Agricultural Soil Management Practices Differentially Shape the Bacterial and Fungal Microbiomes of <i>Sorghum bicolor</i>
Heidi M.‐L. Wipf, Ling Xu, Cheng Gao, Hannah B. Spinner, John W. Taylor, Peggy G. Lemaux, Jeffrey P. Mitchell, Devin Coleman‐Derr
Abstract
While numerous studies show that farming practices can influence the soil microbiome, there are often conflicting results on how microbial diversity and activity respond to treatment. In addition, there is very little work published on how the corresponding crop plant microbiome is impacted. With bacteria and fungi known to critically affect soil health and plant growth, we concurrently compared how the practices of no and standard tillage, in combination with either cover-cropping or fallow fields, shape soil and plant-associated microbiomes between the two classifications. In determining not only the response to treatment in microbial diversity and composition, but for activity as well, this work demonstrates the significance of agronomic practice in modulating plant-microbe interactions, as well as encourages future work on the mechanisms involved in community assemblages supporting similar crop outcomes.