Evaluation of the Microbial Viability of Soil Samples from Maize Crops in Freeze-Storage under Different Management Conditions in a Semi-Arid Climate

Manuel Ramírez, Ana Muñoz, Antonio López-Piñeiro, Ángel Albarrán, David Peña, José Manuel Rato Nunes, José Gama and Luis Loures
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Manuel Ramírez: Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Ana Muñoz: Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Antonio López-Piñeiro: Área de Edafología y Química Agrícola, Facultad de Ciencias and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Ángel Albarrán: Área de Producción Vegetal (Escuela de Ingenierías Agrarias) and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Ctra. de Cáceres, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
David Peña: Área de Edafología y Química Agrícola, Facultad de Ciencias and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
José Manuel Rato Nunes: Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Apartado 254, 7350 Elvas, Portugal
José Gama: Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Apartado 254, 7350 Elvas, Portugal
Luis Loures: Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Apartado 254, 7350 Elvas, Portugal

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-10

Abstract: The effect of freeze-storage on culturable soil microorganism viability was determined for soil samples from three agricultural maize crop systems (under conventional management, direct seeding, and direct seeding with a cover crop). Most culturable soil bacteria were unaffected by the freeze-thaw stress or the prolonged freeze-storage, but the viability of mold and Bacillus mycoides populations decreased drastically after eight months of freeze-storage, limiting the process sustainability to this period. However, these changes did not significantly affect either the total microorganism biodiversity index or the biodiversity differences between treatment. Based on the available results, freeze-storage seems to be a sustainable process for up to eight months that can be allowed in analyses of culturable microbial population biodiversity.

Keywords: microbial viability; maize crop soil; freeze-storage; conservation management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:5:p:690-:d:96923

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