• Question: what conditions are needed to grow the microbes from the soil?

    Asked by item44bat to Marcello, Katie, Israel on 22 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Marcello Valente

      Marcello Valente answered on 22 Nov 2019:

      Every kind of microbes can have very different necessities to grow in the soil, Sometimes they even compete to have a complete control over the soil’s resources.

    • Photo: Israel Ikoyi

      Israel Ikoyi answered on 22 Nov 2019:

      Very good question. When we collect soil samples, we grow the microbes on a jelly-like substance called agar. The agar contains the nutrients that the microbe needs.
      If you mean what conditions of the soil, I will say a soil with the right amount of water, less synthetic chemicals and with a lot of organic matter. The organic matter is a source of carbon which is the energy source for the microbes.

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