Soil microbiota effects on rye growth: implications for integration of a rye cover crop into temperate cropping systems

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L. De Bruin ◽  
Nicholas R. Jordan ◽  
Paul M. Porter ◽  
Sheri C. Huerd

AbstractIntegration of rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crops into the corn (Zea mays L.) soybean [(Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation of the upper Midwest USA can provide many agronomic and agroecological benefits. Integration is made difficult by short growing seasons, but may be facilitated by management of key agroecological interactions such as those between rye and soil microbiota. Rye growth was measured and colonization by arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was determined in greenhouse experiments using soils from seven different management systems from a long-term cropping-systems experiment in southwest Minnesota. Microbial effects on rye growth were not evident before vernalization, but at final harvest (4 weeks after vernalization) soil microbial populations reduced rye shoot and root growth, relative to a pasteurized control inoculum. At final harvest, shoot biomass in 2-year rotations was 17% greater than 4-year rotations, indicating that microbial populations selected for by 4-year rotations may be more deleterious or pathogenic than those selected for by 2-year rotations. Growth of three rye cultivars was examined in all inocula; cultivars differed in their mean response to soil microbiota and their ability to host AMF. These findings suggest that management factors affect interactions between rye and soil microbiota resulting in altered rye growth.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifeyinwa Monica Uzoh ◽  
Chukwuebuka Christopher Okolo ◽  
Akudo Ogechukwu Onunwa ◽  
Olubukola Oluranti Babalola

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Cowpea, a food and nutrition security crop is being threatened by decline in soil fertility especially in small holder farmstead. The natural arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soil could improve its ability to acquire and retain nutrients thereby leading to higher yield. This irrigated field research was conducted to determine the effect of biochar rates and cropping systems on selected soil chemical properties, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), nitrogen (SMBN), phosphorus (SMBP), and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) spore count and mycorrhizal fungi colonization (AMF) of cowpea. Experimental design was 3 x 3 factorial in randomized complete block design (RCBD). Factor A was three cropping systems; sole cowpea, intercropping and intra-cropping, while factor B was three biochar rates; control (biochar at 0 t ha<sup>-1</sup> (B<sub>0</sub>)), biochar at 2.5 t ha<sup>-1 </sup>(B<sub>1</sub>) and biochar at 5 t ha<sup>-1</sup> (B<sub>2</sub>). These were replicated in three blocks to constitute 27 plots. The entire plot was cleared, ploughed and demarcated into beds with hoes and diggers. Cowpea sole or inter- or intra- cropped with maize were planted in a spacing distance of 25cm by 75cm, with intercropped cowpea being in-between the interrow spacing (75 cm), while the intracropped cowpeas was planted between the intrarow spacing (25 cm). Biochar soil amendment were applied two weeks after planting by making a groove in-between the rows in the soil and covering them with soil. The result showed that biochar soil amendment and interaction of biochar with cropping system significantly (p<0.05) affected SMBN, SMBC, total  VAM spore count and AMF colonization by cowpea, whereas cropping system significantly affected only total VAM spore count and AMF colonization by cowpea. B<sub>2</sub> amended soil had the highest SMBC content (0.028 mg kg<sup>-1</sup>) while the least was from control plot (0.021 mg kg <sup>-1</sup>), SMBN was highest in B<sub>1 </sub>amended soil (0.004 mg kg<sup>-1</sup>), followed by control plot (0.002 mg kg<sup>-1</sup>). Control had higher AMF and total VAM spore count while biochar amended soil had higher soil microbial properties. Considering the cropping systems, inter and intra-cropping had higher microbial biomass and total VAM spore count than sole cowpea whereas sole cowpea had higher AMF infection of cowpea than the intercropped cowpea. Biochar at 5 tha<sup>-1</sup> had the highest available P. Generally, this study showed superiority of the interaction of biochar with cropping systems over sole cropping in the improvement of soil properties in degraded soils of North-West province of South Africa.</p><p>Key words: Cropping systems; Chromic Luvisol; Microbial properties; Soil fertility; Soil amendment</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.R. Finn ◽  
S. Lee ◽  
A. Lanzén ◽  
M. Bertrand ◽  
G.W. Nicol ◽  
...  

AbstractResistance is the capacity for a community to remain unchanged, and resilience the capacity to return to an original state, in response to disturbance. Increasing species richness may increase both dynamics. In a long-term agricultural field experiment incorporating conventional (CON), conservation (CA), organic (ORG) and integrated (INT) cropping systems, the effects of crop harvest and fallow period on the disturbance of prokaryote, fungal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities were investigated. Prokaryote community structure shifted over the growing season, forming distinct saprotroph- and rhizosphere-dominated communities, and composition was primarily affected by time than cropping system. Species-rich prokaryotes demonstrated the highest resistance/resilience. Cropping system was more important for fungal communities, with resistance highest under CA. CON was particularly detrimental to AMF resistance and resilience. Prokaryote plant-growth promoters and saprotrophs, but not ammonia oxidisers and methylotrophs, were stable functional groups. Cosmopolitan soil fungal genera were stable, but most were not. Glomus AMF were stable, while most other genera were most stable under CA and ORG. These results demonstrate that practices promoting richness increase the stability of soil microbial communities in response to crop removal after harvest, with this effect being more pronounced in fungal (and AMF) communities.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Babacar Thioye ◽  
Marc Legras ◽  
Lisa Castel ◽  
François Hirissou ◽  
Naouel Chaftar ◽  
...  

Soil microorganisms play a central role in biological soil functioning. One of the beneficial microbiota that has a symbiotic association with most of the plants is arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Nevertheless, little is known about the impact of cover crops—widely used in conservation agriculture or organic farming—on native mycorrhizal fungi. This study was conducted in Southern France, in 20-year-old walnut orchards, where faba bean (Vicia faba Roth) was intercropped. To find whether the native AM fungal community associated with walnut trees was influenced by cover crops and soil microbial communities, analyses of soil physicochemical and microbiological indicators were carried out with roots and soil samples collected from four modalities (walnut in conventional farming with and without cover crops, and walnut in organic farming with and without cover crops). Our results showed that the presence of cover crops mainly influenced the soil microbial abundance and activities in conventional plots. In contrast, cover crops stimulated AM fungal colonization of walnut roots in organic plots, reaching 35% and 54% for arbuscule abundance and mycorrhizal intensity, respectively. In conventional plots, ergosterol and mineral nitrogen contents were mainly correlated with mycorrhizal colonization, while only acid phosphatase activity in soil was positively correlated with mycorrhizal colonization in organic plots. The use of the faba bean showed the great role played by cover crops in the enhancement of walnut trees’ mycorrhizal colonization. Identification of the functional traits of AM fungi sensitive to walnut trees is required to inform decisions in specific agricultural practices.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walid Ellouze ◽  
Ahmad Esmaeili Taheri ◽  
Luke D. Bainard ◽  
Chao Yang ◽  
Navid Bazghaleh ◽  
...  

Soil fungi are a critical component of agroecosystems and provide ecological services that impact the production of food and bioproducts. Effective management of fungal resources is essential to optimize the productivity and sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. In this review, we (i) highlight the functional groups of fungi that play key roles in agricultural ecosystems, (ii) examine the influence of agronomic practices on these fungi, and (iii) propose ways to improve the management and contribution of soil fungi to annual cropping systems. Many of these key soil fungal organisms (i.e., arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and fungal root endophytes) interact directly with plants and are determinants of the efficiency of agroecosystems. In turn, plants largely control rhizosphere fungi through the production of carbon and energy rich compounds and of bioactive phytochemicals, making them a powerful tool for the management of soil fungal diversity in agriculture. The use of crop rotations and selection of optimal plant genotypes can be used to improve soil biodiversity and promote beneficial soil fungi. In addition, other agronomic practices (e.g., no-till, microbial inoculants, and biochemical amendments) can be used to enhance the effect of beneficial fungi and increase the health and productivity of cultivated soils.


Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Matej Vosnjak ◽  
Matevz Likar ◽  
Gregor Osterc

The influence of mycorrhizal inoculum in combination with different phosphorus treatments on growth and flowering parameters of Ajania (Ajania pacifica (Nakai) Bremer et Humphries) plants was investigated in two growing seasons (2015 and 2016). Plants of the cultivar ‘Silver and Gold’ were transplanted into pots either with added mycorrhizal inoculum or without inoculum and assigned to four phosphorus treatments. Mycorrhizal colonization was assessed by evaluating the frequency of colonization, intensity of colonization and density of fungal structures (arbuscules, vesicles, coils and microsclerotia) in the roots. During the growing season, the content of plant available phosphorus in the soil was analyzed, and shoot length, number of shoots, number of inflorescences, number of flowers and flowering time were evaluated. Inoculated Ajania plants were successfully colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytic fungi. In the root segments, hyphae were mainly observed, as well as vesicles, coils, arbuscules and microsclerotia, but in lower density. The density of fungal structures did not differ among phosphorus treatments, but did differ between years, with a higher density of fungal structures in 2016. Mycorrhizal plants developed higher number of shoots in 2016, higher number of inflorescences, higher number of flowers, and they flowered longer compared to uninoculated plants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1296-1307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nanna B Svenningsen ◽  
Stephanie J Watts-Williams ◽  
Erik J Joner ◽  
Fabio Battini ◽  
Aikaterini Efthymiou ◽  
...  

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arjun Kafle ◽  
Kevin Cope ◽  
Rachel Raths ◽  
Jaya Krishna Yakha ◽  
Senthil Subramanian ◽  
...  

Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient required for plant growth and development. It is central to many biological processes, including nucleic acid synthesis, respiration, and enzymatic activity. However, the strong adsorption of phosphorus by minerals in the soil decreases its availability to plants, thus reducing the productivity of agricultural and forestry ecosystems. This has resulted in a complete dependence on non-renewable chemical fertilizers that are environmentally damaging. Alternative strategies must be identified and implemented to help crops acquire phosphorus more sustainably. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding and utilization of soil microbes to both solubilize inorganic phosphate from insoluble forms and allocate it directly to crop plants. Specifically, we focus on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi, and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria. Each of these play a major role in natural and agroecosystems, and their use as bioinoculants is an increasing trend in agricultural practices.


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