Soil Food Web

The Soil Food Web nutrient cycling has been discovered by Dr Elaine Ingham in the 1990’s.

Healthy vs damage soil microbial comparison

When everybody told her the organisms she saw in the soil with a microscope are not worth her interest, Elaine Ingham decided to give them some consideration. She started assessing the biomass and quantity of species of bacteria and fungi in intensive farming depleted soil and in healthy soil, in the rhizosphere (plant roots zone), and she discovered that that :

  • the biomass of bacteria is similar for both type of soil
  • the number of species of bacteria is 1500% higher in healthy soil root biome
  • The biomass of fungi is 1300% to 3600% higher in healthy soil root biome and 50000% higher in healthy soil
  • The number of fungal species is 13000% higher of in healthy soil and 50000% higher in healthy soil biome.
  • The VAM colonization (mycorrhyzal fungi) is 55% in healthy soil and 0% in agricultural soil
Effect of nutrient cycling & plant growth of Bacteria, Fungi and their Nematodes grazers

She observed that the best plant growths was correlated with the presence of high quantity and diversity not only of Bacteria and Fungi, but also of their Protozoa and Nematodes grazers completing the soil nutrient cycle. But why? She discovered that the plants feed Bacteria and Fungi exudates (a sugary juice made of simple sugars, proteins and carbohydrates) it synthesises through photosynthesis, in the root zone and also above the soil, and they go mining the mineral nutrients (N, P, K, S, Fe, Ca, Mg,…) that the plant asked from the sand, silt and clay, and then store in their body in a plant unavailable form. It is only when the Fungi and Bacteria grazers are present in the soil that they become available for the plants though their poop (the poop loop or Soil Food Web). She found out that more NH4 (ammonium, Nitrogen in plant available form) was present in the soil when the grazers were present. See the reference of the publication down below in Dr Elaine Ingham Scientific publications list.

All what the plants need is already present in the soil

We have been lied to. All the nutrients that plants need to grow healthy are already in the soil, just not available to the plant unless the beneficial microbes are present. What our plants need is a highly diverse soil microbiome to make those nutrients available to plants when they need it and just in the quantity they need. As a results, this creates healthy nutrients dense, pest & disease resistant and more drought hardy plants. Watch this introduction video about Nutrient Cycling:

Dr Elaine Ingham Scientific publications:
  • Ingham, R.E., J.A. Trofymow, E.R. Ingham and D.C. Coleman. (1985). Interactions of bacteria, fungi and their nematode grazers: Effects on nutrient cycling and plant growth. Ecological Monographs, 55:119-140
  • Ingham, E.R., D.A. Klein and M.J. Trlica. (1985). Responses of microbial components of the rhizosphere to plant management strategies in semiarid rangeland. Plant and Soil, 85:65-76.
  • Ingham, E.R., C. Cambardella and D.C. Coleman. (1986). Manipulation of bacteria, fungi and protozoa by biocides in lodgepole pine forest soil microcosms: Effects on organism interactions and nitrogen mineralization. Can. J. Soil Sci, 66:261-272.
  • Coleman, D.C., E.R. Ingham. (1988). Terrestrial nutrient cycles. Biogeochemistry 5 (1), 3-5.
  • Ingham, E.R., D.C. Coleman and J.C. Moore. (1989). Analysis of food-web structure and function in a short grass prairie, a mountain meadow and lodgepole pine forest. Biol. Fertil. Soils, 8:29-37.
  • Ingham, E.R. (1993). The functional significance and regulation of soil biodiversity: An executive summary of the Soil Ecology Society meeting. Soil Ecology Society Newsletter, 5:2-9.
  • Sances, F.V. and E.R. Ingham. (1997). Conventional and organic alternatives to methyl bromide on California strawberries: Effect of Brassica residues and spent mushroom compost following successive chemical fumigation. Compost Science and Utilization, 5: 23-37.
  • Ingham, E.R. and J.Barlow. (1998). Sustainable Agriculture and the Ecology of Soil Perspectives on Business and Global Change, 12:31-42.
  • Ingham, E.R, Seiter, S., and R.D. William. (1999). Dynamics of soil fungal and bacterial biomass in a temperate climate alley cropping system. Appl. Soil Ecol., 12 (2): 139-147.
  • Doyle, J.D., Hendricks, C.W., Holmes, M.T., and E.R. Ingham. (1999). Effects of Klebsiella planticola SDF20 on soil biota and wheat growth in sandy soil. Appl. Soil Ecol., 11: 67-78.
  • Ingham, E., (1999)., Compost Tea. Part I & II, BioCycle, 40, 74-75.
  • Ingham, E. R. (1999). The Soil Biology Primer – Chapter 1. The Soil Foodweb. NRCS Soil Quality Institute, USDA.
  • Ingham, E.R. (1999). The Soil Biology Primer Chapter 2. Soil Bacteria. NRCS Soil Quality Institute, USDA.
  • Ingham, E.R. (1999). The Soil Biology Primer – Chapter 3. Soil Fungi. NRCS Soil Quality Institute. USDA.
  • Ingham, E.R. (1999). The Soil Biology Primer – Chapter 4. Soil Protozoa. NRCS Soil Quality Institute. USDA.
  • Ingham, E.R. (1999). The Soil Biology Primer – Chapter 5. Soil Nematodes. NRCS Soil Quality Institute. USDA.
  • Rygiewicz, P.T., E.R. Ingham. (1999). Soil Biology and Ecology. Environmental Geology, 564-568.
  • Ingham, E.R., (2000). Brewing compost tea. Kitchen Gardener. 29, 16-19.
  • Ingham, E.R. (2000). The Compost Tea Brewing Manual. Sustainable Studies Institute, Eugene, OR. 60 pp.
  • Moldenke, A., M. Pajutee. E. Ingham. (2000). The functional roles of forest soil arthropods: The soil is a lively place. Proceedings of the California Forest Soils Council Conference on Forest Soils Biology and Forest Management. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Gen Tech Rep PSW-GTR-178, pages 7-22.
  • Ingham, E.R. (2001). Micronized compost and microbial life in compost. Biocycle, 42 (7), 58-58.
  • Linder, G., G. Henderson, E. Ingham. (2002). Wildlife and the Remediation of Contaminated Soils: Extending the Analysis of Ecological Risks to Habitat Restoration. Handbook of Ecotoxicology, 191-214.
  • Peachey, R.E., A Moldenke, R.D. William, R. Berry, E. Ingham, E. Groth. (2002). Effect of cover crops and tillage system on symphylan (Symphlya: Scutigerella immaculata, Newport) and Pergamasus quisquiliarum Canestrini (Acari: Mesostigmata) populations. Applied Soil Ecology, 21 (1), 59-70.
  • Highland, M.T.F., D.C. Sclar, E.R. Ingham, K.L. Gartley, J.E. Swasey. (2004). Effects of Compost Amended Container Media on Ornamental Plant Growth. HortScience, 39 (4), 750C-750.
  • Ingham, E.R., M.D. Slaughter. (2004). The soil foodweb-soil and composts as living ecosystems. First International Conference Soil and Compost Eco-Biology, León, Spain.
  • Ingham, E.R. (2005). Comparison of soil biota between organic and conventional agroecosystems in Oregon, USA. 土壤圈: 英文版, 15 (3), 395-403.
  • Dornbush, M., C. Cambardella, E. Ingham, J. Raich, (2008). A comparison of soil food webs beneath C3- and C4-dominated grasslands. Biology and fertility of soils, 45 (1), 73-81.
  • Rygiewicz, P.T., V.J. Monleon, E.R. Ingham, K.J. Martin, M.G. Johnson. (2010). Soil life in reconstructed ecosystems: initial soil food web responses after rebuilding a forest soil profile for a climate change experiment. Applied Soil Ecology, 45 (1), 26-38.
  • Ingham, E.R. and R. Molina. 1991. Interactions between mycorrhizal fungi, rhizosphere organisms, and plants. Pages 169-197 in Microorganisms, Plants and Herbivores, P. Barbosa (ed). John Wiley and Sons, NY.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1994. Soil Protozoa. Agronomy Society of America. In Methods in Agronomy, P. Bottomley (ed). Agronomy Soc. Am.
  • Ingham, E.R. and A. Moldenke. 1995. Microflora and Microfauna on Stems and Trunks: Diversity, Food Webs and Effects on Plants. pp. 241-256. IN Gartner, B. Plant Stems. Academic Press. NY.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1997. Soil Microbiology. IN Sylvia, D. and Hartel, P. Soil Microbiology: Environmental and Agricultural Perspectives. Oxford University Press.
  • Ingham, E.R. and M. Alms. 1999. The Compost Tea Handbook 1.1.
    Ingham, E.R. 2004. The Soil Foodweb: It’s Role in Ecosystem Health. The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees, 62.
  • Linder, G., E.R. Ingham, C.J. Brandt and G. Henderson. 1992. Evaluation of terrestrial indicators for use in ecological assessments at hazardous waste sites. USEPA/600/r-92/183.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1993. Use of soil foodweb structure and function to assess superfund sites. USEPA Ecological Site Assessment Program. Corvallis Environmental Research Lab.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1995. Standard Operating Procedure for Microbial Population Dynamics. USEPA Global Climate Change Program. Corvallis Environmental Research Lab.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1994. Standard Operating Procedure for Total Bacteria. USEPA Global Climate Change Program. Corvallis Environmental Research Lab.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1995. Standard Operating Procedure for Nematode Population and Community Structure. USEPA Global Climate Change Program. Corvallis Environmental Research Lab.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1995. Standard Operating Procedure for Protozoan Populations and Community Structure. USEPA Global Climate Change Program. Corvallis Environmental Research Lab. Technical Reports.
  • Ingham, E.R. and M. Holmes. 1995. Biosafety Regulations: A critique of existing documents. The Edmonds Institute, Edmonds, WA.
  • Ingham, E.R. 1995. Biosafety Regulation. Edmonds Institute, Edmonds, WA.
    Monthly Column in Biocycle (Ca. 1998-2000)
  • Taylor, B.R., H.G. Jones. (1990). Litter decomposition under snow cover in a balsam fir forest. Canadian Journal of Botany, 68(1): 112-120.
  • Bohlool, B.B., J.K. Ladha, D.P. Garrity, T. George. (1992). Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Sustainable Agriculture: A Perspective. Plant and Soil, 141(1-2):1-11.
  • L. Diels, M. De Smet, L. Hooyberghs, P. Corbisier. (1999). Heavy metals bioremediation of soil. Molecular Biotechnology, 12(2): 149-158.
  • El-Masry, M. H., A.I. Khalil, M.S. Hassouna, H.A.H Ibrahim. (2002). In situ and in vitro suppressive effect of agricultural composts and their water extracts on some phytopathogenic fungi. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 18: 551–558.
  • Scheuerell, S. J., W.F. Mahaffee. (2004). Compost Tea as a Container Medium Drench for Suppressing Seedling Damping-Off Caused by Pythium ultimum. Biological Control, 94(11): 1156-1163
  • Schmidt, S.K., D.A. Lipson. (2004). Microbial growth under the snow: Implications for nutrient and allelochemical availability in temperate soils. Plant and Soil, 259(1-2): 1-7.
  • Chen, H., S. Pan. (2005). Bioremediation potential of spirulina: toxicity and biosorption studies of lead. Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE, 6B(3):171-174.
  • Rehman, A., S. Ashraf, J. I. Qazi, A. R. Shakoori. (2005). Uptake of Lead by a Ciliate, Stylonchia mytilus, isolated from Industrial Effluents: Potential Use in Bioremediation of Wastewater. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 75(2): 290-296.
  • Kerkeni, A., M. Daami-Remadi, N. Tarchoun, M.B. Khedher, F. Ayed. (2006). In vitro and in vivo evaluation of individually compost fungi for potato fusarium dry rot biocontrol. Journal of Biological Sciences, 6(3):572-580.
  • Zaller, J.G. (2006). Foliar spraying of vermicompost extracts: effects on fruit quality and indications of late-blight suppression of field-grown tomatoes. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 24(2): 165-180.
  • Al-Mughrabi, K.I. (2007). Suppression of Phytophthora infestans in potatoes by foliar application of food nutrients and compost tea. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 1(4): 785-792.