Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Soil Research Soil Research Society
Soil, land care and environmental research
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > SR > SR09128
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(3)

Changes in composition and activity of soil microbial communities in peach and kiwifruit Mediterranean orchards under an innovative management system

Adriano Sofo A C , Giuseppe Celano A , Patrizia Ricciuti B , Maddalena Curci B , Bartolomeo Dichio A , Cristos Xiloyannis A and Carmine Crecchio B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Dipartimento di Scienze dei Sistemi Colturali, Forestali e dell’Ambiente, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy.

B Dipartimento di Biologia e Chimica Agroforestale e Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy.

C Corresponding author. Email: adriano.sofo@unibas.it

Australian Journal of Soil Research 48(3) 266-273 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR09128
Submitted: 17 July 2009  Accepted: 21 October 2009   Published: 6 May 2010

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of 2 soil management systems, so called ‘innovative’ (INN) and ‘conventional’ (CON), on genetic and metabolic diversity of soil microbial communities of peach and kiwifruit orchards. INN system included minimum tillage, organic matter inputs from compost and cover crops, winter pruning, and adequate irrigation and fertilisation. CON system was characterised by conventional tillage, zero organic input, empirical pruning, strong chemical fertilisation, and excessive irrigation. After 4 years of treatments, soil samples were collected in different orchard sites. In peach and kiwifruit INN orchards, average fruit yields were significantly higher than in CON. INN orchards had a significantly higher total number of bacteria. The patterns of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of bacterial 16S rDNA/RNA from peach orchard showed differences between soils under drip emitters and along the inter-rows, whereas those from kiwifruit orchard clearly distinguished between INN and CON for both bacteria (16S rRNA) and fungi (18S rDNA/RNA). Shannon’s substrate diversity index, evaluated by Biolog® metabolic assay, was affected by soil treatment in peach orchard and by soil depth in kiwifruit orchard. Principal component analysis of Biolog® values clearly discriminated INN and CON soils of both orchards. The results revealed qualitative and quantitative changes of soil microbial communities in response to an innovative and sustainable soil management.

Additional keywords: Actinidia deliciosa, Biolog®, DGGE, Prunus persica, soil fertility, sustainable soil management.


Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the national research projects FISR-MESCOSAGR and BRIMET.


References


Bending GD, Turner MK, Jones JE (2002) Interactions between crop residue and soil organic matter quality and the functional diversity of soil microbial communities. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 34, 1073–1082.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Blake GR , Hartge KH (1986) Bulk density. In ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 1. Physical and mineralogical analysis’. (Ed. A Klute) pp. 363–375. (SSSA: Madison, WI)

Boland AM, Jerie PH, Mitchell PD, Goodwin I (2000) Long-term effects of restricted root volume and regulated deficit irrigation on peach I. Growth and mineral nutrition. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 125, 135–142. open url image1

Boon N, De Windt W, Verstraete W, Top EM (2002) Evaluation of nested PCR–DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) with group-specific 16S rRNA primers for the analysis of bacterial communities from different wastewater treatment plants. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 39, 101–112.
|  CAS | PubMed |
open url image1

Borken W, Muhs A, Beese F (2002) Changes in microbial and soil properties following compost treatment of degraded temperate forest soils. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 34, 403–412.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Brady NC , Weil RR (2008) ‘Elements of the nature and properties of soils.’ 14th edn (Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ)

Calbrix R, Laval K, Barray S (2005) Analysis of the potential functional diversity of the bacterial community in soil: a reproducible procedure using sole-carbon-source utilization profiles. European Journal of Soil Biology 41, 11–20.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Carrera LM, Buyer JS, Vinyard B, Abdul-Baki AA, Sikora LJ, Teasdale JR (2007) Effects of cover crops, compost, and manure amendments on soil microbial community structure in tomato production systems. Applied Soil Ecology 37, 247–255.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Chu H, Lin X, Fujii T, Morimoto S, Yagi K, Hu J, Zhang J (2007) Soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, bacterial community structure in response to long-term fertilizer management. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39, 2971–2976.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Crecchio C, Gelsomino A, Ambrosoli R, Minati JL, Ruggiero P (2004) Functional and molecular responses of soil microbial communities under differing soil management practices. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 36, 1873–1883.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Danielson RE , Sutherland PL (1986) Porosity. In ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 1. Physical and mineralogical analysis’. (Ed. A Klute) pp. 443–461. (SSSA: Madison, WI)

Dichio B, Xiloyannis C, Sofo A, Montanaro G (2007) Effects of post-harvest regulated deficit irrigation on carbohydrate and nitrogen partitioning, yield quality and vegetative growth of peach trees. Plant and Soil 290, 127–137.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Govaerts B, Mezzalama M, Sayre KD, Crossa J, Litcher K, Troch V, Vanherck K, De Corte P, Deckers J (2008) Long-term consequences of tillage, residue management, and crop rotation on selected soil micro-flora groups in the subtropical highlands. Applied Soil Ecology 38, 197–210.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gruhn P , Goletti F , Yudelman M (2000) ‘Integrated nutrient management, soil fertility, and sustainable agriculture: current issues and future challenges.’ Food, Agriculture, and the Environment Discussion Paper 32. (International Food Policy Research Institute: Washington, DC)

Hochstrat R, Wintgens T, Melin T, Jeffrey P (2006) Assessing the European wastewater reclamation and reuse potential – a scenario analysis. Desalination 188, 1–8.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Insam H (1997) A new set of substrates proposed for community characterization in environmental samples. In ‘Microbial communities. Functional versus structural approaches’. (Eds H Insam, A Rangger) pp. 260–261. (Springer: Berlin)

ISTAT (2000) ‘Quinto censimento agricoltura 2000.’ (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) Available at: www.istat.it/censimenti/agricoltura

Jagadamma S, Lal R, Hoeft RG, Nafziger ED, Adee EA (2008) Nitrogen fertilization and cropping system impacts on soil properties and their relationship to crop yield in the central Corn Belt, USA. Soil & Tillage Research 98, 120–129.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kushwaha CP, Tripathi SK, Singh K (2000) Variations in soil microbial biomass and N availability due to residue and tillage management in a dryland rice agroecosystem. Soil & Tillage Research 56, 153–166.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lal R (1997) Residue management, conservation tillage and soil restoration for mitigating greenhouse effect by CO2 enrichment. Soil & Tillage Research 43, 81–107.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lal R (2004) Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Geoderma 123, 1–22.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Lorch HJ , Benckiser G , Ottow JCG (1998) Basic methods for counting microorganisms in soil and water. In ‘Methods in applied soil microbiology and biochemistry’. (Eds K Alef, P Nannipieri) pp. 146–161. (Academic Press: London)

Mäder P , Pfiffner L , Fliessbach A , Lützow MV , Munch JC (1996) Soil ecology: the impact of organic and conventional agriculture on soil biota and its significance for soil fertility. In ‘Proceedings of the IFOAM International Scientific Conference, Vol. 1’. (Ed. TV Ostergaard) pp. 24–46. (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements: Copenhagen)

Marschner P, Kandeler E, Marschner B (2003) Structure and function of the soil microbial community in a long-term fertilizer experiment. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 35, 453–461.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Montanaro G, Dichio B, Xiloyannis C, Celano G (2006) Light influences transpiration and calcium accumulation in fruit of kiwifruit plants (Actinidia deliciosa var. deliciosa). Plant Science 170, 520–527.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Nannipieri P, Ascher J, Ceccherini MT, Landi L, Pietramellara G, Renella G (2003) Microbial diversity and soil functions. European Journal of Soil Biology 54, 655–670. open url image1

Nübel U, Engelen B, Felske A, Snaidr J, Wieshuber A, Amann RI, Ludwig W, Backhaus H (1996) Sequence heterogeneities of genes encoding 16S rRNAs in Paenibacillus polymyxa detected by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. Journal of Bacteriology 178, 5636–5643.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Olesen J, Bindi M (2002) Consequences of climate change for European agricultural productivity, land use and policy. European Journal of Agronomy 16, 239–262.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Peixoto RS, Coutinho HLC, Madari B, Machado PLOA, Rumjanek NG, Van Elsas JD, Seldin L, Rosado AS (2006) Soil aggregation and bacterial community structure as affected by tillage and cover cropping in the Brazilian Cerrados. Soil & Tillage Research 90, 16–28.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pérez-Piqueres A, Edel-Hermann V, Alabouvette C, Steinberg C (2006) Response of soil microbial communities to compost amendments. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 38, 460–470.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rademaker JLW , de Bruijn FJ (2004) Computer-assisted analysis of molecular fingerprint profiles and database construction. In ‘Molecular microbial ecology manual’. 2nd edn (Eds GA Kowalchuk, FJ de Bruijn, JM Head, ADL Akkermans, JD van Elsas) pp. 1397–1446 (Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht, The Netherlands)

Saxton KE, Rawls WJ (2006) Soil water characteristic estimates by texture and organic matter for hydrologic solutions. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70, 1569–1578.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

SISS (2000) ‘Metodi di analisi chimica del suolo.’ (Ed. F Angeli) (Italian Society of Soil Science: Milano, Italy)

Vainio EJ, Hantula J (2000) Genetic differentiation between European and North American populations of Phlebiopsis gigantean. Mycologia 92, 436–446.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Widmer F, Rasche F, Hartmann M, Fliessbach A (2006) Community structures and substrate utilization of bacteria in soils from organic and conventional farming systems of the DOK long-term field experiment. Applied Soil Ecology 33, 294–307.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Xiloyannis C , Massai R , Dichio B (2005) L’acqua e la tecnica dell’irrigazione. In ‘Il pesco’. (Eds C Fideghelli, S Sansavini) pp. 145–171. (Edagricole: Bologna, Italy)

Zak JC, Willig MR, Moorhead DL, Wildman HG (1994) Functional diversity of microbial communities: a quantitative approach. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 26, 1101–1108.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1