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Effects of green-manure and tillage management on soil microbial community composition, nutrients and tree growth in a walnut orchard.

ABSTRACT: This study characterized the effect of green manures (February orchid, hairy vetch, rattail fescue and a no-green-manure control) and the termination method (flail or disk) on nutrient contents, enzyme activities, microbial biomass, microbial community structure of rhizosphere soil and vegetative growth of walnut tree. All three selected green manures significantly enhanced the water content, organic C, total N and available P. The rattail fescue significantly decreased the mineral N. Total organic C, total N, mineral N and available P were significantly greater under flail than under disk. Hairy vetch and February orchid significantly improved levels of soil β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and acid phosphatase activity, whereas rattail fescue improved only β-glucosidase activity. All of the green manures significantly decreased phenoloxidase activity. β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and acid phosphatase activities were significantly greater under flail relative to disk. The termination method had no significant effect on phenoloxidase activity. The different types of green manures and termination methods significantly altered the soil microbial biomass and microbial community structure. The green-manure treatments were characterized by a significantly greater abundance of Gram-positive (Gram +) bacteria, total bacteria and saprophytic fungi compared to the control. Hairy vetch significantly decreased the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) while February orchid and rattail fescue increased their abundance compared to the no-green-manure treatment. The abundance rates of Gram+ bacteria, actinomycetes, saprophytic fungi and AMF were significantly greater in soils under flail than under disk. In terms of vegetative growth of walnut tree, hairy vetch showed the greatest positive effects. The growth of walnut tree was significantly greater under flail relative to disk. Our results indicate that green-manure application benefits the rhizosphere soil micro-ecology, rhizosphere soil nutrient contents and tree growth. Overall, the hairy vetch and flail combined treatment is recommended for walnut orchards in northern China.

SUBMITTER: Dong N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8377041 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:IntroductionConservation tillage is a widely used technique worldwide, but the effects of conservation tillage on bacterial community structure are poorly understood. We explored proportional alterations in the bacterial community under different tillage treatments.MethodologyHence, this study utilized high-throughput sequencing technique to investigate the structure and assembly processes of microbial communities in different tillage treatments.Results and discussionTillage treatments included tillage no-straw retention (CntWt), no-tillage with straw retention (CntWntS), tillage with straw retention (CntWtS), no-tillage and no-straw retention (CntWnt). The influence of tillage practices on soil bacterial communities was investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Different tillage methods and straw retention systems significantly influenced soil parameters such as total potassium and pH were not affected by tillage practices, while straw retention significantly affected soil parameters including nitrogen content, available phosphorus and available potassium. Straw retention decreased bacterial diversity while increased bacterial richness. The effect of straw retention and tillage on bacterial communities was greater than with no tillage. Phylogenetic β-diversity analysis showed that deterministic homogeneous selection processes were dominated, while stochastic processes were more pronounced in tillage without straw retention. Ecological network analysis showed that microbial community correlation was increased in CntWntS and CntWnt. Straw retention treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of bacterial taxa Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and OD1, while Nitrospirae, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia significantly decreased.ConclusionThe conservation tillage practices significantly affect soil properties, bacterial composition, and assembly processes; however, further studies are required to investigate the impact of different crops, tillage practices and physiological characteristics on bacterial community structure and functions.

Project description:Green manure application is a common practice to improve soil fertility in China. However, the impact of different green manure-fertilizer combinations on the soil microbial communities in the low-fertility immature red soil in southern China remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a pot experiment using two common green manure crops, ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.), along with a fallow treatment. We also considered three combined fertilizer management strategies, including mineral, humic acid, and organic manure fertilizers. We evaluated the soil microbial biomass, activity, communities, functional prediction and their correlation with soil properties during green manure growth and incorporation periods, to assess the potential alterations caused by different green manure and fertilizer combinations. Our findings indicate that green manure application, particularly in combination with organic fertilizers, increased the alpha diversity of the soil bacterial community, while the opposite trend was observed in the fungal community. The application of green manure altered the soil microbial communities during both growth and incorporation periods, especially the taxa that participate in carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles. Notably, ryegrass significantly increased the relative abundance of bacterial phylum Firmicutes and fungal phylum Ascomycota, whereas Chinese milk vetch significantly stimulated the bacterial phylum Acidobacteria and fungal phylum Glomeromycota. Compared with fallow treatments, green manure application significantly increased the soil pH by 4.1%-12.4%, and microbial biomass carbon by 29.8%-72.9%, regardless of the types of combined fertilizer. Additionally, the application of green manure resulted in a 35.6%-142.6% increase in urease activity and a 65.9%-172.9% increase in β-glucosidase activity compared to fallow treatments, while led to a 22.5%-55.6% decrease in catalase activity. Further analysis revealed that the changes in both bacterial and fungal communities positively correlated with soil pH, soil organic matter, total nitrogen and alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen contents. Moreover, the relationship between the soil microbial community and soil enzyme activities was regulated by the specific green manure species. In conclusion, our results provide insight into the effects of different green manure-fertilizer combinations on soil microorganisms and their underlying mechanisms in improving soil fertility in the low-fertility immature red soil.

Project description:Studies of biodiversity-ecosystem function in treed ecosystems have generally focused on aboveground functions. This study investigates intertrophic links between tree diversity and soil microbial community function and composition. We examined how microbial communities in surface mineral soil responded to experimental gradients of tree species richness (SR), functional diversity (FD), community-weighted mean trait value (CWM), and tree identity. The site was a 4-year-old common garden experiment near Montreal, Canada, consisting of deciduous and evergreen tree species mixtures. Microbial community composition, community-level physiological profiles, and respiration were evaluated using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and the MicroResp™ system, respectively. The relationship between tree species richness and glucose-induced respiration (GIR), basal respiration (BR), metabolic quotient (qCO 2) followed a positive but saturating shape. Microbial communities associated with species mixtures were more active (basal respiration [BR]), with higher biomass (glucose-induced respiration [GIR]), and used a greater number of carbon sources than monocultures. Communities associated with deciduous tree species used a greater number of carbon sources than those associated with evergreen species, suggesting a greater soil carbon storage capacity. There were no differences in microbial composition (PLFA) between monocultures and SR mixtures. The FD and the CWM of several functional traits affected both BR and GIR. In general, the CWM of traits had stronger effects than did FD, suggesting that certain traits of dominant species have more effect on ecosystem processes than does FD. Both the functions of GIR and BR were positively related to aboveground tree community productivity. Both tree diversity (SR) and identity (species and functional identity-leaf habit) affected soil microbial community respiration, biomass, and composition. For the first time, we identified functional traits related to life-history strategy, as well as root traits that influence another trophic level, soil microbial community function, via effects on BR and GIR.

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Effects of green-manure and tillage management on soil microbial community composition, nutrients and tree growth in a walnut orchard.

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