@Stephen_Sinnott yeah- I think that the understanding that we really only possess limited knowledge of what is happening biologically is important to have in mind all the time. I learned recently that specific viruses play a key role in biological N fixation.

In any case something at the center of the venn diagram no matter who you listen to or what you read is diversity. The way I look at it is that the more diverse microbes from a diverse array of sources we can introduce to the system, the better. The ones that are well suited for the environment will adapt to their new home and thrive, and if not they wont. My goal is to make a habitat that favors the microbial populations we want. I want the regional/local microbial populations to grow and proliferate, and also introduce microbes from an array of sources. I like the commercial innoculants included in the mix because I know (assuming we trust the source and their process etc) that there are very specific agriculturally useful microbes present- and if they have a shot at establishing, I want to be sure I have introduced them and made that chance possible.