What is the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) procedure for soils? What do you want to think about when comparing PLFA lab reports? Dr. Charlotte Norris addressed these questions within an agricultural context.
Dr. Norris, Forest Soils Research Scientist with Natural Resources Canada, presented on “Evaluation a Biological Measurement of Soil Health in Agricultural Ecosystems.” In her presentation, Dr. Norris introduced the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) procedure and how soil scientists use it to identify the soil microbial community.
Dr. Norris suggested the measure needs some further work to be a universal tool in reporting microbial diversity, and she mentioned other things to consider when comparing across lab reports. She concluded with initial results showing how the tool could be used to assess local environmental conditions for soil microbial health.
For more information see our video below: