Research Applications
PRS® Probes have been used to document how plant influence soil nutrients through the release of organic exudates and modification of microbial activity.
Examples
-
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi have Positive and Negative Impacts on Wheat Grown in Organic and Conventional Fields on the Canadian Prairies. A better understanding of AMF communities may support increased productivity and nutrient efficiency in both organic and conventional farming systems.
- The effects of Glycine max and Helianthus annuus on nutrient availability in two soils. Johnson et al. (2007) found that the presence of plants (especially sunflower) in an organically-farmed soil caused significant reductions in soil N and K availability (which was interpreted as due to uptake), and significant increases in P, S, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn availability. The impacts were attributed to rhizosphere-enhanced mineralization of native soil organic matter in this soil.
