Cultivating Change: Microbial Insights to Strengthen Soil Health

Prompt

Create a scientific research poster titled “SAVING AGRICULTURE: MICROBIAL RESPONSES TO ORGANIC MATTER AMENDMENTS” by Nadia Zermani & Jennifer L. Wood. The layout is clean, structured, and academic, with visually separated sections for introduction, aims, experimental design, methods, results, and conclusions. The colour palette should be natural and earthy, inspired by soil and agriculture — use soft browns, greens, beige, and white tones. The poster should feel professional, scientific, and environmentally themed, with icons or photos representing soil, microbes, plants, DNA, and lab equipment. 🧠 Poster Layout and Content (Top to Bottom, Left to Right) Header Section Centered large title in bold uppercase, dark green: “SAVING AGRICULTURE: MICROBIAL RESPONSES TO ORGANIC MATTER AMENDMENTS” Beneath the title: smaller subtitle line with names in italic — Nadia Zermani & Jennifer L. Wood Background: subtle beige gradient with a faint soil texture or agricultural image (e.g., soil profile or crop field). Left Column – Introduction & Aims Section: Research Question & Aims Heading in dark brown, bold, underlined. Text block below describing the research question: “What is the microbial response to differing types of organic matter (OM) across a carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) gradient?” Followed by three bullet-pointed aims: Aim 1: Determine relationships between OM inputs, microbial activity, and soil nutrient profiles. Aim 2: Investigate changes in microbial community structure over time. Aim 3: Identify microbial taxa correlated with community activity. Section: Introduction Background box with pale green shading and a small soil texture image watermark. Text explaining: Soil organic matter (SOM) is vital for nutrient cycling and soil health, but current agricultural practices have reduced SOM by 20–70% in the top 10 cm of Australian soils. This leads to poorer water retention and nutrient stability. The study explores how microbes respond to organic matter inputs with different C:N ratios — from high (wheat straw) to low (manure). Include three small superscript citations [1–3] referencing sources at the bottom of the poster. Middle Column – Experimental Design & Methods Section: Experimental Design Subheading: “Organic Matter Amendments” A table or visual chart with two columns labelled: Left: High C:N Control Wheat Straw Wheat Straw & NPK Right: Low C:N Lucerne Wheat Straw & Sheep Manure Sheep Manure NPK Each treatment shown as soil column illustrations or schematic diagrams, with “×5” below each to indicate replicates. Small photo or icon of soil columns. Text below the figure: “Top 5 cm of soil was sourced from the Agricultural Reserve at La Trobe University, homogenized, sieved (2 mm), and packed into columns. Microbial response across the complexity gradient was measured between treatments.” Section: Measuring Microbial Activity Subheading: “Soil Basal Respiration (BAS)” Diagram of the experimental setup: Soil sample → NaOH trap → BaCl₂ precipitate → HCl titration → CO₂ measurement. Include arrows and labels showing the steps. Short explanation beside it: “BAS measures microbial respiration as CO₂ production. Higher CO₂ = higher microbial activity.” Right Column – DNA Sequencing & Hypotheses Section: Measuring Microbial Taxonomy Illustration of DNA double helix or Illumina MiSeq sequencer. Text box explaining the workflow: Extract DNA from soil. Sequence bacterial 16S V4 and fungal ITS2 regions using Illumina MiSeq. Assign taxonomy via QIIME 2 using SILVA and UNITE databases. Analyse community composition in R. Section: Hypothesized Outcomes Two simple conceptual bar graphs or schematic visuals: “Nitrifier & Denitrifier Abundance” increasing or decreasing across treatments. “Fungi Abundance” shifting along C:N gradient. Small arrows showing High C:N → Low C:N direction. Section: Future Applications Background in light green. Text summary: “This research will help farmers optimise organic matter inputs to improve soil health, nutrient cycling, and agricultural sustainability.” End with GRDC website citation and partner logos (optional). Bottom Footer Small text citations for three references, numbered [1]–[3]. Include logos of La Trobe University and GRDC (if permitted). Clean footer line to frame the bottom of the poster. 🎨 Stylistic Notes Fonts: modern sans-serif (like Lato, Open Sans, or Montserrat). Colours: earthy tones — dark green (#355E3B), beige (#F5F0E1), and brown (#7B5E2B). Use soft drop shadows for boxes to add depth. Balance text with whitespace and visuals — aim for clarity and flow. Include subtle icons or mini graphics representing microbes, soil, DNA, and crops.

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