadou Fall, Emeritus Professor Paolo Nannipieri, Dr Hinsby Cadillo-Quirox, Dr Ian Lidbury, Dr Lucy Rogers, Dr Sophie R. M. Groenhof, Dr Andrew Hitchcock, Dr Lauren S. McKee, Dr Youzhi Feng, Professor Greg Thorn, Dr Gupta Vadakattu, Dr Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Professor Liliane Ruess, Professor Patrick Schafer, Professor Alain Plante, Professor Tim Clough, Dr Vasvi Chaudhry, Professor Kadambot Siddique, Professor Wei Shi, Professor Sui Mui Tsai, Professor Joann Whalen, Dr Lucas William Mendes Edited by Professor Kari E. Dunfield

Publication date:

22 April 2025

Length of book:

400 pages

Publisher

Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing

Dimensions:

229x152mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781801464741

Microbiomes are communities of microorganisms living in soil and other habitats. In recent years, a new wave of research into understanding soil microbiomes has emerged, with stakeholders across the supply chain recognising the fundamental importance of these communities in optimising both crop and soil health. Despite these advancements, many soil microorganisms and their ecological functions remain only partially understood.

Understanding and utilising soil microbiomes for a more sustainable agriculture summarises the wealth of recent research in this important area. It reviews advances in techniques for analysing soil microorganisms, the composition and dynamics of soil microbial communities, the ecosystem services they support and how they can be enhanced.

Part 1 Advances in analysing soil microbiomes

1.Advances in viromics for analysing soil microorganisms: Mamadou Fall, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada;
2.Advances in metaproteomics for analysing soil microorganisms: Paolo Nannipieri, University of Florence, Italy;

Part 2 Bacteria and fungi in soil

3.Emerging roles for soil Bacteroidetes in complex carbon and organic phosphorus cycling: Ian D. E. A. Lidbury, Lucy Rogers, Sophie R. M. Groenhof and Andrew Hitchcock, University of Sheffield, UK; and Lauren S. McKee, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden;
4.Advances in understanding actinobacteria in soil: Youzhi Feng, Institute of Soil Science - Chinese Academy of Sciences, China;
5.Advances in understanding mycorrhizae in soil: Greg Thorn, University of Western Ontario, Canada;

Part 3 Analysing structure and dynamics of soil microbiomes

6.Advances in understanding microbial communities in the rhizosphere: Gupta Vadakattu, CSIRO, Australia;
7.Nematodes and their trophic interactions in the soil microbiome: Liliane Ruess, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany;
8.Advances in understanding soil microbiomes in ecosystem functioning across trophic chains: Patrick Schafer, University of Giessen, Germany;

Part 4 Soil microbiomes and ecosystem services

9.Advances in understanding the role of soil microbiomes in carbon cycling: Alain Plante, University of Pennsylvania, USA;
10.Advances in understanding the role of soil microbiomes in nutrient cycling: Tim Clough, Lincoln University, New Zealand;
11.Advances in understanding the role of soil microbiomes in protecting plants from pathogens: Vasvi Chaudhry, University of Tübingen, Germany;
12.Advances in understanding the role of soil microbiomes in promoting crop resilience to drought stresss: Kadambot Siddique, University of Western Australia, Australia;

Part 5 Promoting soil microbiomes and their contribution to soil ecosystem services

13.Understanding and optimising soil physical properties to promote soil microbiomes: Wei Shi, North Carolina State University, USA;
14.Assessing the impact of inorganic fertilisers on soil microbiomes: Joann Whalen, McGill University, Canada;
15.Understanding how land-use management affects soil microbiomes: Lucas William Mendes, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil;

“Components of environmental systems are intrinsically linked through microbiomes that connect water, soils, plants and animals. Interconnectivity mediated by microorganisms is central to an emerging concept of ‘a one systems health’, where all components of a system interactively depend on each other, with implication and relevance to all aspects of human health. This volume, edited by Professor Kari Dunfield – a renowned soil biologist – brings together a series of quality reviews that explore the structural and functional relevance of microbiomes across agricultural systems and their associated contribution to ecosystem services. Indeed this is both a timely and relevant ‘must read’ publication from experts in the field to inform and educate scientists, students, policymakers and the wider interested community alike.” (Dr Alan Richardson, CSIRO Agriculture & Food, Microbiomes for One Systems Health – Future Science Platform, Australia)