All the microbes and critters in the soil need energy. Very few of them can get energy from the sun the way plants can. So what can they eat to get energy?
We can feed the soil life. We can add compost, sugars such as molasses, and fertilizers to feed them temporarily. But do we really want all these guys to depend on us? Should we do the job that plants are equipped to do?
Plants are the energy source of the whole soil food web. And it’s not just when they die and decompose.
Plants give away much of the energy that they get through photosynthesis. They release sugars into the soil to feed bacteria. They give sugars and fats to feed fungi. Plants also release other chemicals into the soil to suppress the microbes that they don’t want and encourage the ones that they do want. The sugars and other things that plants release through their roots are called root exudates.
Science is discovering more and more just how calculated and precise plants are when they release their root exudates. They release precisely what is needed to feed and stimulate the microbes that they want to multiply.
Ideally, plants are the energy suppliers and engineers that manage the whole soil ecosystem.
Isn’t this amazing? Well, the description above is actually a simplification of what really happens. Check out the videos linked below if you’d like to learn more.
Videos for more Learning
An excellent 6 minute summary
This is an excellent audio explanation.
(Much of the visual is just filler.)
A full presentation from Dr. James White
Here’s a simple analogy:
Soil is like a battery; plants are the solar panels and charge controllers, soil microbes are the transformers and chargers.
Question for next time: how can we charge the batteries faster?
Light from the sun is the actual source of all the energy in both plants and soil. Sunlight is what enables plant photosynthesis. It’s even sunlight that drives the water cycle that provides water for the plants.
Jesus is the Light of the World (John 1:4,9). He’s the source of every blessing. However, He also said that His people are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Maybe plants can help us understand this. As plants receive energy form the sun and use it to grow, they increase their ability to receive and use light. As plants share by releasing exudates into the soil, they are sharing energy from the sun with organisms that can’t benefit from the light directly. As we receive the light that God gives us, we grow so that God can teach us more. As we share by acting toward others the way Jesus would, we share God’s light with others who won’t receive His light in other ways. This encourages others to also share their blessings, and the effect may eventually spread as ripples spread across water.
