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Extension Services: Soil Biology Tests and Training Programs

1 Soil Biology Tests: Our tests can be divided into two broad categories: A) Tests for clients interested in practical advice regarding interactions between plants and beneficial microbes, and interactions between plants and potential herbicide residues; and B) Tests oriented toward research applications. Organic and traditional growers would benefit from the former group of tests, and researchers may benefit from the second group of tests.
A
 Tests for Organic and Traditional Growers:
Mycorrhizal Association
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2
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 Percent Colonization
Spore Count
MIP (Mycorrhizal Inoculum Potential) Bioassay
Rhizobium Association
4
 Nodules Count
Plant Growth Response
5
 Using Lepidium sp as a Bioindicator Plant
Herbicide Detection
6
Using Lepidium sp as a Bioindicator Plant
Weed estimation
7
Count Seedling Development per volume soil
B
 Research Applications
Respiration Test
8
Measure Carbon Dioxide Production
Biomass Test
9
 Estimate Carbon Conversion
Enzyme
10
 Phosphatase Test
2 Field Surveys: Use Mycorrhizal Inoculum Potential Bioassay to estimate activity of mycorrhizal fungi in samples. Results will be available after one month of incubation. Fee will be variable with field conditions and size.
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Training: Summer short course and workshop for large or small groups of organic farmers, scientists, researchers, students, or other interests that can be organized on University of Florida campus, online, or on your field. Training will include technical procedures for mycorrhizal inoculum manipulation and spores isolation. Also, training will include teachings to estimate mycorrhizal colonization and fungal identification. Registration fee per one person is $ 500 for training on campus or online and $ 1000 for training on your field.
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Mycorrhizal Inoculum: If a client’s soil is low in MIP or is dominated by a mycorrhizal fungus inefficient for a particular plant, we can supply “soil inoculum” of AM fungal isolates. We have supplied inocula for private, commercial, and research applications. Requests for inocula should be submitted three months in advance. Price for “soil inoculum” is $ 25 per one pound (454 grams) of dry soil medium.
© Soil Microbiology, 2169 McCarty Hall A, PO Box 110290, Gainesville, FL  32611- 0290, USA
Telephone:  352 392 1951 Ext 220, Fax:  352 392 3902