| Plant researchers at the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK, have shown that the quality of plant substrates and soils can be improved by adding a small source of readily available carbon such as cellulose to act as a trigger to awaken dormant soil microorganisms. They noticed that plants treated with cellulose grew more rapidly than the plants without treatment. The next step is to source suitable sources of cellulose and how they can be made available to the microorganisms. The work is considered very important also to large-scale crop production since the input of manures and fertilizers can be reduced due to reduced loss through leaching or evaporation. A steady flow of nutrients will be available to the plants thereby reducing stress and improving quality and yield. Soil microorganisms help plants by converting minerals and chemicals in the soil into forms that can be easily absorbed. Plants require continuous nutrients through their life, especially during germination, flowering and fruiting. “AlphaGalileo”. Gracy Sailo, School of Science and Environment, University of Warwick, Fax: +44 (0) 2476 888 702, email: apy119@coventry.ac.uk Society for General Microbiology www.sgm.ac.uk |
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