COMPARISON OF MICROORGANISMS FROM CULTIVATED AND UNCULTIVATED SOILS

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to isolate, identify and compare microorganisms from cultivated and uncultivated soils. A total of 20 soil samples were obtained from 5 different communities in Ikwuano L.G.A and evaluated using standard microbiological methods.   The Physiochemical properties of freshly collected soil samples were also determined using standard methods. A total of   9 bacterial isolates and 5 fungal isolates were isolated from both soil samples. The total viable, total anaerobic and total fungal counts of the microbial isolates were identified from samples of both soils, with variations in their ranges according to soil samples and isolates identified. The total viable count, total anaerobic count and total fungal count for the uncultivated soil samples ranged from 2.8-9.4,2.5-9.7 and 2.3-8.6cfu/g respectively and from 3.2-11.1, 1.5-8.8, 1.9-8.4 cfu/g for the cultivated soil samples. On comparison, it was found that uncultivated soil types had higher amount of fungi than the cultivated whereas the cultivated soil types had higher population of bacteria than fungi, this is because of the variations in the properties of the various soil types, the effects of tillage operations and changes in the physiochemical properties of the soil.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Page                                                                                                                               i

Title Page                                                                                                                                 ii

Certification                                                                                                                              iii

Dedication                                                                                                                                iv

Acknowledgement                                                                                                                    v

Table of Contents                                                                                                                      vi

List of Table                                                                                                                             viii

Abstract                                                                                                                                    ix

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction                                                                                                             1

1.1 Aim and Objectives of the Study                                                      

  2                     

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review

2.1 Soil                                                                                                                         3

2.1.1. Uncultivated Soil                                                                                                 3

2.1.2 Cultivated Soil                                                                                                                  4

2.1.3 History of soil cultivation                                                                                      5

2.1.4 Soil cultivation systems                                                                                                     5

2.1.4.1 Reduced soil cultivation                                                                                     5

2.1.4.2 Intensive soil cultivation                                                                                     5

2.1.5 Conservation soil cultivation                                                                                             5

2.2 Soil Microorganisms                                                                                                            6

2.2.1 Types of Microorganism found in soil                                                                                9

2.2.1.1 Bacteria                                                                                                                         10

2.2.1.2 Actinomycetes:                                                                                                   11

2.2.1.3 Fungi:                                                                                                                12

2.2.1.4 Algae:                                                                                                               13

2.2.3 Factors driving soil microbial communities                                                                         15

2.2.4 Distribution of Microorganism in soil                                                                                 16

2.2.5 Microorganism Population in Soil                                                                          16

2.2.7 Antimicrobial activity in soil microflora                                                                 17

2.2.8 Importance of Microbes in soil                                                                                          18

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1 Study Area and Sample Collection                                                                            19

3.2 Sterilization of materials                                                                                                      19

3.3 Media preparation                                                                                                                19

3.4 Microbiological Analysis                                                                                                     19

3.4.1 Isolation of   Bacteria                                                                                                              20 

3.4.2 Identification, characterization and estimation of bacterial isolates                           20 

3.4.3 Isolation and identification of fungi                                                                                       21 

3.5 Determination of physicochemical properties of soil samples                                                21 

3.6 Statistical Analysis                                                                                                          21                                                                   

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 RESULTS                                                                                                                         22

4.1 Microbial Counts                                                                                                                 23

4.2 Presumptive isolates identified                                                                                             24

4.3 Cultural and Biochemical characteristics of bacterial isolates                                     25

4.4 Physicochemical properties of soil samples                                                                     26

4.2 Discussion                                                                                                                          27                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion                                                                                                30    

5.2 Recommendation                                                                                                                     31 

References                                                                                      32

Appendix                                                                                                 42

LIST OF TABLES

Tables                                                  Title                                        Page

Table 4.1          Microbial Counts of isolates identified                                       23

Table 4.2:         Presumptive isolates identified                                                    24

Table 4.3:         Cultural and Biochemical characteristics of bacterial isolates identified.      25

Table 4.4:        Physiochemical properties   of soil samples                        26

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

Soil corresponds to the surface layer of the Earth's crust (lithosphere). The soil represents a favorable habitat for microorganisms and is inhabited by a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, algae, viruses and protozoa etc. Microorganisms are found in large numbers in the soil usually between one and ten million microorganisms are present per gram of soil with bacteria and fungi being the most prevalent (Dhanjal and Cameotra, 2010). However, the availability of nutrients is often limiting for microbial growth in soil and most soil microorganisms may not be physiologically active in the soil at the given time.

  Microorganisms have been evolving for nearly 4 billion years and are capable of exploiting a vast range of energy sources. Microbial life is widely distributed, provided there is life on earth there is microbial life. Microscopic organisms include the bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa etc. and are found in virtually all possible environmental conditions on earth. From the tropics to the Arctic and Antarctica, in underground mines and oil fields to the stratosphere and on the top of great mountains, from deserts to the dead sea, from above-ground hot springs to undersoil hydrothermal vents. (Xu, 2006). Most of all of the basic biochemistries of life evolved from microbes. It is estimated that half of the living protoplasm on this planet is microbial. Micro-organisms have been integral to the history and function of life on Earth. They have played central roles in Earth’s climatic and biological evolution (Xu, 2006). Diverse microorganisms are essential to sustainable biosphere and are able to recycle nutrients, produce and consume harmful gases, help in bioremediation and biocontrol agents for plant and animal pests. (Kalia and Purohit 2008).        

 Soil is heavily populated by microorganisms, with an estimated prokaryotic density of 10⁹ cells g^-1 in the top meter and 108 cells g-1 from 1 to 8 meters’ depth (Whitman, 2008). The majority of this microbial biomass represents uncharacterized diversity and “within the soil microbial population, there is a wealth of genetic information waiting to be discovered” (Kennedy and Smith, 1995). Soil microorganisms provide indispensable services, including enabling crop production through agriculture, sustainability of animal productivity, and air and water quality regulation. These services depend on land management practices ensuring the maintenance of soil health, which is understood as the functioning of the underlying processes that maintain the capacity of soil to support life (Doran and Zeiss 2000). The microbiological component of soil is responsible for originating and consuming nutrients during biogeochemical cycling, which regenerates and maintains soil quality (Collins et al., 2012). Organic matter degradation (Brussaard, 1997), pest control (Weller, 2008), and soil structure maintenance (Tisdall and Oades, 2002) are other examples of microbial life-supporting processes in soil.  Therefore, the soil may have different conditions for growth of microorganism as a natural environment.

1.1 Aim and Objectives of the Study

1.     To isolate and identify microorganisms in the top soil profile from 5 communities in Ikwuano LGA, Abia State, using culture based methods.

2.     To estimate and compare microbial composition and load using viable pour plate technique

3.     To determine the physicochemical characteristics using standard laboratory procedure.

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