Flood Pulse Irrigation of Meadows Shapes Soil Chemical and Microbial Parameters More Than Mineral Fertilization

While mineral fertilization increases agricultural yields, it also bears the risk of contaminating non-target ecosystems and negatively affecting soil chemical parameters and microbial communities. This calls for alternative and more sustainable agricultural practices that reduce the use of fertilizers. Flood pulse irrigation could be an alternative to mineral fertilization of hay meadows, since it increases the yield with little or no application of fertilizer. However, the positive and negative implications of flood pulse irrigation on soil chemical parameters and particularly soil microbial communities are still largely unknown. In this study, we assessed shifts in soil microbial communities (SMC) as a response to changes in soil chemical parameters after flood pulse irrigation and/or fertilization of meadows. We determined soil chemical (C-org, N-tot, water extractable N, P, K, pH) and microbial (phospholipid-derived fatty acids, PLFA) parameters of 12 meadows in a 2 x 2 factorial design, comprising flood pulse irrigation and fertilization. C-org, N-tot, and water content as well as microbial biomass were higher in flood-irrigated than in non-flooded soils. Soil microbial biomass positively correlated with C-org, N-tot, and water extractable N. Gram-negative bacteria significantly increased, whereas the fungi/bacteria ratio significantly decreased in flood-irrigated soils compared to non-flooded soils. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were positively correlated with soil pH. Flood pulse irrigation seemed to promote the build-up of a larger soil carbon and nitrogen pool as well as higher water content and microbial biomass. By this, it potentially mitigated negative mineral fertilization effects such as changed soil pH and reduced carbon use efficiency. We conclude that flood pulse irrigation may represent a sustainable alternative to mineral fertilization.

Automated summary

This study assessed the impact of flood pulse irrigation and/or fertilization on soil microbial communities and chemical parameters, finding that flood pulse irrigation increased soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, water content, and microbial biomass. The microbial biomass correlated positively with organic carbon, total nitrogen, and water extractable nitrogen, indicating potential benefits of flood pulse irrigation as a sustainable alternative to mineral fertilization.