Journal
BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS
Volume 56, Issue 5, Pages 647-662Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00374-020-01440-5
Keywords
Phosphorus; Sulfur; Nematodes; Slurry fertilization; Illumina sequencing; Lolium perenne
Categories
Funding
- Science Foundation Ireland Grant [SFI/13/IA/1923]
- European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program [668981]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Enhancing the role of the soil microbiota in plant phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) supply through application of organic fertilizer could reduce dependencies on non-sustainable synthetic fertilizers. To compare the effects of organic/inorganic fertilizers on the soil microbiota, soil columns with Lolium perenne (ryegrass) were set up in a greenhouse and amended with an inorganic fertilizer, cattle slurry (organic), or urea (P- and S-free control). Ryegrass rhizosphere of the slurry treatment had significantly higher abundances of bacterial feeding nematodes, mycorrhizal colonization, cultivable heterotrophic bacteria, phosphonate- and sulfonate-utilizing bacteria, arylsulfatase activity, available P, and Variovorax asfA gene copies compared to the inorganic and urea treatments. Phosphomonoesterase activities, and gene abundances involved in organic P and S transformations (phoD, phoC, Burkholderia, and Polaromonas asfA) were similar in all treatments. Grass dry matter yield and shoot uptake of N, P, and S were significantly higher in the inorganic treatment compared to the urea and slurry treatments. Community compositions differed significantly between the three fertilizer treatments and included the bacterial, alkaline phosphomonoesterase-producing bacterial, fungal, AM fungal, and nematode communities. Bacteriodetes were found in higher relative abundance in the organic treatment, while Acidobacteria were more abundant in the urea and inorganic fertilizer treatments. These community shifts correlated significantly with grass dry matter yield, uptake of N, P, and S, mycorrhizal colonization, enzyme activities, abundances of bacteria, and bacterial feeding nematodes. We concluded that organic fertilization promoted soil microbes and nematodes which have the potential to support sustainable plant growth, provided that the overall nutrient requirements are met.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available