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