Author addresses.- Preface 1: The Nature of Sustainable Agriculture; Andrew D. Noble and Sawaeng Ruaysoongnern.- 2: The microbiology of natural soils; Teri C. Balser, Devin Wixon, Lindsey K. Moritz and Laura Lipps.- 3: Soil microbiology and nutrient cycling; D.W. Hopkins and J.A.J. Dungait.- 4: The Role of Microbial Communities in the Formation and Decomposition of Soil Organic Matter; Leo Condron, Christine Stark, Maureen O\'Callaghan, Peter Clinton and Zhiqun Huang.- 5: Intimate Associations of Beneficial Soil Microbes with Host Plants; Oksana Y. Shtark, Alexey Y. Borisov, Vladimir A. Zhukov, Nikolay A. Provorov and Igor A. Tikhonovich.- 6: Soilborne Pathogens and their Interactions with the Soil Environment; Geoffrey R Dixon and Emma L. Tilston.- 7: The impact of land - use practices on soil microbes; Emma L. Tilston, Tom P. Sizmur, Wilfred Otten and Jim A. Harris.- 8: The effects of plant breeding on soil microbes; Petra Marschner and Zed Rengel.- 9: Utilizing Soil Microbes for Biocontrol; Alison Stewart, Michael Brownbridge, Robert A. Hill and Trevor A. Jackson.- 10: How will climate change impact soil microbial communities? T.C. Balser, J.L.M. Gutknecht and C. Liang.- 11: Evaluating the economic and social impact of soil microbes; Harpinder S. Sandhu, Vadakattu V.S.R. Gupta and Stephen D. Wratten