Microbial Analysis for Growers

Harness Soil Microbes for Plant Health and Nutrition

4.64 (239 reviews)
Udemy
platform
English
language
Science
category
instructor
897
students
3 hours
content
Nov 2022
last update
$79.99
regular price

What you will learn

Use a microscope to determine whether soil microbial density and diversity are adequate to support production of healthy, nutrient dense plants.

Learn strategies to increase the microbial diversity and density of your soil.

Understand the nutritional, ecological, and economic benefits of putting trillions of microbes to work in your soil.

Description

     One of the best kept secrets in agriculture is that microbes carry out every function growers rely on chemicals to provide.  When you have adequate microbial diversity and density in your soil microbial community, your need for costly inputs can be reduced or eliminated.  

    Whether you are an urban gardener, growing food in containers on your balcony, a farmer planting hundreds of acres for commercial markets, a landscaper managing city parks, or anyone else who works with plants and soils, learning to recognize microbial indicators of soil health can help you grow better quality plants with higher yields and fewer inputs.  

Microbial Analysis for Growers can help you transform your growing practices. Learn:

  1. When and why a do it yourself soil test for microbes makes sense.

  2. How to choose a microscope suitable for soil testing. 

  3. How to classify and identify important soil microbes by general morphotypes.

  4. How to use your results to help you grow high quality crops. 

  5. How to corroborate your qualitative, visual results with qualitative soil respiration measurements.  

Note:  All the equipment needed to conduct soil biology testing will be described within. It is not necessary to have the equipment on hand to take the course. 

Content

Introduction

Written Introduction
Video Introduction: Why This Course was Developed

Getting Started With Microbial Density and Diversity (MDD)Analysis

Unit 1 - Why Microbes Matter, part A: A Few Things Microbes Do
Unit 1 Quiz
Unit 1-Why Microbes Matter, part B
Unit 1-Why Microbes Matter, part B
Unit 2-Why Perform a Microbial Density and Diversity (MDD) Analysis?
Unit 2-Why Perform a Microbial Density and Diversity (MDD) Analysis?
Unit 3-Choosing Microscopes and Other Equipment
Unit 3-Choosing Microscopes and Other Equipment, Part A
Unit 3 Part B-Choosing your Microscope.
Unit 3 Part B Quiz-Microscope Features You Need to Succeed
Unit 4-Taking Informative Samples
Unit 4 Quiz-Taking Informative Samples
Unit 5-Sample Preparation Protocol
Unit 5 Quiz-Sample Preparation Protocol
Unit 6-Classification of Microbial Communities
Unit 6 Quiz-Classification of Microbial Communities
Unit 7-Microbial Kingdoms You Want In Your Soil, Part A.
Unit 7 Subunit A-An Overview of Biotic Kingdoms and Domains
Unit 7 Subunit B-Measuring Microbes
Unit 7B Quiz-Measuring Microbes
Unit 7 Subunit C-Recognizing Living Cells and Identifying Prokaryotes
Unit 7 Subunit C-Recognizing Living Cells and Identifying Prokaryotes
Unit 7-D Recognizing Eukaryotes
Unit 7 Subunit D-Recognizing Eukaryotes
Unit 8-Record Keeping Pt A-Soil Quality Estimates
Unit 8 Part A Quiz- Optional Soil Quality Estimates
Unit 8-Record Keeping Pt. B Estimating Density and Diversity
Unit 8 Pt. C Minimizing Error, Keeping Records, and Interpreting Results
Unit 8 Part C Quiz
Unit 8 Pt. D. Using Results to Guide Management
Unit 8 Part D Quiz

Written Summary with Flow Charts

Summary and Flow Charts to Guide Your First Analysis

Section 4-Measuring Soil Respiration

Unit 9-Measuring Soil Respiration
Unit 9-Measuring Soil Respiration

Screenshots

Microbial Analysis for Growers - Screenshot_01Microbial Analysis for Growers - Screenshot_02Microbial Analysis for Growers - Screenshot_03Microbial Analysis for Growers - Screenshot_04

Reviews

Izak
October 13, 2023
Definitely brilliant, I do microbe isolations and is always exited to learn more. Great course I do find it instructive
Stephen
August 1, 2023
I enjoyed the course, although, it was a bit basic. I was hoping for greater insights from the MDD analytical approach.
Thomas
July 29, 2023
This was exactly the course I needed to start practicing soil microscopy. I am planning to take Elaine Ingham's course in the near future.
Lori
March 11, 2023
I’m a retired clinical microbiologist, and volunteer master gardener. This course is a perfect synthesis of my interests in both microbes and the soil.
Marcio
November 9, 2022
Thats a great course but I would like to see more slides taken from the microscope. This would help us to learn how to identify the different microbiome species better
Thomas
August 15, 2022
I've reviewed some of what I've figured out on my own which has been validated in this course. I've learned a lot here I have not seen covered online before like biosafety, speed to view under a microscope, solutions and storing samples, .
Shraddha
June 13, 2022
It was very informative and to the point. A good place to begin with for those wanting to understand soil microbiology. There are also many additional resources and links which are helpful.
Boysenberry
March 17, 2022
Great insight into the microbiology of our soil. I feel privileged to be able to learn such important information at a time when it is so relevant. The teacher and materials are presented in easy to understand and implement fashion. I recommend this course to anyone looking to understand our soil more. Thank you for putting this course together for us!
Gregers
February 9, 2022
Just what I was looking for, grew up on a little farm and are now going back producing food, with focus on quality earth and microbial systems.
Roger
December 21, 2021
I came to the course from an organic farming background and having spent 2 years in the Albrecht mineralization area of study. This was a good background for this course, learning about the "critters" in the soil, their role, adn why mineralization alone is not enough.
Bernard
December 20, 2021
It's been gratifying and a lot has been learned. As an automation engineer with little knowledge of soil science, Mary Lucero has awakened my passion for the sciences, specifically soil science.
James
October 23, 2021
Really interesting and informative. Looking forward to getting through the rest of this soil microbial examination course.
Mario
July 13, 2021
Yes! A good match. I'm reviewing some of my early colleges courses in soil science from the early 70's. My text only had 32 pages on soil ecology and this is jogging my memmory to return. Author was Henry D. Roth, chapter 6. Looking forward to proceed further.
Leonidas
May 28, 2021
I have slowly been getting interested in composting, this course has opened a whole new world of interest to me. Very good value for money. Thank you!
Eddie
April 26, 2021
This is a course that every grower needs to take. Whether your into backyard gardens or full scale agriculture, your soils want you to take this course immediately... Thank you Dr. Mary Lucero. You’ve made the world a better place...for all of life.

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1299326
udemy ID
7/20/2017
course created date
5/11/2020
course indexed date
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