Microbiological analysis of soil as an aid to soil characterization and classification
1927
Waksman, S.A.
Whatever practical information may be derived from the microbiological analysis of soils, the primary purpose of such analysis would be its fundamental scientific importance. The methods of analysis should be of such a nature as to give an accurate picture of the abundance and activities of the soil population. Much remains to be done before methods can be proposed which might be standardized. Very little is known of the soil population as influenced by the mechanical composition, physical and chemical condition of the soil, climatic and seasonal variations, and a host of other factors. The soil population is so sensitive to changes in nutrition and to environmental conditions that we may never be able to draw an exact picture of the microbiology of given soil types, but the very fact that it is so sensitive an index of changes taking place in the soil makes a knowledge of the microbiological condition very valuable for the characterization of soils. Where other information obtained by mechanical, physical, and chemical soil analysis may give the gross characteristics of a soil, the information on the microbiological condition will tend to bring out the finer differences not seen by the naked eye and not measured by chemical reagents. The information thus obtained may not help so much in the classification of soils as in explaining the existence of certain soil characteristics.
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