Effects of strip-tillage on soil microbial community structure and function in black soil

Area of Science:

• Soil Science
• Microbiology
• Agronomy

Background:

• Strip tillage (ST) creates spatial heterogeneity, influencing soil properties.
• The impact of ST on soil microbial community structure and function is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of different tillage practices on soil microbial communities.
• To assess how ST influences microbial diversity, structure, and function in black soil.

Main Methods:

• Amplicon sequencing (Accu16S™ and AccuITS™) was employed.
• Microbial community structure and abundance were analyzed.
• Functional predictions were made using bioinformatics tools.

Main Results:

• ST significantly increased microbial diversity (Shannon index) compared to rotary tillage (RT).
• Tillage practices altered microbial community structure, with fungi responding more than bacteria.
• ST modulated the relative and absolute abundance of key bacterial taxa (e.g., Gemmatimonadetes, Acidobacteria, Arenimonas, Luteolibacter, Latescibacteria, Microvirga).
• Soil microbial communities showed significant correlations with soil properties like electric conductivity, available potassium, and soil organic carbon.
• ST promoted key soil functions, including nitrification, denitrification, sulfur oxidation, and ectomycorrhizal associations.

Conclusions:

• Strip tillage improves soil microbial diversity and regulates nitrogen and sulfur cycles in black soil.
• ST offers a microbiological basis for adopting conservation agriculture practices.