Effects of the Soil Microbiome on Nutrient Cycling and Soil Health in Agroecosystems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 968

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Interests: soil ecology; soil carbon and nitrogen cycle; soil remediation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil microbiomes consist of a diverse community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and other groups, which interact to influence nutrient availability to plants, decompose soil organic matter, and form soil structure. These interactions are essential for the cycling of nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are essential for plant growth and productivity. Therefore, the soil microbiome plays a critical role in driving nutrient cycling and maintaining soil health in agroecosystems. In agroecosystems, the composition and activity of the soil microbiome could be influenced by agricultural practices and management, such as tillage, fertilization, and crop rotation. Understanding the effects of these practices on the soil microbiome is critical in order to maintain sustainable agricultural development and ensure food safety. This Special Issue intends to collect and publish research advances on the effects of the soil microbiome on nutrient cycling and soil health in agroecosystems, which appears to be a highly attractive topic and well within the scope of agronomy.

Dr. Hui Wei
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • soil biodiversity
  • soil food web
  • soil microbiomes
  • soil health
  • nutrient cycling
  • agricultural practices
  • agroecosystems

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 3960 KiB  
Article
Effect of Mineral Fertilizers and Pesticides Application on Bacterial Community and Antibiotic-Resistance Genes Distribution in Agricultural Soils
by Ludmila Khmelevtsova, Tatiana Azhogina, Shorena Karchava, Maria Klimova, Elena Polienko, Alla Litsevich, Elena Chernyshenko, Margarita Khammami, Ivan Sazykin and Marina Sazykina
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1021; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051021 - 11 May 2024
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Abstract
Soils are a hotspot for the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. The effects of agrochemical treatments on the bacterial community of agricultural soils and the content of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) were studied. Treatments included the following: control, mineral fertilizers (NPKs), pesticides, and [...] Read more.
Soils are a hotspot for the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. The effects of agrochemical treatments on the bacterial community of agricultural soils and the content of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) were studied. Treatments included the following: control, mineral fertilizers (NPKs), pesticides, and the combined treatment of soils under soya (Glycine max), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Bacterial community taxonomic composition was studied using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The content of 10 ARGs and 3 integron genes (intI1, intI2, intI3) was determined using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the treatments had little effect on the taxonomic composition and diversity of the soil bacterial community. The most significant factors determining differences in the microbial community were sampling time and soil physico-chemical parameters. A significant role of the bacterial community in ARG distribution in soils was demonstrated. Representatives of the Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Arthrobacter genera, and the Nocardioidaceae and Micrococcaceae families were likely ARG hosts. The presence of integron genes of all three classes was detected, the most numerous being intI3. This work provides important information on the role of agricultural soils in ARG transfer, and the findings may be useful for sustainable and safe agricultural development. Full article
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15 pages, 3578 KiB  
Article
Nitric Acid Rain Decreases Soil Bacterial Diversity and Alters Bacterial Community Structure in Farmland Soils
by Xuan Chen, Yiming Wang, Hui Wei and Jiaen Zhang
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 971; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14050971 - 5 May 2024
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Abstract
Being regarded as one of the environmental problems endangering biodiversity and ecosystem health, acid rain has attracted wide attention. Here, we studied the effects of nitric acid rain (NAR) on the structure and diversity of microbial communities in agricultural soils by laboratory incubation [...] Read more.
Being regarded as one of the environmental problems endangering biodiversity and ecosystem health, acid rain has attracted wide attention. Here, we studied the effects of nitric acid rain (NAR) on the structure and diversity of microbial communities in agricultural soils by laboratory incubation experiments and greenhouse experiments. Our results indicated that NAR had an inhibitory effect on soil microorganisms, showing a significant reduction in the Chao1 index and Shannon index of soil bacteria. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacterial phyla under NAR stress in this study. NAR significantly reduced the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, but significantly increased the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota and Chloroflexi, suggesting that NAR was unfavorable to the survival of Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. It is worth noting that the inhibitory or promoting effect of NAR on the dominant bacterial phyla gradually increased with increasing NAR acidity and treatment time. In addition, the study observed that the change in soil pH caused by NAR was the main reason for the change in soil bacterial community structure. In summary, the effects of NAR on soil microorganisms cannot be underestimated from the perspective of sustainable agricultural development. Full article
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