Microbial Diversity, Soil Health and Sustainability

摘要

I feel extremely honoured to have been asked to deliver the 34th R.V. Tamhane memorial lecture in the 72nd annual convention of the Indian Society of Soil Science held at Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi. Dr Tamhane was a greatly respected soil scientist and I feel privileged to speak on a topic of considerable current interest in his honour. Soil ecosystems remain firmly at the foundations of human life support systems, but are the least understood among the natural ecosystems, and increasinglyamong the most degraded. Soil erosion, loss of soil organic matter and nutrient depletion are among the leading contributors to impaired soil health, reduced crop yields and poverty in the developing world. Global warming will further exacerbate this problem. Not surprisingly therefore, soil health tops a list of priorities of UN Millennium Project's hunger task force. Given the current concerns about the sustainability of production systems and soil biological health, and the exciting developments inmicrobial diversity. I chose this theme to link this trinity and look at examples of how to manage agricultural production systems in ways that sustainability is maintained whilst not compromising on microbial diversity and soil health.