How do bacteria add to the life of plants?
When you plant something in the soil, do you see any living things crawling? No? But believe us, there are millions of bacteria in there. Yes, if you take a spoonful of soil, it will have between 100 million to 1 billion bacteria. But won’t they destroy your good soil? How will your plants grow with those bacteria? All your questions are valid. It is just that your one basic assumption is wrong. That bacteria are ‘bad’.
Actually, bacteria are important for the growth of plants and the health of the soil. Without bacteria, new plant populations and communities will struggle to survive or even exist!
What are bacteria?
Bacteria are microorganisms that you cannot see with the naked eye but if you try with a microscope you may be able to spot them. They are one-celled organisms generally 4/100,000 of an inch wide. Different types of bacteria play a variety of roles in the ecosystem.
They are in the air, on our skin, in our bodies, in the ground, and throughout nature. They have a unique cell structure as they don't have a nucleus. Most bacteria have cell walls similar to plant cells. You will find them in all kinds of shapes including rods, spirals, and spheres. Some bacteria can "swim" around using long tails called flagella. Others may just hang out or glide along.
How do bacteria help plants?
You would be surprised to know that one teaspoon of soil contains around 1 billion individual microscopic bacteria and around 10,000 different species. Overall, bacteria are central to the well-being of plants.
How? Well, they are very hard working and different species do different tasks to keep the soil healthy and productive. They purify the environment from pollutants. They regulate carbon storage stocks by helping plants absorb carbon underground. They produce and consume significant greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxides. They cycle most major nutrients required for plant productivity such as nitrogen and phosphorus. They protect plants from catching diseases. The list of their chores is endless and if they are not there, plants wouldn’t survive.
Where did bacteria come from?
Bacteria were among the very first organisms to live on Earth. They made their appearance more than 3 billion years ago in the waters of the first oceans. Therefore, they have had plenty of time to adapt to their environments. No wonder, there have been numerous descendant forms over such a long time.
Bacteria facts
- They are the most abundant living organisms on Earth.
- There are so many forms and species of bacteria that most of them are yet to be identified or named!
- Most of the bacteria are good bacteria
- You eat them in your cheese, yogurt or pickles, but don’t worry, they are all probiotics, aka good bacteria.