Soil Enzymes

Sources of soil enzymes include living and dead microbes, plant roots and residues, and soil animals. Enzymes stabilized in the soil matrix accumulate or form complexes with organic matter (humus), clay, and humus-clay complexes, but are no longer associated with viable cells. It is thought that 40 to 60% of enzyme activity can come from stabilized enzymes, so activity does not necessarily correlate highly with microbial biomass or respiration. Therefore, enzyme activity is the cumulative effect of long term microbial activity and activity of the viable population at sampling. However, an example of an enzyme that only reflects activity of viable cells is dehydrogenase, which in theory can only occur in viable cells and not in stabilized soil complexes.

Relationship to Soil Function

Enzymes respond to soil management changes long before other soil quality indicator changes are detectable. Soil enzymes play an important role in organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling (table 1). Some enzymes only facilitate the breakdown of organic matter (e.g., hydrolase, glucosidase), while others are involved in nutrient mineralization (e.g., amidase, urease, phosphatase, sulfates). With the exception of phosphatase activity, there is no strong evidence that directly relates enzyme activity to nutrient availability or crop production. The relationship may be indirect considering nutrient mineralization to plant available forms is accomplished with the contribution of enzyme activity.

Problems with Poor Activity

Absence or suppression of soil enzymes prevents or reduces processes that can affect plant nutrition. Poor enzyme activity (e.g., pesticide degrading enzymes) can result in an accumulation of chemicals that are harmful to the environment; some of these chemicals may further inhibit soil enzyme activity.

Improving Enzyme Activity

Organic amendment applications, crop rotation, and cover crops have been shown to enhance enzyme activity (figs 1 and 2). The positive effect of pasture (fig 2) is associated with the input of animal manure and less soil disturbance. Agricultural methods that modify soil pH (e.g., liming) can also change enzyme activity.

This Page Was Created Utilizing Text And Images From These Sources:

Soil Enzymes, Soil Quality Indicators Fact Sheet- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Registration Open for 2026 Soil Health Schools!

The Coalition will host two Soil Health Schools in 2026! The West River Soil Health School is set for June 24-25 near Caputa, SD, and the South Dakota Soil Health School is set for Sept. 15-17 near Twin Brooks and Marvin, SD. These events are designed for agricultural producers as well as anyone with an interest in learning how to manage soils for resiliency and profit. The agenda features classroom style presentations by producers and technical experts from across the state and region, as well as hands-on experiences in the field. Area producers will share their challenges and successes with various methods for improving soil health, to an average class size of 30-40. Registration is open, so check out our events page to learn more!