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