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Crop diversity facilitates soil aggregation in relation to soil microbial community composition driven by intercropping

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Studies verify that intercropping increases soil macro-aggregates but the mechanism underlying the increase is poorly understood.

Methods

Three long-term field experiments were conducted starting in 2009 at three sites in an oasis in northwest China. The first was a split-plot design: Rhizobium (with or without inoculation) and three cropping systems (faba bean/maize intercropping and corresponding monocultures). The second and third experiments were both single-factorial randomized block designs with nine cropping systems (maize intercropped with faba bean, chickpea, soybean, or oilseed rape, and the corresponding monocultures). Soil aggregates were determined by the wet sieving method. Microbial biomass and community composition in 2015 and 2016 were determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and high throughput sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA.

Results

Soil macro-aggregates (> 2 mm) in intercropping systems increased by 15.5–58.6% across three sites and two years, an effect derived partly from increased relative abundance of soil Sordariales, from enhanced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi biomass, or from reduced relative abundance of Nitrospirae, depending on soil type.

Conclusions

Intercropping alters soil microbial community composition and further facilitates soil aggregation. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning.

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Abbreviations

AMF:

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

C:

Carbon

FAMEs:

Fatty acid methyl esters

FB:

Fungal biomass

K:

Potassium

N:

Nitrogen

non-AMF:

non-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

P:

Phosphorus

PLFA:

Phospholipid fatty acid

PLS-DA:

Partial least squares discriminant analysis

SEM:

Structural equation model

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate Prof. Huiru Peng from China Agricultural University for her great help in statistical analysis of results. We also thank Fei Wang and Ning Shi for help with the high throughput sequencing work and Fangfang Zhang for suggestions leading to the improvement of an earlier version of the manuscript. This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Project no. 31430014).

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  1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Xiu-li Tian, Xiao-fei Li, Guo-chun Ding, Peter Christie & Long Li

  2. Institute of Soils, Fertilizers and Water-Saving Agriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China

    Cheng-bao Wang, Xing-guo Bao & Si-cun Yang

  3. Institute of Crop Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Yinchuan, 750105, Ningxia, China

    Ping Wang

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Tian, Xl., Wang, Cb., Bao, Xg. et al. Crop diversity facilitates soil aggregation in relation to soil microbial community composition driven by intercropping. Plant Soil 436, 173–192 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-03924-8

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