Combined impact of no-till and cover crops with or without short-term water stress as revealed by physicochemical and microbiological indicators

Eren Taskin, Roberta Boselli, Andrea Fiorini, Chiara Misci, Federico Ardenti, Francesca Bandini, Lorenzo Guzzetti, Davide Panzeri, Nicola Tommasi, Andrea Galimberti, Massimo Labra, Vincenzo Tabaglio, Edoardo Puglisi

Risultato della ricerca: Contributo in rivistaArticolo in rivistapeer review

Abstract

Combining no-till and cover crops (NT + CC) as an alternative to conventional tillage (CT) is generating interest to build-up farming systems’ resilience while promoting climate change adaptation in agriculture. Our field study aimed to assess the impact of long-term NT + CC management and short-term water stress on soil microbial communities, enzymatic activities, and the distribution of C and N within soil aggregates. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) revealed the positive impact of NT + CC on microbial biodiversity, especially under water stress conditions, with the presence of important rhizobacteria (e.g., Bradyrhizobium spp.). An alteration index based on soil enzymes confirmed soil depletion under CT. C and N pools within aggregates showed an enrichment under NT + CC mostly due to C and N-rich large macroaggregates (LM), accounting for 44% and 33% of the total soil C and N. Within LM, C and N pools were associated to microaggregates within macroaggregates (mM), which are beneficial for long-term C and N stabilization in soils. Water stress had detrimental effects on aggregate formation and limited C and N inclusion within aggregates. The microbiological and physicochemical parameters correlation supported the hypothesis that long-term NT + CC is a promising alternative to CT, due to the contribution to soil C and N stabilization while enhancing the biodiversity and enzymes.
Lingua originaleEnglish
pagine (da-a)1-19
Numero di pagine19
RivistaBiology
Volume10
DOI
Stato di pubblicazionePubblicato - 2021

Keywords

  • No-till
  • Soil C and N pools
  • Soil bacterial community
  • Soil fungal community
  • Water stress

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