The book covers the fundamentals of agricultural microbiology, including bacteriology, plant pathology, soil microbiology, food microbiology. This book was carefully put together with the variety of course reading materials and the academic background of agricultural students in mind. To aid students in understanding and memory, the suggested book covers all essential facets of agricultural microbiology in a clear, concise manner. The book can be used as a study guide and additional reading for a variety of competitive exams. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Soil Organic Matter Pools 3. Composition, Distribution and Functions of Soil Organic Matter 4. Soil Carbohydrates and Lipids 5. Role of Organic Matter in Pedogenic Processes 6. Decomposition of Organic Residues in Soil 7. Nutrient Transformations in Soil: Nitrogen, Phosphorus 8. Biochemistry of Humus Formation 9. Trace Metal Interactions with Humic Substances 10. Reactive Functional Groups of Humic Substances 11. Adsorption of Organic Compounds by Clay 12. Clay - Organic Matter Complexes – I 13. Clay - Organic Matter Complexes - II: Role of Organic Matter in Forming Stable Soil Aggregates 14. Humus - Pesticides Interactions in Soil 15. Environmental Significance of Humic Substances 16. Characterization of Soil Organic Matter by UV-visible Spectroscopy 17. Characterization of Soil Organic Matter by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy 18. Nuclear Techniques for Soil Organic Matter Studies 19. Managing Soil Organic Matter 20. Analytical Procedures