There are many aspects of biology that are influenced by Quorum Sensing and below is some of my work that relates this to soil and agriculture .
If you have never heard of quorum sensing, do not worry ,you are not alone. Ask a room full of farmers or soil scientists about it and many/if not most, will not have heard of it either. But that needs to change, because quorum sensing may be one of the most influential, underappreciated forces in every farming system.
Quorum sensing (QS) is how microbes communicate. It is the real-time data exchange system used by bacteria and fungi to make decisions. First discovered as a chemical ‘voting system’ science has since proven that electrical QS also exists. That means microbes are not only talking through molecules, but also through bioelectrical signals -pulses, patterns, waves flowing through all soils, wherever you are, right now.
How Quorum Sensing Works
QS starts when individual microbes release signal molecules into their environment. The more microbes there are, the more signals build up. Once a critical threshold is reached , a quorum ,the whole group flips into action. This could mean forming a biofilm, launching spore production, initiating symbiosis with a plant root, or triggering dormancy.
Electrical quorum sensing goes further. It is faster, more responsive, and able to move information across longer distances using potassium ions and conductive filaments called bacterial nanowires. In essence, QS is the microbial version of the WWW , and most soils are buzzing with data exchanges. It is widely thought around 80% of all bacteria and fungi can communicate effectively using a universal language across all differing types.
A Soil Profile as Unique as DNA
Every field contains a unique microbial ecosystem shaped by local climate, crops, soil type, and history. You cannot easily import that complexity from somewhere else. Just as you would not send Highland cattle or penguins to a desert to live , adding microbes from a distant environment may do more harm than good. While a soil sample may be tested to look at the soil biome it does not account for all bacteria within a sample, as many bacteria can be hibernating/ or in long term dormancy for years or decades and can be virtually undetectable if they hide intracellularly, within biofilms, or as VBNC cells. .
Whilst they could be beneficial /or not, in the soil, they have chosen to wait until an opportune moment comes for them to emerge that is driven by QS
Instead of importing biology, what if we listened to what is already there? In my early experiments, I built soil batteries using anodes and cathodes embedded in soil from a field of ours . Not only did these setups light up LEDs, but they also powered an entire outdoor Christmas tree set of lights using a few Kgs of soil. I was not adding bacteria , I was feeding the existing community. And that is when I realised: the soil was not just producing energy; it was producing information. Every year since, I power up the lights on a Christmas tree outside the farm office as a reminder of where things started purely using soil as the energy source.( Pictures below are of a hand held soil powered torch and the soil powered lights outside the farm office)
Recording the Language of the Soil
Instead of stopping at voltage, I treated the electrical output like a message. Over years, I’ve developed systems to record, digitise, and analyse this microbial communication in real time. Using microcontrollers, data interfaces, and software, I have broken the output into strands of data so I can interpret data as well as being able to directly engage with it also. Instructing differing bacteria to behave in certain ways or denying electrical communication completely is no longer something of fiction ,which is something I have spent a fair bit of time looking at ,but there are lifetimes of learning to do on this still, at the end of the day listening rather than meddling is a far safer option .
These strands include:
· Water availability
· Nutrient availability/ demand
· Temperature response
· Microbial population dynamics
· Panic signatures (e.g. spore or dormancy triggers)
The patterns are consistent. After water, hydration signals spike. When synthetic fertilisers are applied, signal complexity often collapses( after an initial frenzy) . And when biofilm formation is triggered, signals harmonise in a way that is both measurable and repeatable. It is not just a reaction , it's a strategy.
Carbon, Organic Matter, and the QS Connection
There is a lot of talk these days about carbon sequestration, organic matter restoration, and regenerative farming. But too often, the microbial coordination required to make those systems work ,quorum sensing ,is completely left out of the conversation.
Here is the reality: bacteria and fungi are the frontline engineers of carbon cycling. They process plant residues, stabilise humus, and form protective biofilms that physically hold carbon in place. But none of this happens at random. It all depends on QS.
Without proper QS signalling, microbes stay disorganised. They do not form structure. They do not aggregate soil. And they can even start to cannibalise stable organic matter, releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere.
When quorum sensing is intact, we see microbial populations build carbon scaffolding – extracellular matrices, glues, and aggregates that not only store carbon, but regulate nitrogen, phosphorus, and water retention. But when QS is disrupted ,often by tillage, synthetic nitrogen overload, or overstimulation without rest - this architecture breaks down.
This has direct implications for regenerative agriculture. Practices like minimal and zero tillage, reduced fertiliser input, and optimised nitrogen timing all benefit from ,and can be guided by ,healthy QS signalling. Rather than guessing at nutrient cycles, we could be measuring real-time microbial coordination to know when soil is building carbon and when it is leaking it.
This flips the narrative: carbon sequestration is not just about reducing emissions or planting cover crops. It is about enabling microbial societies to function as carbon architects. And that function starts ,and ends , with quorum sensing.
SAR(Systemic Acquired Resistance), Biofilms, and the Power of Symbiosis
Plants do not just benefit from soil microbes , they talk back. They release root exudates to feed specific bacteria. They respond to quorum signals with immune readiness and under pressure, like drought or pest threat, plants and microbes jointly decide how to respond.
One of the most fascinating discoveries has been biofilms ,coordinated microbial mats that can either help hold water or shut down soil pore space in what is called bioclogging. These are not failures. They are strategic moves by microbial societies, and QS is what drives them.
This leads to the detection of SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance). Before a visible drought symptom appears in a plant, QS activity spikes, coordinating water retention and plant immune priming. This proves that QS is not only a reflection of environmental change ,it’s a predictor of it. In essence, it is early warning data built into biology.
Where This Leads: Beyond Sensors
Traditional soil sensors can measure pH, moisture, and temperature. That is helpful. But they do not tell you what microbes are thinking. QS does. We are on the edge of reading microbial networks in real time. Not just measuring effects but understanding cause and intent.
Imagine being able to:
· See when soil life is ready/optimal for seeding or needs recovery.
· Detect disease stress before plant symptoms appear.
· Gauge which nutrients are/are not available
· Optimise irrigation timing based on QS hydration chatter.
· Read SAR activation before a pest outbreak.
This is the microbial layer we have been missing ,one that could change everything from how we plant to how we defend crops with less chemical input.
The Microbial Internet: What Makes QS Revolutionary
Quorum Sensing is often described as microbial communication ,but that doesn’t go far enough. What we’re really looking at is a living, responsive, decentralised network. Like the human brain or a digital internet, QS networks allow distributed communities to coordinate without central control.
When enough bacteria or fungi reach a quorum, they act like a single organism. They form colonies, alter their chemistry, and even sacrifice individual cells for the benefit of the group. This behaviour mirrors systems theory in nature and technology ,from neural networks to social insects to traffic routing.
Why is this revolutionary for agriculture? Because it proves that biology already contains the logic we try to simulate with artificial intelligence. Instead of forcing control over soil systems, we could design responsive strategies that plug into this network.
Quorum Sensing and Human Health
Quorum sensing is not just happening in soil ,it is happening inside us too. In the human gut, trillions of bacteria use QS to regulate digestion, immunity, and even brain chemistry. Certain microbial peptides produced in the gut can cross into the bloodstream and influence the brain via the vagus nerve, helping to regulate mood, stress, and inflammation.
In the mouth, bacteria use QS to coordinate the formation of biofilms ,better known to most of us as dental plaque, allowing microbial colonies to protect themselves, resist antibiotics, and cause gum disease if unchecked. Just like in soil, when this communication is balanced, it supports resilience. When it breaks down, the whole system, whether gut, mouth, or brain ,can spiral into disorder.
Why Isn’t This Widely Known?
I have spoken to soil scientists across multiple countries. Many of them tell me the same thing: up to 80% of published academic soil/farm research is not fit for field use. And yet, here we have a well-documented, dynamic, real-time system that has been operating beneath our boots for millennia , and it is almost completely ignored.
Instead, the focus is often on manipulating biology by adding microbes, spraying stimulants, or applying chemistry to force change. But the biology is already there. It’s networked. It’s intelligent. It just needs to be heard.
Quorum sensing is not a theory. It is proven. It is recordable. And it is ready to be part of the next generation of practical farming.
Final Thoughts: Next Time You Walk Your Field…
Take a moment to consider what is happening below the surface. Every root, every pore, every microbial cluster is exchanging information. QS is that exchange. And with the right tools, we can read it.
This is not about fighting the soil. It is about understanding it - not just physically, biologically and chemically, but informationally. We have built an Agri tech world on sensors and screens. Maybe the most powerful sensor is already beneath our feet, waiting to be decoded completely.
And to cap it off , the laptop you may read this on will most likely contain around 20 miles of circuits within it ,a handfull of soil contains around 20 miles( at least) of mycelium that supports Quorum sensing data transfer and just further food for thought !
January 2026
Hugh Goldsworthy
Current areas of research include Electrical Quorum Sensing Data Transfer/Analytics ,Remote Quenching/Instructional coding ,Biological Processing and Intergration with Silicone systems for Deterministic Ai platforms
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