Science Behind Biomicrobes and Sustainable Agriculture
How Bacteria Help Soil Health
Biomicrobes Science & Research
CFU & Bacterial Growth Explanation
Bacillus species play a crucial role in enhancing nutrient uptake in plants. It does this by mobilizing essential elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making them more accessible to absorption.
In addition to improving nutrient availability, Bacillus bacteria offer several other benefits, including better soil structure, enhanced water retention, and stronger interactions between plant roots and microbes. Introducing Bacillus to your soil promotes sustainable, long-term soil health, reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, and encourages resilient, productive crops.
Even though bacteria need specific nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and minerals to grow, they also need specific temperature and pH ranges in order to thrive. These ranges are typically between 25 °C to 37°C and between 6.5 and 7.5 on the pH scale.
Endospores are a defense mechanism some bacterial species use to defend themselves against harsh conditions, including heat, chemicals, and desiccation. While reverse osmosis systems can filter out spores, they don’t kill them, and spores may accumulate in biofilms. Effective cleaning requires mechanical removal, chemical disinfectants, and high temperatures.
Without proper disinfection, spores can germinate and recolonize. Bacteria reproduce through a process called binary fission, where one cell divides into two identical cells with the same genetic material. This growth is exponential and follows four phases. First is the lag phase, where the bacteria adjust to their environment. Second is the log phase, where the bacteria reproduce exponentially. Third is the stationary phase, which sees slower growth than the first two phases, as less nutrients are available, and waste products start to build up. And finally, the death stage is the fourth stage - where bacteria numbers start to decline significantly.
CFU stands for Colony-Forming Unit, which measures the number of live bacteria in a sample capable of growing into colonies. The higher the CFU count, the more bacteria are present.
Bacterial growth refers to the increase in the number of bacteria over time. Bacteria grow in stages: first, they adapt to the environment, then multiply rapidly. Then, as toxic waste products build up and resources become limited, this exponential growth slows down. As a result, the population starts to decline, which is why this last stage is called the death stage.
In soil, maintaining a healthy CFU count helps support nutrient cycling and improve plant growth.