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Fertilization practices alter microbial nutrient limitations after alleviation of carbon limitation in a Ferric Acrisol

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Abstract

Microbial nutrient limitation was investigated in a 53-year-old field experiment in the Central-West of Burkina Faso under sorghum–cowpea rotation, comparing three fertilization practices: mineral fertilizer (MIN), mineral fertilizer and farmyard manure (MINFYM), and a non-fertilized control (CON). We assessed microbial N and P limitation after removal of C limitation by (i) determining microbial N and P, (ii) assessing respiration kinetics in incubated soil samples amended with easily available C (glucose) alone or in combination with N and/or P, or not amended, and (iii) evaluating changes in microbial biomass and community composition at the peak of microbial respiration by microbial P and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses. Microbial N and P were very low in all fertilization practices, but greater in MINFYM than in CON. Easily available C was the first factor limiting microorganisms in all fertilization practices. After removal of C limitation, most indicators suggested N and P co-limitation in CON. In contrast, respiration kinetics in MINFYM and MIN were only N-limited, while biomass formation in MINFYM was also P-limited. PLFA analyses indicated preferential fungal growth on the added C, and P limitation of changes in microbial community composition in MIN. Long-term application of fertilizers mostly alleviated secondary microbial nutrient limitation by P but not by N, and C always remained the primary limiting factor for microbial growth.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the funding of the Swiss Government (Federal Commission for Scholarships for foreign students, FCS), and the Bureau de la Cooperation Suisse au Burkina Faso. We thank Papaoba Michel Sedogo, head of the Laboratoire Sol-Eau-Plantes of INERA, for scientific advice. We are grateful to the manager of the field trial of Saria, Martin Sanon, for his help during soil sampling, and to all technicians of the Group of Plant Nutrition (ETH Zurich), Agroscope Reckenholz, and FiBL who helped during laboratory analyses. We also thank Knut Ehlers and Zacharia Gnankambary for their assistance during the pilot study.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Sol Eau Plantes Kamboinsé, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), 01BP 476, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso

    O. Y. A. Traoré, D. I. Kiba & F. Lompo

  2. Group of Plant Nutrition, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Eschikon 33, 8315, Lindau, Zurich, Switzerland

    O. Y. A. Traoré, M. C. Arnold, A. Oberson, E. Frossard & E. K. Bünemann

  3. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Ackerstrasse, 5070, Frick, Switzerland

    A. Fliessbach

  4. Institute for Sustainability Science ISS, Agroscope, 8046, ZĂĽrich, Switzerland

    H. R. Oberholzer

  5. Institut du Développement Rural, Université Polytechnique de Bobo-Dioulasso, 01 BP 1091, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

    O. Y. A. Traoré & H. B. Nacro

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  1. O. Y. A. Traoré
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  2. D. I. Kiba
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  3. M. C. Arnold
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  4. A. Fliessbach
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  7. F. Lompo
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  8. A. Oberson
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  9. E. Frossard
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  10. E. K. BĂĽnemann
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Correspondence to E. K. BĂĽnemann.

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Traoré, O.Y.A., Kiba, D.I., Arnold, M.C. et al. Fertilization practices alter microbial nutrient limitations after alleviation of carbon limitation in a Ferric Acrisol. Biol Fertil Soils 52, 177–189 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-015-1061-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-015-1061-9

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