PLFA Soil Biological Test with Telephone Consulting

Phospholipid Fatty Acids (PLFA) are the main components of living microbial cell membranes. Each functional group, determined by their similar roles and identified by their unique PLFA compositions, can indicate the microbial community structure and biomass at the time of sampling. A microbial community structure is strongly impacted by the plant community, environmental conditions (i.e. pH, moisture, temperature, etc.), soil characteristics (i.e. soil type, organic matter, etc.) and soil management practices (i.e. tillage, cover crops, etc.), adding an indication of the impact of management practices on the soil microbiology and, in turn, nutrient cycling in the soil. Commonly, samples from different soil managements are compared to identify changes or continuous, yearly samples of the same areas are tested to help support soil health improvement over time.

Provides:
Bacteria (Gram (+) and Gram (-))
Fungi (Arbuscular Mycorrhizae and Saprophytes)
Protozoa
Undifferentiated Microbial Groups