To create the variability and normal operating range (NOR) of basic biological processes in Dutch agricultural soils which can be used to asses the effect of transgenic plants on the soil ecosystem.

DNA Stable Isotope Probing (SIP) is a method for assessing the structure of the active microbial communities and link it to their function in the soil ecosystem. We will use 13C labelled plant material as a substrate for soil microorganisms to investigate the carbon consumption and impact of plants on the soils.

Terminal Restriction Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) will be used to determine microbial diversity in soils by analysing the sequence profiles of DNA isolated from the investigated soils.

Soil respiration kinetics - by monitoring CO2 levels we want to investigate the transformation of carbon derived from plant material by soil microbial communities.

The main aim is to understand more about the functioning of the natural soil ecosystem. The focus is on the impact of typical crop plants on the soil microorganisms and their interaction. In cooperation with the University of Groningen, the normal operating range of a wide range of processes (e.g. carbon and nitrogen cycle, changes in structure and functioning of microbial communities) in Dutch agricultural soils will be established. At IRAS, we will focus on the degradation of plant material by microbes. The project includes investigations of a representative range of Dutch agricultural soils with common crop plants (e.g. potato, maize, wheat) during several growing seasons.

• Project: ERGO part 1
• Microbial functioning of soil - does diversity matter?