Scientist are looking for ways to produce a regular source of food on the moon. You can not just plant crops in a greenhouse on the moon and expect them to grow. They need nutrients that recycle and are in the right form. That takes microbes. Understanding what microbes make nutrients plant available may also allow “earth” farmers to use less commercial fertilizer. Farmers are now using biofertilizers (microbes) to enhance plant nutrition. Here’s a summary of important plant microbes used to make plant available nutrients. For nitrogen (N), the rhizobium bacteria convert atmospheric N2 into ammonia (NH3). The rhizobia (R) infect the plant in root nodules and then convert N into useable plant forms. Farmers inoculate soybeans, hay, and cover crops with specific rhizobia strains to generate free N for the plant. Use Bradyrhizobium japonicum for soybeans; R. trifolii for red clover, crimson clover, and white clover; R meliloti for alfalfa; and R. leguminosarum for peas, beans, and t...