Organic Management and Intercropping of Fruit Perennials Increase Soil Microbial Diversity and Activity in Arid Zone Orchard Cropping Systems

Rhonda R. Janke (), Daniel Menezes-Blackburn, Asma Al Hamdi and Abdul Rehman
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Rhonda R. Janke: Department of Plant Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-Khoud 123, Oman
Daniel Menezes-Blackburn: Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-Khoud 123, Oman
Asma Al Hamdi: Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-Khoud 123, Oman
Abdul Rehman: Department of Agronomy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: Organic farming encourages soil management practices that can improve soil health and fertility by increasing soil organic matter inputs and system sustainability. This study evaluated the effect of three years of continuous organic farming and intercropping orchard treatments on soil microbial diversity, microbial enumeration, respiration, soil fertility and fruit yields. Organic management resulted in higher soil organic matter content, Olsen P, and water holding capacity, but did not affect soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), K, or Na levels. Growth parameters measured on all fruit trees were not significantly different among treatments. The enumeration of bacteria was significantly higher in organic plots when compared to conventionally managed plots. Soil respiration and substrate-induced respiration were significantly higher in the organic diverse plots in comparison to both conventional systems. The genomic analysis of prokaryotes (16S rRNA) and eukaryotes/fungi (ITS) revealed a significantly higher number of taxa, Shannon H index, and Equitability index in the organic systems for both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, in comparison to conventional farming, all of which are indicators of system sustainability. The relative abundance of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) previously reported as diazotrophs, denitrifiers, or involved in the sulfur cycle, as well as Arbuscular Mychorrizae Fungi (AMF)/glomeromycotan, were highest in the organically managed soils than in the conventional plots. A multivariate correlation network clustering revealed that the microbial communities within the organic and conventional soils had strong dissimilarities regarding soil microbial niches. Our work provides evidence that organic management can be used for increasing soil microbial diversity and soil health, leading to higher levels of sustainability in fruit orchard systems.

Keywords: bacteria; archaea; fungi; soil fertility; organic farming; microbial metagenomics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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