Soil Fungi & Soil Health
The roles of soil fungi in decomposition, nutrient cycling, aggregation and disease suppression, and how to manage soils for them.
An overview of what you will study and build.
Soil fungi do much of the quiet work behind a productive field: they break down crop residues, recycle nutrients, knit particles into crumbs and, in some soils, keep root diseases in check. This course follows those roles through the soil food web, from saprotrophic decomposers and their enzymes to the hyphae that hold aggregates together, and examines what the fungal-to-bacterial balance can and cannot tell us. A dedicated module looks at disease-suppressive soils and the microbial processes that make them work.
Interest in soil health has moved from niche to mainstream, with growers, advisers and public schemes all asking how to measure and improve it. The course is designed for growers, soil advisers and land managers who want to read soil biology with confidence and avoid oversimplified claims. The final module introduces practical indicators that can be used on the farm and in the lab. In the final project, students select a set of indicators for a real site, record a baseline and propose management changes to support a more active fungal community.
6 modules, one growing line of knowledge.
Hover or tap a module to follow the path from the first session to the final project. Open a module to see the topics it covers.
- Trophic levels below ground
- Fungal functional groups
- Interactions between fungi, bacteria and soil fauna
- Litter quality and decomposition rates
- Fungal enzymes for cellulose and lignin
- Nitrogen and phosphorus mineralisation
- How soil aggregates form
- Hyphal enmeshment and binding agents
- Aggregate stability and water movement
- Measuring the fungal-to-bacterial ratio
- What shifts the balance
- Limits of the ratio as a management target
- General and specific suppression
- Microbial mechanisms of suppression
- Building suppressiveness through management
- Field tests: slaking, infiltration and earthworms
- Laboratory biological indicators
- Choosing and tracking indicators over time
Soil Fungi & Soil Health
By the end you will be able to:
- Describe the main functional roles of fungi in the soil food web.
- Explain how fungal hyphae contribute to soil aggregate stability.
- Interpret fungal-to-bacterial ratios with appropriate caution.
- Recognise the features and drivers of disease-suppressive soils.
- Choose and record practical soil health indicators for a site.
Where this programme sits in the school.
Where this programme can take you.
Roles and uses that build on what you learn here. Outcomes depend on your experience and local market.
- Soil health adviser for growers
- Land manager integrating soil biology into planning
- Field technician for soil monitoring schemes
- Agronomist in organic or regenerative farming
- Sustainability officer in an agri-food supply chain
Requirements, assessment and certificate.
Admission requirements
No previous soil science training is required. Access to a field or garden site is helpful for the indicator exercises.
How you are assessed
Students are assessed on active participation in live sessions, practical exercises for each module and a final project reviewed by the professor.
Final project
A soil health baseline for a real site using selected biological indicators, with recommendations to support soil fungi.
Certificate
Course Certificate
On completing the programme and its project, Fungaris issues a Course Certificate. Accreditations are assessed according to the training completed and the local regulations of each country.
How the programme grows, phase by phase.
- The Soil Food Web and Fungal Roles
- Decomposers and Nutrient Cycling
- Fungal Hyphae and Soil Aggregation
- Fungal-to-Bacterial Balance in Soils
- Disease-suppressive Soils
- Practical Soil Health Indicators
Related searches
Questions about this programme
Do I need experience to study Soil Fungi & Soil Health?
No previous soil science training is required. Access to a field or garden site is helpful for the indicator exercises.
How is Soil Fungi & Soil Health taught?
Live online, in 6 modules with a working professional, a small group and a final project.
How am I assessed?
Students are assessed on active participation in live sessions, practical exercises for each module and a final project reviewed by the professor.
What is the final project?
A soil health baseline for a real site using selected biological indicators, with recommendations to support soil fungi.
What certificate do I get?
On completing the programme and its project, Fungaris issues a Course Certificate. Accreditations are assessed according to the training completed and the local regulations of each country.
What can I study after Soil Fungi & Soil Health?
The natural next step is Diploma in Mycorrhizal Agriculture.
Read before you start.
Keep branching.
Join the next intake.
Pay in full with a 20% reduction, or reserve your place with 40% and pay the rest in monthly instalments. All prices are stated in US dollars (USD).