Netthisinghe, A.M.; Galloway, H.O.; Agga, G.E.; Gunter, P.A.; Sistani, K.R. Effects of Cropping Systems on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Abundances and Spatial Distributions of Nitrogen-Cycling Bacteria. Agronomy2023, 13, 1461.
Netthisinghe, A.M.; Galloway, H.O.; Agga, G.E.; Gunter, P.A.; Sistani, K.R. Effects of Cropping Systems on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Abundances and Spatial Distributions of Nitrogen-Cycling Bacteria. Agronomy 2023, 13, 1461.
Netthisinghe, A.M.; Galloway, H.O.; Agga, G.E.; Gunter, P.A.; Sistani, K.R. Effects of Cropping Systems on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Abundances and Spatial Distributions of Nitrogen-Cycling Bacteria. Agronomy2023, 13, 1461.
Netthisinghe, A.M.; Galloway, H.O.; Agga, G.E.; Gunter, P.A.; Sistani, K.R. Effects of Cropping Systems on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Abundances and Spatial Distributions of Nitrogen-Cycling Bacteria. Agronomy 2023, 13, 1461.
Abstract
Soil nitrogen (N) is a common limiting factor where soil N cycling is a key component of agro-ecosystems. Soil N transformation processes are largely mediated by microbes and understanding bacteria involvement in soil N cycling in agricultural systems has both agronomic and environmental importance. This 2-yr field scale study examined the abundances and spatial distributions of total bacterial community (16s RNA), bacterial involved in nitrification (amoA), and de-nitrification (narG, nirK, and nosZ) and soil physicochemical properties of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) – soybean (Glycene max L.) double cropping with 2-3 weeks of spring grazing (WGS) and without grazing (WS) and of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea (L.) Schreb.) pasture (TF) managed to near natural conditions with similar grazing. The TF had a significantly higher abundance of 16S rRNA, amoA, narG, nirK, and nosZ genes than the WS and WGS, which had similar levels between themselves. Soil organic matter (OM) and soil pH had a stronger effect on the N-cycling bacteria gene abundance. All bacterial gene concentrations and soil pH showed non-random distribution patterns with 141-186 m range autocorrelation. These results indicate that biological N transformation processes are more important in natural agricultural systems and the abundance of N-cycling bacteria can be manipulated by field scale management strategies.
Keywords
N cycling bacteria genes, wheat-soybean cropping, tall fescue pasturing, spatial distribution
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
