food security from the soil microbiome
03 december 2015 publication
the united nations declared 2015 the international year of soils. global food security faces challenges such as a growing population, climate change and the loss of agricultural land to erosion and degradation. protecting and harnessing healthy soils is important for sustainable agricultural intensification. this briefing outlines the importance of understanding and harnessing the soil microbiome – the community of micro-organisms found in soils – to sustainably increase crop yields and protect soil health. it highlights cutting-edge uk microbiological research to develop biotechnologies and soil management practices that farmers could potentially use to harness the soil microbiome as a tool for sustainable agricultural intensification. the briefing also notes the importance of monitoring the biological health of soils and investing in agricultural and soil microbiology to maximise the impact of this research.