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Agriculture
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Role of Soil Microbial Communities in Maintaining Agricultural Soil Quality
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Role of Soil Microbial Communities in Maintaining Agricultural Soil Quality

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Soils".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2024 | Viewed by 3174

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gábor Csitári

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Guest Editor
Institute of Physiology and Nutrition, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2100 Godollo, Hungary
Interests: microbial communities; microbial biomass; soil enzyme; soil quality; plant production
Dr. Zoltan Toth

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2100 Godollo, Hungary
Interests: soil fertility; plant nutrition; fertilizers; crop production; crop management; sustainable agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil is a natural resource and must be sustainably managed for the future of mankind. Healthy soils are teeming with living organisms: microorganisms, fungi, insects, earthworms, etc. Soil microorganisms play a decisive role in most of the processes taking place in the soil (e.g., soil organic matter formation, residue decomposition, nutrient cycling, pollution degradation, …) and in the formation and maintenance of soil quality. Soil quality can be defined in many different ways, but it is usually understood as the capacity of soil to function to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation. Agricultural management (crop type, tillage, fertilization, plant protection) affects soil quality in many ways (biological, chemical, and physical). For sustainable cultivation, to maintain and increase soil quality, it is necessary to know these ways and their effect on soil microbes. Because of the decisive role of soil microbes, it is also necessary to know in which way the microbial community of the soil should be modified to improve soil quality.

For this Special Issue, authors are invited to publish articles related to the assessment of the amount, activity, and diversity of soil microbial community; development of agricultural practices to modify the soil microbiota; establishment of relationships between the soil microbiota’s properties and the effects of agricultural methods (crop type, tillage, fertilization, plant protection); establishment of relationships between the soil microbiota’s properties and soil quality; identifying which microbial groups have critical roles in soil processes. Studies assessing the diversity of soil microbiota and proving its importance in maintaining agroecosystem stability are especially welcome.

Dr. Gábor Csitári
Dr. Zoltan Toth
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil microbial communities
  • microbial biomass
  • enzyme activity
  • diversity
  • management methods
  • soil quality

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 8011 KiB  
Article
Reduced Soil Quality but Increased Microbial Diversity in Cultivated Land Compared to Other Land-Use Types in the Longzhong Loess Plateau
by Hang Xiang, Jingjing Xu, Hang Yang, Jianchao Song and Xiaojun Yu
Agriculture 2024, 14(12), 2106; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122106 - 21 Nov 2024
Viewed by 267
Abstract
Soil microorganisms, as a vital part of terrestrial ecosystems, play a key role in sustaining essential soil functions. However, the impact of cultivated land (CL) on soil quality and microbial communities compared to other land-use types is still unclear. This study investigated the [...] Read more.
Soil microorganisms, as a vital part of terrestrial ecosystems, play a key role in sustaining essential soil functions. However, the impact of cultivated land (CL) on soil quality and microbial communities compared to other land-use types is still unclear. This study investigated the soil quality index (SQI) along with bacterial and fungal communities across various land-use types, including abandoned land, cultivated land, forest land, and grassland, in the Longzhong region of the Loess Plateau. The results showed that CL had the lowest SQI, but the diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities in CL was significantly higher than that of other land-use types. The relative abundance of Ascomycota in CL fungal communities is significantly higher than that of other land-use types. Soil water content, organic matter, alkaline nitrogen, total nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen all have an impact on soil bacterial and fungal communities in CL. The diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities is mainly influenced by pH, nitrate nitrogen, and available phosphorus. This study emphasizes the impact of human activities such as tillage on soil quality, as well as the structure and diversity of soil microbial communities, in cultivated land compared to other different land-use methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Soil Microbial Communities in Maintaining Agricultural Soil Quality)
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16 pages, 1700 KiB  
Article
Reactivating the Potential of Lima Bean (Phaseolus lunatus) for Enhancing Soil Quality and Sustainable Soil Ecosystem Stability
by Mukhtar Iderawumi Abdulraheem, Abiodun Yusuff Moshood, Linze Li, Lateef Bamidele Taiwo, Adedayo Omowumi Oyedele, Emmanuel Ezaka, Hongjun Chen, Aitazaz A. Farooque, Vijaya Raghavan and Jiandong Hu
Agriculture 2024, 14(7), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14070976 - 23 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1341
Abstract
Background: This study explores the role of leguminous crops like lima bean in enhancing soil quality and ecosystem stability. Despite existing studies on agronomic aspects, there is a significant research gap on its impact on soil organic matter level, microbial activity, soil [...] Read more.
Background: This study explores the role of leguminous crops like lima bean in enhancing soil quality and ecosystem stability. Despite existing studies on agronomic aspects, there is a significant research gap on its impact on soil organic matter level, microbial activity, soil health, and nutrient availability. Therefore, this study examines the capacity of lima bean to reactivate soil quality, focusing on its impact on soil organic matter level, microbial activity, soil health, and nutrient availability. Methods: The experimental area was set up in 2023 using three replicates and a randomized block design. Two treatments were used: lima bean-planted plots and control plots with various weeds and without lima bean. Post-harvest soil samples were collected from various agroecological zones and sterilely packed, and physical, chemical, and biological indices were examined. Results: lima bean significantly affected nutrients, enzymes, soil microbial respiration, and other markers. Amylase activity (0.41**) was positively correlated with urease activity (0.73**), while dehydrogenase activity positively correlated with both. Dehydrogenase activity was negatively correlated with total nitrogen (0.66**) and sulfur (0.60**). Lima bean significantly affected soil quality, with all locations showing higher ratings (55–77%) than wild land, except for location D (Ilora). A total of 70% of total nitrogen variation may be attributed to soil quality (r2 = 0.696). Lima bean enhanced soil quality, potentially enhancing productivity and reducing dependence on inorganic nitrogen inputs. Conclusions: The symbiotic relationship between lima bean and nitrogen-fixing bacteria improves nutrient cycling, enhancing agricultural productivity and environmental conservation. Future research should explore the economic viability of integrating lima bean into crop rotations or agroforestry systems for sustainable agricultural practices, providing valuable information for farmers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Soil Microbial Communities in Maintaining Agricultural Soil Quality)
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25 pages, 4183 KiB  
Article
Effect of Previous Crop on the Structure of Bacterial and Fungal Communities during the Growth of Vicia faba L. spp. minor
by Małgorzata Baćmaga, Jadwiga Wyszkowska, Agata Borowik and Jan Kucharski
Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030370 - 25 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1031
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess how soil use and the cultivation of Triticum aestivum spp. vulgare L. (Sw), Triticum aestivum spp. spelta L. (Ww), Zea mays L. (M), and Brassica napus L. (Wr) impacts soil microbiota. This study consisted of [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to assess how soil use and the cultivation of Triticum aestivum spp. vulgare L. (Sw), Triticum aestivum spp. spelta L. (Ww), Zea mays L. (M), and Brassica napus L. (Wr) impacts soil microbiota. This study consisted of a pot experiment over 120 days, until Vicia faba spp. minor seeds and pods reached the developmental stage of growth. This study showed that T. aestivum spp. vulgare L. grown in the soil sown with faba beans had a beneficial effect on the development of organotrophic bacteria, actinobacteria, and fungi. Regardless of the previous crop and soil cultivation method, r-strategists were found among the organotrophic bacteria and fungi, whereas K-strategists were found among the actinobacteria. All soils sown with faba beans were primarily colonized by bacteria belonging to the phylum Actinobacteriota (represented by the genus Cellulosimicrobium) and fungi belonging to the phylum Ascomycota. In the soil sown with field faba beans from the cultivation of Sw and Wr, the soil was dominated by Mortierella genus fungi; that of Ww was dominated by Cladosporium, and that of M was dominated by Alternaria. The results of this study provide new insights into the influence of previous crops and further cropping with faba bean on the quantitative and qualitative composition of the soil microbiota. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Soil Microbial Communities in Maintaining Agricultural Soil Quality)
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