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Organic amendments enhance soil microbial diversity, microbial functionality and crop yields: A meta-analysis
Xiangyang Shu1, Jia He1, Zhenghu Zhou2
1College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
The Science of the Total Environment
|March 20, 2022
Summary
Organic amendments boost soil microbial diversity and functions, enhancing crop yields. While soil properties and microbial functions are key drivers, microbial diversity plays a crucial underlying role.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Soil Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Fertilization significantly impacts soil microbial diversity, crucial for crop yields.
- The effect of organic amendments on microbial diversity and their relative importance for crop yields require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of organic amendments on soil microbial diversity and community structure.
- To assess the relationship between microbial diversity, functionality, and crop yields.
- To determine the relative importance of microbial diversity versus other factors on crop yields.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of 219 global studies.
- Comparison of organic amendments versus mineral-only fertilization.
- Partial least squares path modeling to analyze causal relationships.
Main Results:
- Organic amendments significantly increased microbial diversity (Shannon, richness, phylogenetic) and shifted community structure.
- Microbial diversity and community structure positively correlated with microbial functionality and crop yields.
- Soil abiotic properties and microbial functionality had a greater impact on crop yields than microbial diversity.
Conclusions:
- Soil microbial diversity is an important underlying factor for crop yields, mediated by microbial functionality.
- Substituting mineral fertilizers with organic amendments enhances microbial diversity, functions, and crop yields.
- Findings support the positive diversity-function relationship in soil ecosystems.
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