Dataset Information

Tillage intensity and pasture in rotation effectively shape soil microbial communities at a landscape scale.

ABSTRACT: Soil microorganisms are essential to agroecosystem functioning and services. Yet, we still lack information on which farming practices can effectively shape the soil microbial communities. The aim of this study was to identify the farming practices, which are most effective at positively or negatively modifying bacterial and fungal diversity while considering the soil environmental variation at a landscape scale. A long-term research study catchment (12 km2 ) representative of intensive mixed farming (livestock and crop) in Western Europe was investigated using a regular grid for soil sampling (n = 186). Farming systems on this landscape scale were described in terms of crop rotation, use of fertilizer, soil tillage, pesticides treatments, and liming. Molecular microbial biomass was estimated by soil DNA recovery. Bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed by 16S and 18S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Microbial biomass was significantly stimulated by the presence of pasture during the crop rotation since temporary and permanent pastures, as compared to annual crops, increased the soil microbial biomass by +23% and +93% respectively. While soil properties (mainly pH) explained much of the variation in bacterial diversity, soil tillage seemed to be the most influential among the farming practices. A 2.4% increase in bacterial richness was observed along our gradient of soil tillage intensity. In contrast, farming practices were the predominant drivers of fungal diversity, which was mainly determined by the presence of pastures during the crop rotation. Compared to annual crops, temporary and permanent pastures increased soil fungal richness by +10% and +14.5%, respectively. Altogether, our landscape-scale investigation allows the identification of farming practices that can effectively shape the soil microbial abundance and diversity, with the goal to improve agricultural soil management and soil ecological integrity.

SUBMITTER: Le Guillou C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6460278 | biostudies-other | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Tillage intensity and pasture in rotation effectively shape soil microbial communities at a landscape scale.

Le Guillou Cédric C Chemidlin Prévost-Bouré Nicolas N Karimi Battle B Akkal-Corfini Nouraya N Dequiedt Samuel S Nowak Virginie V Terrat Sébastien S Menasseri-Aubry Safya S Viaud Valérie V Maron Pierre-Alain PA Ranjard Lionel L

MicrobiologyOpen 20180613 4

Soil microorganisms are essential to agroecosystem functioning and services. Yet, we still lack information on which farming practices can effectively shape the soil microbial communities. The aim of this study was to identify the farming practices, which are most effective at positively or negatively modifying bacterial and fungal diversity while considering the soil environmental variation at a landscape scale. A long-term research study catchment (12 km<sup>2</sup> ) representative of intensi ...[more]

PMID: 29897676

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Project description:Agricultural productivity relies on a wide range of ecosystem services provided by the soil biota. Plowing is a fundamental component of conventional farming, but long-term detrimental effects such as soil erosion and loss of soil organic matter have been recognized. Moving towards more sustainable management practices such as reduced tillage or crop residue retention can reduce these detrimental effects, but will also influence structure and function of the soil microbiota with direct consequences for the associated ecosystem services. Although there is increasing evidence that different tillage regimes alter the soil microbiome, we have a limited understanding of the temporal dynamics of these effects. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing of bacterial and fungal ribosomal markers to explore changes in soil microbial community structure under two contrasting tillage regimes (conventional and reduced tillage) either with or without crop residue retention. Soil samples were collected over the growing season of two crops (Vicia faba and Triticum aestivum) below the seedbed (15-20 cm). Tillage, crop and growing stage were significant determinants of microbial community structure, but the impact of tillage showed only moderate temporal dependency. Whereas the tillage effect on soil bacteria showed some temporal dependency and became less strong at later growing stages, the tillage effect on soil fungi was more consistent over time. Crop residue retention had only a minor influence on the community. Six years after the conversion from conventional to reduced tillage, soil moisture contents and nutrient levels were significantly lower under reduced than under conventional tillage. These changes in edaphic properties were related to specific shifts in microbial community structure. Notably, bacterial groups featuring copiotrophic lifestyles or potentially carrying the ability to degrade more recalcitrant compounds were favored under conventional tillage, whereas taxa featuring more oligotrophic lifestyles were more abundant under reduced tillage. Our study found that, under the specific edaphic and climatic context of central Belgium, different tillage regimes created different ecological niches that select for different microbial lifestyles with potential consequences for the ecosystem services provided to the plants and their environment.

Project description:Soil rotational tillage is an effective measure to overcome the problems caused by long-term of a single tillage, but the effect of the interval time of rotational tillage practices is not very well understood. Therefore, we conducted a 3-year field study in a wheat-maize cropping system to evaluate the effects of rotary tillage (RT) in rotation with plowing tillage (PT) on soil properties in northern China. Four practices were designed as follows: 3 years of RT to a depth of 10-15 cm (3RT), 3 years of PT to a depth of 30-35 cm (3PT), 1 year of PT followed by 2 years of RT (PT+2RT), and 2 years of PT followed by 1 year of RT (2PT+RT). Within 20 cm of the surface soil, the 3RT treatment significantly increased the soil quality index (SQI) by 6.0%, 8.8% and 13.1%, respectively, relative to the PT+2RT, 2PT+RT and 3PT treatments. The improvement was closely related to the significant increase in the soil organic carbon (SOC) and available nutrients concentrations in the 0-20 cm depths and the improvement of soil invertase, urease, alkaline phosphatase and catalase activities in the topsoil (0-10 cm). However, the opposite effects were observed in the subsoil (20-40 cm). Compared with the 3RT treatment, the 3PT, 2PT+RT and PT+2RT treatments decreased soil bulk density, and significantly enhanced enzyme activities, resulting in an increase in SQI of 32.6%, 24.4% and 0.7%, respectively, especially in the 3PT and 2PT+RT treatments, the difference was significant. When averaged across to all soil depths, the SQI under the 3RT and 2PT+RT treatments was much higher than that under the other treatments. The yields of wheat and maize under the 2PT+RT treatment were 15.0% and 14.3% higher than those under the 3RT treatment, respectively. The 2PT+RT treatment was the most effective tillage practice. These results suggest that RT in rotation with PT could improve soil quality in the soil profile whilst enhancing crop yield after continuous RT, and the benefits were enhanced with an interval time of one year. Therefore, the 2PT+RT treatment could act as an effective method for both soil quality and crop yield improvement in a wheat-maize cropping system under straw incorporation conditions.

Project description:BackgroundAlthough fertilization and crop rotation practices are commonly used worldwide in agriculture to maximize crop yields, their long-term effect on the structures of soil microorganisms is still poorly understood. This study investigated the long-term impact of fertilization and crop rotation on soil microbial diversity and the microbial community structure in four different locations with three soil types. Since 1996, manure (MF; 330 kg N/ha), sewage sludge (SF; 330 and SF3x; 990 kg N/ha), and NPK (NPK; 330 kg N/ha) fertilizers were periodically applied to the soils classified as chernozem, luvisol and cambisol, which are among the most abundant or fertile soils used for agricultural purposes in the world. In these soils, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were rotated every three years.ResultsSoil chemistry, which was significantly associated with location, fertilization, crop rotation, and the interaction of fertilization and location, was the dominant driver of soil microbial communities, both prokaryotic and fungal. A direct effect of long-term crop rotation and fertilization on the structure of their communities was confirmed, although there was no evidence of their influence on microbial diversity. Fungal and bacterial communities responded differently to fertilization treatments; prokaryotic communities were only significantly different from the control soil (CF) in soils treated with MF and SF3x, while fungal communities differed across all treatments. Indicator genera were identified for different treatments. These taxa were either specific for their decomposition activities or fungal plant pathogens. Sequential rotation of the three crops restricted the growth of several of the indicator plant pathogens.ConclusionsLong-term fertilization and crop rotation significantly altered microbial community structure in the soil. While fertilization affected soil microorganisms mainly through changes in nutrient profile, crop rotations lead to the attraction and repulsion of specific plant pathogens. Such changes in soil microbial communities need to be considered when planning soil management.

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Tillage intensity and pasture in rotation effectively shape soil microbial communities at a landscape scale.

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Tillage intensity and pasture in rotation effectively shape soil microbial communities at a landscape scale.

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