Impact of Bioenergy Crops on Soil Microbial Communities
Author Information
Author(s): Mao Yuejian, Yannarell Anthony C., Mackie Roderick I.
Primary Institution: Energy Biosciences Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
Hypothesis
The cultivation of maize with inorganic N-fertilizer will reduce the abundance and diversity of diazotrophs in the soil ecosystem, while biofuel feedstocks receiving little or no N-fertilizer will encourage the development of active diazotrophic communities.
Conclusion
Different bioenergy crops lead to the development of specific nitrogen-transforming microbial communities in the soil, with maize having a larger impact than other crops.
Supporting Evidence
- The population size of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria doubled in maize within three months.
- Nitrification rates were significantly correlated with the quantity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea.
- High diversity of nitrogen-cycling genes was observed with thousands of unique sequences identified.
Takeaway
This study shows that planting different crops affects the tiny living things in the soil, which help with nitrogen, a nutrient plants need to grow.
Methodology
The study monitored changes in nitrogen-cycling microorganisms in soil by analyzing key functional genes over two years after planting different bioenergy crops.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from environmental variations not controlled in the study.
Limitations
The study was conducted at a single site, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other locations.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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