Bacterial community structure and diversity in a century-old manure-treated agroecosystem

Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Approach for Microbial Shift Analysis in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestions

To determine the evolution of microbial community and microbial shift under anaerobic processes, this study investigates the use of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In the DGGE, short- and medium-sized DNA fragments are separated based on their melting characteristics, and this technique is used in this study to understand the dominant bacterial community in mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion processes. Dairy manure is known for emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane, and GHG emissions from manure is a biological process that is largely dependent on the manure conditions, microbial community presence in manure, and their functions. Additional efforts are needed to understand the GHG emissions from manure and develop control strategies to minimize the biological GHG emissions from manure. To study the microbial shift during anaerobic processes responsible for GHG emission, we conducted a series of manure anaerobic digestion experiments, and these experiments were conducted in lab-scale reactors operated under various temperature conditions (28 °C, 36 °C, 44 °C, and 52 °C). We examined the third variable region (V3) of the 16S rRNA gene fingerprints of bacterial presence in anaerobic environment by PCR amplification and DGGE separation. Results showed that bacterial community was affected by the temperature conditions and anaerobic incubation time of manure. The microbial community structure of the original manure changed over time during anaerobic processes, and the community composition changed substantially with the temperature of the anaerobic process. At Day 0, the sequence similarity confirmed that most of the bacteria were similar (>95%) to Acinetobacter sp. (strain: ATCC 31012), a Gram-negative bacteria, regardless of temperature conditions. At day 7, the sequence similarity of DNA fragments of reactors (28 °C) was similar to Acinetobacter sp.; however, the DNA fragments of effluent of reactors at 44 °C and 52 °C were similar to Coprothermobacter proteolyticus (strain: DSM 5265) (similarity: 97%) and Tepidimicrobium ferriphilum (strain: DSM 16624) (similarity: 100%), respectively. At day 60, the analysis showed that DNA fragments of effluent of 28 °C reactor were similar to Galbibacter mesophilus (strain: NBRC 10162) (similarity: 87%), and DNA fragments of effluent of 36 °C reactors were similar to Syntrophomonas curvata (strain: GB8-1) (similarity: 91%). In reactors with a relatively higher temperature, the DNA fragments of effluent of 44 °C reactor were similar to Dielma fastidiosa (strain: JC13) (similarity: 86%), and the DNA fragments of effluent of 52 °C reactor were similar to Coprothermobacter proteolyticus (strain: DSM 5265) (similarity: 99%). To authors' knowledge, this is one of the few studies where DGGE-based approach is utilized to study and compare microbial shifts under mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestions of manure simultaneously. While there were challenges in identifying the bands during gradient gel electrophoresis, the joint use of DGGE and sequencing tool can be potentially useful for illustrating and comparing the change in microbial community structure under complex anaerobic processes and functionality of microbes for understanding the consequential GHG emissions from manure.

Impact of soil supplemented with pig manure on the abundance of antibiotic resistant bacteria and their associated genes

This study was conducted to evaluate the abundance of antibiotic resistant bacteria and their resistance genes from agriculture soil supplemented with pig manure. Uncultivable soil sample was supplemented with pig manure samples under microcosm experimental conditions and plated on Luria-Bertani (LB) agar incorporated with commercial antibiotics. The supplementation of soil with 15% pig manure resulted in the highest increase in the population of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB)/multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria (MARB). Seven genera that included Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Providencia, Salmonella, Bacillus, Alcaligenes and Paenalcaligenes were the cultivable ARB identified. A total of ten antibiotic resistant bacteria genes (ARGs) frequently used in clinical or veterinary settings and two mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (Class 1 and Class 2 integrons) were detected. Eight heavy metal, copper, cadmium, chromium, manganese, lead, zinc, iron, and cobalt were found in all of the manure samples at different concentrations. Tetracycline resistance genes were widely distributed with prevalence of 50%, while aminoglycoside and quinolone-resistance gene had 16% and 13%, respectively. Eighteen ARB isolates carried more than two ARGs in their genome. Class 1 integron was detected among all the 18 ARB with prevalence of 90-100%, while Class 2 integron was detected among 11 ARB. The two classes of integron were found among 10 ARB. Undoubtedly, pig manure collected from farms in Akure metropolis are rich in ARB and their abundance might play a vital role in the dissemination of resistance genes among clinically-relevant pathogens.

Elucidating the effects of organic vs. conventional cropping practice and rhizobia inoculation on rhizosphere microbial diversity and yield of peanut

Legumes such as peanut (Arachis hypogea) can fulfill most of their nitrogen requirement by symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, rhizobia. Nutrient availability is largely determined by microbial diversity and activity in the rhizosphere that influences plant health, nutrition, and crop yield, as well as soil quality and soil fertility. However, our understanding of the complex effects of microbial diversity and rhizobia inoculation on crop yields of different peanut cultivars under organic versus conventional farming systems is extremely limited. In this research, we studied the impacts of conventional vs. organic cultivation practices and inoculation with commercial vs. single strain inoculum on peanut yield and soil microbial diversity of five peanut cultivars. The experiment was set up in the field following a split-split-plot design. Our results from the 16 S microbiome sequencing showed considerable variations of microbial composition between the cultivation types and inoculum, indicating a preferential association of microbes to peanut roots with various inoculum and cropping system. Alpha diversity indices (chao1, Shannon diversity, and Simpson index) of soil microbiome were generally higher in plots with organic than conventional inorganic practices. The cultivation type and inoculum explained significant differences among bacterial communities. Taxonomic classification revealed two phyla, TM6 and Firmicutes were significantly represented in inorganic as compared to organic soil, where significant phyla were Armatimonadetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and WS3. Yields in the organic cultivation system decreased by 10-93% of the yields in the inorganic cultivation system. Cultivar G06 and T511 consistently showed relative high yields in both organic and inorganic trials. Our results show significant two-way interactions between cultivation type and genotype for most of the trait data collected. Therefore, it is critical for farmers to choose varieties based on their cultivation practices. Our results showed that bacterial structure was more uniform in organic fields and microbial diversity in legumes was reduced in inorganic fields. This research provided guides for farmers and scientists to improve peanut yield while promoting microbial diversity and increasing sustainability.

Conservation tillage increases surface soil organic carbon stock by altering fungal communities and enzyme activity

Fungal communities play a key role in the decomposition of crop residues and affect soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. Conservation tillage enhances SOC sequestration and mitigate global climate change. However, the impact of long-term tillage practices on fungal community diversity and its relation to SOC stock remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relationship between extracellular enzyme activities and fungal community diversity and SOC stock under different tillage practices. A field experiment was conducted with four tillage practices: (i) no-tillage with straw removal (NT0), (ii) no-tillage with straw retention (NTSR, conservation tillage), (iii) plough tillage with straw retention (PTSR), and (iv) rotary tillage with straw retention (RTSR). The results showed that the SOC stock in NTSR was higher than other treatments in the 0-10 cm soil layer. Compared to NT0, NTSR significantly increased soil β-glucosidase, xylosidase, cellobiohydrolase, and chitinase activities at 0-10 cm soil depth (P < 0.05). However, different tillage methods with straw returning had no significant effects on enzyme activity at 0-10 cm soil depth. The observed species and Chao1 index of the fungal communities under NTSR were 22.8% and 32.1% lower than under RTSR in the 0-10 cm soil layer, respectively. The composition, structure, and co-occurrence network of fungal communities differed across tillage practices. A partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) analysis indicated that C-related enzymes were the most influential factors associated with SOC stock. Soil physicochemical properties and fungal communities affected extracellular enzyme activities. Overall, conservation tillage can promote surface SOC stock, which was associated with increased enzyme activity.

Higher-Quality Pumpkin Cultivars Need to Recruit More Abundant Soil Microbes in Rhizospheres

Two different qualities of pumpkin, cultivars G1519 and G1511, were grown in the same environment under identical management. However, their qualities, such as the contents of total soluble solids, starch, protein, and vitamin C, were significantly different. Do rhizospheric microbes contribute to pumpkin quality? To answer this question, this study investigated the soil microbial compositions in the rhizospheres of different quality pumpkin cultivars to determine the differences in these soil microbial compositions and thus determine how soil microbes may affect pumpkin quality. Firstly, a randomized complete block design with two pumpkin cultivars and three replications was performed in this study. The soil microbial compositions and structures in the rhizospheres of the two pumpkin cultivars were analyzed using a high-throughput sequencing technique. In comparison with the low-quality pumpkin cultivar (G1519), higher microbial diversity and richness could be found in the rhizospheres of the high-quality pumpkin cultivar (G1511). The results showed that there were significant differences in the soil bacterial and fungal community compositions in the rhizospheres of the high- and low-quality pumpkin cultivars. Although the compositions and proportions of microorganisms were similar in the rhizospheres of the two pumpkin cultivars, the proportions of Basidiomycota and Micropsalliota in the G1519 rhizosphere were much higher than those in the G1511 rhizosphere. Furthermore, the fungal phylum and genus Rozellomycota and Unclassified_p__Rozellomycota were unique in the rhizosphere of the high-quality pumpkin cultivar (G1511). All the above results indicate that soil microbes were enriched differentially in the rhizospheres of the low- and high-quality pumpkin cultivars. In other words, more abundant soil microbes were recruited in the rhizosphere of the high-quality pumpkin cultivar as compared to that of the low-quality cultivar. Rozellomycota and Unclassified_p__Rozellomycota may be functional microorganisms relating to pumpkin quality.

Long-Term Organic–Inorganic Fertilization Regimes Alter Bacterial and Fungal Communities and Rice Yields in Paddy Soil

Microorganisms are the most abundant and diverse organisms in soils and have important effects on soil fertility. In this study, effects of the long-term fertilization treatments no fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer (nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium (NPK)), and organic–inorganic fertilizer (NPK and organic fertilizer (NPKM)) on rice yield and soil bacterial and fungal community diversity, structure, composition, and interaction networks were evaluated. Of the three treatments, the highest rice yield was in NPKM. Bacterial richness was significantly higher in NPKM than in NPK. Fertilization treatment significantly altered β diversity of communities, species composition of bacterial and fungal communities, and structure of soil microbial networks. The most complex bacterial and fungal interaction co-occurrence network with the highest average degree and numbers of edges and nodes was in NPKM. Relative abundance of the plant growth-promoting fungus Trichoderma increased significantly in NPKM compared with CK and NPK. The results of the study indicate that bacterial richness and microbial community member interactions (network complexity) might be suitable indicators of soil biological fertility. This research provides new insights on the effects of different fertilization regimes on responses of soil bacterial and fungal communities and their contributions to crop yield. New indicators such as bacterial richness and complexity of microbial interaction networks are also identified that can be used to evaluate soil biological fertility.

Bacterial structure and dynamics in mango (Mangifera indica) orchards after long term organic and conventional treatments under subtropical ecosystem

This study explores the comparative effect of conventional and organic treatments on the rhizosphere microbiome of Mangifera indica cv. Dashehari. The long-term exposures (about 20 years) were monitored under a subtropical ecosystem. Based on plant growth properties and acetylene reduction assay, 12 bacterial isolates (7 from G1-organic and 5 from G2-conventional systems) were identified as Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. In the conventional system, dehydrogenase activity significantly decreased (0.053 µg TPF formed g⁻¹ of soil h⁻¹) and adversely affected the bacterial diversity composition. In comparison, organic treatments had a good impact on dehydrogenase activity (0.784 µg TPF formed g⁻¹ of soil h⁻¹), alkaline phosphatase (139.25 µg PNP g⁻¹ soil h⁻¹), and bacterial community composition. The Metagenomics approach targeted the V3 and V4 regions to see the impact in the phylum, order, family, genus, and species for both the treatments. Results showed that phylum Acidobacteria (13.6%), Firmicutes (4.84%), and Chloroflexi (2.56%) were dominating in the G2 system whereas phylum Bacteroides (14.55%), Actinobacteria (7.45%), and Proteobacteria (10.82%) were abundantly dominated in the G1 system. Metagenome sequences are at the NCBI-GenBank sequence read archive with SRX8289747 (G1) and SRX8289748 (G2) in the study PRJNA631113. Results indicated that conventional and organic conditions affect rhizosphere microbiome and their environment.

Influence of elemental sulfur on cadmium bioavailability, microbial community in paddy soil and Cd accumulation in rice plants

Cadmium (Cd) is highly toxic to living organisms and the contamination of Cd in paddy soil in China has received much attention. In the present study, by conducting pot experiment, the influence of S fertilizer (S⁰) on rice growth, iron plaque formation, Cd accumulation in rice plants and bacterial community in rice rhizosphere soil was investigated. The biomass of rice plants was significantly increased by S⁰ addition (19.5–73.6%). The addition of S⁰ increased the formation of iron plaque by 24.3–45.8%, meanwhile the amount of Cd sequestered on iron plaque increased. In soil treated with 5 mg/kg Cd, addition of 0.2 g/kg S⁰ decreased the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) extractable Cd by 60.0%. The application of S⁰ significantly decreased the concentration of Cd in rice grain by 12.1% (0.1 g/kg) and 36.6% (0.2 g/kg) respectively. The addition of S⁰ significantly increased the ratio of Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes in rice rhizosphere soil. Meanwhile, the ratio of Planctomycetes and Chloroflexi decreased. The results indicated that promoting Fe- and S-reducing and residue decomposition bacterial in the rhizosphere by S⁰ may be one biological reason for reducing Cd risk in the soil-rice system.

Soil microbial diversity in organic and non-organic pasture systems

Understanding the effects of organic pasture management on the soil microbiome is important for sustainable forage production since soil microbiome diversity contributes to improved nutrient cycling, soil structure, plant growth, and environmental resiliency; however, the soil microbiome response to pasture management is largely unknown. This study assessed the soil microbial diversity, richness, and community structure following 10 years of pasture management (organic or non-organic) of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Soil samples were collected from 0–15 cm in July and August from 2017–2018 and soil nutrient properties (nutrients, carbon, nitrogen, and pH) quantified and correlated with soil microbial diversity. Overall, greater soil bacterial species richness (P ≤ 0.05) occurred in organic relative to non-organic (conventional) systems. Management affected bacterial species richness (Chao1), with greater richness occurring in organic pasture soils and less richness occurring in non-organic systems (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, management affected bacterial evenness (Simpson’s index), with a more diverse community occurring in organically managed soils relative to non-organic pastures (P ≤ 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis showed statistically significant and biologically consistent differences in bacterial taxa in organic compared with non-organic soils. Therefore, there was a shift in bacterial community structure in organic relative to non-organic soils (P ≤ 0.05). Additionally, soil nutrients (Fe, Mg, Ni, S, Al, K, Cd, and Cu), pH, C, and N were correlated with one or more dominant bacterial phyla (Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria). Overall, pasture management affected soil microbial diversity, with greater diversity occurring in organic than non-organic systems, likely owing to applications of organic poultry litter in organic systems compared to non-organic management (use of inorganic-fertilizers and herbicides). Results indicate that when pastures are converted to organic production systems, soil microbial richness and diversity may increase, thereby resulting in enhanced soil microbiome diversity and overall ecosystem services.

Functional potential differences between Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in response to manure amendment in a reclaimed soil

Manure amendment generally bolsters soil organisms but not all bacteria equally. To understand why different taxa respond differently, we used shotgun metagenomic approaches to profile functional potentials and correlate them with taxon abundances. A soil originally unproductive was reclaimed using commercial manure and finally became productive. The abundance of Firmicutes in the soil decreased, whereas that of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria increased after manure addition. Thirty-nine KEGG modules were significantly different across fertilizer treatments. These modules were mainly associated with the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS), ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, and two-component signal transduction systems. The Proteobacteria and Firmicutes mainly contributed to these modules. Correlation between the abundances of phyla and orthologs showed two distinctive patterns. One linked the Firmicutes to cell wall biosynthesis, PTS, and ABC transporters, and the other linked the Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia to lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, bacterial motility, and carbon metabolism. Correlation between the abundances of phyla and Carbohydrate-Active Enzyme Database families also showed two distinctive patterns, one of them linking the Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia to very high abundances of glycosyltransferases and glycoside hydrolases. Overall, the Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were main drivers of functional potential differences across fertilizer treatments. The Firmicutes were enriched with genes associated with cell wall biosynthesis and membrane transports, while Proteobacteria with lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism, which supports our hypothesis that the Firmicutes have a lower potential for utilizing manure-derived carbohydrates, while Proteobacteria have a higher potential. This explains why the Proteobacteria and Firmicutes responded to manure differently.

Diversity and structure of prokaryotic communities within organic and conventional farming systems in central highlands of Kenya

Management practices such as tillage, crop rotation, irrigation, organic and inorganic inputs application are known to influence diversity and function of soil microbial populations. In this study, we investigated the effect of conventional versus organic farming systems at low and high input levels on structure and diversity of prokaryotic microbial communities. Soil samples were collected from the ongoing long-term farming system comparison trials established in 2007 at Chuka and Thika in Kenya. Physicochemical parameters for each sample were analyzed. Total DNA and RNA amplicons of variable region (V4-V7) of the 16S rRNA gene were generated on an Illumina platform using the manufacturer's instructions. Diversity indices and statistical analysis were done using QIIME2 and R packages, respectively. A total of 29,778,886 high quality reads were obtained and assigned to 16,176 OTUs at 97% genetic distance across both 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA cDNA datasets. The results pointed out a histrionic difference in OTUs based on 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA cDNA. Precisely, while 16S rDNA clustered by site, 16S rRNA cDNA clustered by farming systems. In both sites and systems, dominant phylotypes were affiliated to phylum Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria. Conventional farming systems showed a higher species richness and diversity compared to organic farming systems, whilst 16S rRNA cDNA datasets were similar. Physiochemical factors were associated differently depending on rRNA and rDNA. Soil pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, nitrogen, potassium, aluminium, zinc, iron, boron and micro-aggregates showed a significant influence on the observed microbial diversity. The observed higher species diversity in the conventional farming systems can be attributed to the integration of synthetic and organic agricultural inputs. These results show that the type of inputs used in a farming system not only affect the soil chemistry but also the microbial population dynamics and eventually the functional roles of these microbes.

Response of Soil Bacterial Community Diversity and Composition to Time, Fertilization, and Plant Species in a Sub-Boreal Climate

Pastures are an important part of crop and food systems in cold climates. Understanding how fertilization and plant species affect soil bacterial community diversity and composition is the key for understanding the role of soil bacteria in sustainable agriculture. To study the response of soil bacteria to different fertilization and cropping managements, a 3-year (2013-2015) field study was established. In the split-plot design, fertilizer treatment (unfertilized control, organic fertilizer, and synthetic fertilizer) was the main plot factor, and plant treatment [clear fallow, red clover (Trifolium pratense), timothy (Phleum pratense), and a mixture of red clover and timothy] was the sub-plot factor. Soil bacterial community diversity and composition, soil properties, and crop growth were investigated through two growing seasons in 2014 and 2015, with different nitrogen input levels. The community diversity measures (richness, Shannon diversity, and Shannon evenness) and composition changed over time (P < 0.05) and at different time scales. The community diversity was lower in 2014 than in 2015. The temporal differences were greater than the differences between treatments. The overall correlations of Shannon diversity to soil pH, NO 3 - , NH 4 + , and surplus nitrogen were positive and that of bacterial richness to crop dry matter yield was negative (P < 0.05). The major differences in diversity and community composition were found between fallow and planted treatments and between organic and synthetic fertilizer treatments. The differences between the planted plots were restricted to individual operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Soil moisture, total carbon content, and total nitrogen content correlated consistently with the community composition (P < 0.05). Compared to the unfertilized control, the nitrogen fertilizer loading enhanced the temporal change of community composition in pure timothy and in the mixture more than that in red clover, which further emphasizes the complexity of interactions between fertilization and cropping treatments on soil bacteria.

Effects of inorganic and organic treatments on the microbial community of maize rhizosphere by a shotgun metagenomics approach

Purpose

The main drivers of biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, plant growth promotion, and disease suppression are microbes. Organic manure increases soil quality and plant productivity; the same is true of inorganic fertilizer. In this study, we explored shotgun metagenomics study to investigate how maize (Zea mays everta) rhizosphere microbial community diversity is shaped following the application of both compost manure and inorganic fertilizer.

Methods

We used high throughput next-generation sequencing—metagenomics studies to examine the rhizosphere microbial community of maize plants grown in an organic compost manure (8 tons/ha and 4 tons/ha) and inorganic (120 kg/ha NPK and 60 kg/ha NPK chemical) fertilized soils. An unfertilized soil was used as a control.

Results

The taxonomic analysis of the soil revealed that regardless of the fertilization regimes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes are distributed across all the samples, but in varying populations. Higher quantities of organic manure (8 tons/ha) and lower (60 kg/ha) nitrogen fertilizer, as well as the untreated control, supports the selection and enrichment of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, while lower quantities of organic compost (4 tons/ha) manure boost the population of Bacteroidetes. Firmicutes, on the other hand, were most abundant in low organic manure (4 tons/ha) and higher inorganic (120 kg/ha) fertilized soil. Fungi were selected and enriched by higher (8 tons/ha) and lower (4 tons/ha) compost manure, while archaea were mostly supported by higher doses of inorganic fertilizers (120 kg/ha) and high compost manure (8 tons/ha) treatments.

Conclusion

Therefore, comprehending the effects of compost and chemical fertilizers (NPK—20% nitrogen, 7% phosphorus, 3% potassium) on the community structure, dynamics, and abundance of rhizosphere microbiome will help in the manipulation of soil microbial community to increase microbial diversity in the agroecosystem.

DNA Stable-Isotope Probing Delineates Carbon Flows from Rice Residues into Soil Microbial Communities Depending on Fertilization

Identifying and understanding the active microbial communities and interactions involved in plant residue utilization are key questions to elucidate the transformation of soil organic matter (SOM) in agricultural ecosystems. Microbial community composition responds strongly to management, but little is known about specific microbial groups involved in plant residue utilization and, consequently, microbial functions under different methods of fertilization. We combined DNA stable-isotope (¹³C) probing and high-throughput sequencing to identify active fungal and bacterial groups degrading residues in soils after 3 years of mineral fertilization with and without manure. Manuring changed the active microbial composition and complexified microbial interactions involved in residue C flow. Most fungal genera, especially Chaetomium, Staphylotrichum, Penicillium, and Aspergillus, responded to residue addition faster in soils that historically had received manure. We generated a valuable library of microorganisms involved in plant residue utilization for future targeted research to exploit specific functions of microbial groups in organic matter utilization and C sequestration.

Decomposition of crop residues in soil is mediated by microorganisms whose activities vary with fertilization. The complexity of active microorganisms and their interactions utilizing residues is impossible to disentangle without isotope applications. Thus, ¹³C-labeled rice residues were employed, and DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP) combined with high-throughput sequencing was applied to identify microbes active in assimilating residue carbon (C). Manure addition strongly modified microbial community compositions involved in the C flow from rice residues. Relative abundances of the bacterial genus Lysobacter and fungal genus Syncephalis were increased, but abundances of the bacterial genus Streptomyces and fungal genus Trichoderma were decreased in soils receiving mineral fertilizers plus manure (NPKM) compared to levels in soils receiving only mineral fertilizers (NPK). Microbes involved in the flow of residue C formed a more complex network in NPKM than in NPK soils because of the necessity to decompose more diverse organic compounds. The fungal species (Jugulospora rotula and Emericellopsis terricola in NPK and NPKM soils, respectively) were identified as keystone species in the network and may significantly contribute to residue C decomposition. Most of the fungal genera in NPKM soils, especially Chaetomium, Staphylotrichum, Penicillium, and Aspergillus, responded faster to residue addition than those in NPK soils. This is connected with the changes in the composition of the rice residue during degradation and with fungal adaptation (abundance and activity) to continuous manure input. Our findings provide fundamental information about the roles of key microbial groups in residue decomposition and offer important cues on manipulating the soil microbiome for residue utilization and C sequestration in soil.

IMPORTANCE Identifying and understanding the active microbial communities and interactions involved in plant residue utilization are key questions to elucidate the transformation of soil organic matter (SOM) in agricultural ecosystems. Microbial community composition responds strongly to management, but little is known about specific microbial groups involved in plant residue utilization and, consequently, microbial functions under different methods of fertilization. We combined DNA stable-isotope (¹³C) probing and high-throughput sequencing to identify active fungal and bacterial groups degrading residues in soils after 3 years of mineral fertilization with and without manure. Manuring changed the active microbial composition and complexified microbial interactions involved in residue C flow. Most fungal genera, especially Chaetomium, Staphylotrichum, Penicillium, and Aspergillus, responded to residue addition faster in soils that historically had received manure. We generated a valuable library of microorganisms involved in plant residue utilization for future targeted research to exploit specific functions of microbial groups in organic matter utilization and C sequestration.

Microalgae and Phototrophic Purple Bacteria for Nutrient Recovery From Agri-Industrial Effluents: Influences on Plant Growth, Rhizosphere Bacteria, and Putative Carbon- and Nitrogen-Cycling Genes

Microalgae (MA) and purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) have the ability to remove and recover nutrients from digestate (anaerobic digestion effluent) and pre-settled pig manure that can be Utilized as bio-fertilizer and organic fertilizer. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of MA and PPB as organic fertilizers and soil conditioners in relation to plant growth and the soil biological processes involved in nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) cycling. To this end, a glasshouse experiment was conducted using MA and PPB as bio-fertilizers to grow a common pasture ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin) with two destructive harvests (45 and 60 days after emergence). To evaluate the rhizosphere bacterial community, we used barcoded PCR-amplified bacterial 16S rRNA genes for paired-end sequencing on the Illumina Mi-Seq. Additionally, we used phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) analysis for the detection of putative functional genes associated with N and soil-C cycling. There was a significant increase in plant growth when the soil was amended with PPB, which almost performed as well as the chemical fertilizers. Analysis of the rhizosphere bacteria after the second harvest revealed a greater abundance of Firmicutes than in the first harvest. Members of this phylum have been identified as a biostimulant for plant growth. In contrast, the MA released nutrients more slowly and had a profound effect on N cycling by modulating N mineralization and N retention pathways. Thus, MA could be developed as a slow-release fertilizer with better N retention, which could improve crop performance and soil function, despite nutrient losses from leaching, runoff, and atmospheric emissions. These data indicate that biologically recovered nutrients from waste resources can be effective as a fertilizer, resulting in enhanced C- and N-cycling capacities in the rhizosphere.

Inorganic Nitrogen Application Affects Both Taxonomical and Predicted Functional Structure of Wheat Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities

The effects of fertilizer regime on bulk soil microbial communities have been well studied, but this is not the case for the rhizosphere microbiome. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of fertilization regime on wheat rhizosphere microbiome assembly and 16S rRNA gene-predicted functions with soil from the long term Broadbalk experiment at Rothamsted Research. Soil from four N fertilization regimes (organic N, zero N, medium inorganic N and high inorganic N) was sown with seeds of Triticum aestivum cv. Cadenza. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed with the Illumina platform on bulk soil and rhizosphere samples of 4-week-old and flowering plants (10 weeks). Phylogenetic and 16S rRNA gene-predicted functional analyses were performed. Fertilization regime affected the structure and composition of wheat rhizosphere bacterial communities. Acidobacteria and Planctomycetes were significantly depleted in treatments receiving inorganic N, whereas the addition of high levels of inorganic N enriched members of the phylum Bacteroidetes, especially after 10 weeks. Bacterial richness and diversity decreased with inorganic nitrogen inputs and was highest after organic treatment (FYM). In general, high levels of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers negatively affect bacterial richness and diversity, leading to a less stable bacterial community structure over time, whereas, more stable bacterial communities are provided by organic amendments. 16S rRNA gene-predicted functional structure was more affected by growth stage than by fertilizer treatment, although, some functions related to energy metabolism and metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides were enriched in samples not receiving any inorganic N, whereas inorganic N addition enriched predicted functions related to metabolism of other amino acids and carbohydrates. Understanding the impact of different fertilizers on the structure and dynamics of the rhizosphere microbiome is an important step toward developing strategies for production of crops in a sustainable way.

Reconstruction of microbial community structures as evidences for soil redox coupled reductive dechlorination of PCP in a mangrove soil

The aim was to investigate the influence of pentachlorophenol (PCP) on the soil microbial communities and the coupled mechanism between PCP reductive dechlorination and soil redox under anaerobic condition. Accordingly, a slurry incubation experiment was carried out in which bacterial and archaeal communities were detected by MiSeq amplicon sequencing. The original microbial community balance was gradually disrupted and new microbial structure was reconstructed subsequently through self-regulation and acclimation during PCP transformation, coupling with the changes of soil biogeochemical redox dynamics. The phylum Bacteroidetes predominated during the earlier PCP dechlorination period and then was progressively replaced by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes groups when PCP was mostly transformed into 2,3,4,5-TeCP and 3,4,5-TCP. Heatmap and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed the Clostridium-like, Geobacter-like and Dehalococcoides-like organisms enriched concurrently during PCP reductive dechlorination processes. The relative abundance changes of the redox-active microorganisms, together with their relevance to the corresponding biogeochemical redox processes, showed that PCP dechlorination, Fe(III) and SO₄^2- reduction, as well as methanogenesis were coupled terminal electron accepting processes. The combined analysis of the microbial function, the affinity for substrates (H₂ and acetate) and the sensitivity for PCP toxicity by microorganisms might explain why electron transport chain has changed in soil biogeochemical redox process. Our study offers a comprehensive description of the impact of PCP on the soil microbial community structures, which could be very useful for understanding the regulation of soil nutrient and energy transfer during biogeochemical cycling processes in soils with significant inputs of exogenous pollutants.

Soil Microbiome Is More Heterogeneous in Organic Than in Conventional Farming System

Organic farming system and sustainable management of soil pathogens aim at reducing the use of agricultural chemicals in order to improve ecosystem health. Despite the essential role of microbial communities in agro-ecosystems, we still have limited understanding of the complex response of microbial diversity and composition to organic and conventional farming systems and to alternative methods for controlling plant pathogens. In this study we assessed the microbial community structure, diversity and richness using 16S rRNA gene next generation sequences and report that conventional and organic farming systems had major influence on soil microbial diversity and community composition while the effects of the soil health treatments (sustainable alternatives for chemical control) in both farming systems were of smaller magnitude. Organically managed system increased taxonomic and phylogenetic richness, diversity and heterogeneity of the soil microbiota when compared with conventional farming system. The composition of microbial communities, but not the diversity nor heterogeneity, were altered by soil health treatments. Soil health treatments exhibited an overrepresentation of specific microbial taxa which are known to be involved in soil suppressiveness to pathogens (plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-borne fungi). Our results provide a comprehensive survey on the response of microbial communities to different agricultural systems and to soil treatments for controlling plant pathogens and give novel insights to improve the sustainability of agro-ecosystems by means of beneficial microorganisms.

Comparative Analysis of Prokaryotic Communities Associated with Organic and Conventional Farming Systems

One of the most important challenges in agriculture is to determine the effectiveness and environmental impact of certain farming practices. The aim of present study was to determine and compare the taxonomic composition of the microbiomes established in soil following long-term exposure (14 years) to a conventional and organic farming systems (CFS and OFS accordingly). Soil from unclared forest next to the fields was used as a control. The analysis was based on RT-PCR and pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes of bacteria and archaea. The number of bacteria was significantly lower in CFS than in OFS and woodland. The highest amount of archaea was detected in woodland, whereas the amounts in CFS and OFS were lower and similar. The most common phyla in the soil microbial communities analyzed were Proteobacteria (57.9%), Acidobacteria (16.1%), Actinobacteria (7.9%), Verrucomicrobia (2.0%), Bacteroidetes (2.7%) and Firmicutes (4.8%). Woodland soil differed from croplands in the taxonomic composition of microbial phyla. Croplands were enriched with Proteobacteria (mainly the genus Pseudomonas), while Acidobacteria were detected almost exclusively in woodland soil. The most pronounced differences between the CFS and OFS microbiomes were found within the genus Pseudomonas, which significantly (p<0,05) increased its number in CFS soil compared to OFS. Other differences in microbiomes of cropping systems concerned minor taxa. A higher relative abundance of bacteria belonging to the families Oxalobacteriaceae, Koribacteriaceae, Nakamurellaceae and genera Ralstonia, Paenibacillus and Pedobacter was found in CFS as compared with OFS. On the other hand, microbiomes of OFS were enriched with proteobacteria of the family Comamonadaceae (genera Hylemonella) and Hyphomicrobiaceae, actinobacteria from the family Micrococcaceae, and bacteria of the genera Geobacter, Methylotenera, Rhizobium (mainly Rhizobium leguminosarum) and Clostridium. Thus, the fields under OFS and CFS did not differ greatly for the composition of the microbiome. These results, which were also confirmed by cluster analysis, indicated that microbial communities in the field soil do not necessarily differ largely between conventional and organic farming systems.

Long-term combined chemical and manure fertilizations increase soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in aggregate fractions at three typical cropland soils in China

Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) are important factors of soil fertility. However, effects of the combined chemical fertilizer and organic manure or straw on these factors and their relationships are less addressed under long-term fertilizations. This study addressed changes in SOC, TN, MBC and MBN at 0-20 cm soil depth under three 17 years (September 1990-September 2007) long-term fertilization croplands along a heat and water gradient in China. Four soil physical fractions (coarse free and fine free particulate organic C, cfPOC and ffPOC; intra-microaggregate POC, iPOC; and mineral associated organic C, MOC) were examined under five fertilizations: unfertilized control, chemical nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) (NPK), NPK plus straw (NPKS, hereafter straw return), and NPK plus manure (NPKM and 1.5NPKM, hereafter manure). Compared with Control, manure significantly increased all tested parameters. SOC and TN in fractions distributed as MOC > iPOC > cfPOC > ffPOC with the highest increase in cfPOC (329.3%) and cfPTN (431.1%), and the lowest in MOC (40.8%) and MTN (45.4%) under manure. SOC significantly positively correlated with MBC, cfPOC, ffPOC, iPOC and MOC (R(2) = 0.51-0.84, P < 0.01), while TN with cfPTN, ffPTN, iPTN and MTN (R(2) = 0.45-0.79, P < 0.01), but not with MBN, respectively. Principal component analyses explained 86.9-91.2% variance of SOC, TN, MBC, MBN, SOC and TN in each fraction. Our results demonstrated that cfPOC was a sensitive SOC indicator and manure addition was the best fertilization for improving soil fertility while straw return should take into account climate factors in Chinese croplands.

Temporal changes in soil bacterial and archaeal communities with different fertilizers in tea orchards

It is important to understand the effects of temporal changes in microbial communities in the acidic soils of tea orchards with different fertilizers. A field experiment involving organic fertilizer (OF), chemical fertilizer (CF), and unfertilized control (CK) treatments was arranged to analyze the temporal changes in the bacterial and archaeal communities at bimonthly intervals based on the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiling. The abundances of total bacteria, total archaea, and selected functional genes (bacterial and archaeal amoA, bacterial narG, nirK, nirS, and nosZ) were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results indicate that the structures of bacterial and archaeal communities varied significantly with time and fertilization based on changes in the relative abundance of dominant T-RFs. The abundancy of the detected genes changed with time. The total bacteria, total archaea, and archaeal amoA were less abundant in July. The bacterial amoA and denitrifying genes were less abundant in September, except the nirK gene. The OF treatment increased the abundance of the observed genes, while the CF treatment had little influence on them. The soil temperature significantly affected the bacterial and archaeal community structures. The soil moisture was significantly correlated with the abundance of denitrifying genes. Of the soil chemical properties, soil organic carbon was the most important factor and was significantly correlated with the abundance of the detected genes, except the nirK gene. Overall, this study demonstrated the effects of both temporal alteration and organic fertilizer on the structures of microbial communities and the abundance of genes involved in the nitrogen cycle.

Metaproteome of the microbial community in paddy soil after long-term treatment with mineral and organic fertilizers

The soil microbial community research conducted in the field has focused on the genetic diversity of these organisms. In this study, we assessed the proteins expressed in soil microbial communities following the long-term application of mineral fertilizer (NPK) and organic manure (M) to paddy soil, indirect extraction method and separated via two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and identified using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) approach. We found that the number of cells in the primary soil in the M treatment was significantly greater than in the NPK and CK treatments. The numbers of cells extracted were consistent with the total cell numbers and the concentration of extracted proteins (CK < NPK < M). 303 and 306 protein spots being detected in the CK map and NPK map, respectively. Eleven spots of interest were identified in the 2D gels, including 8 different protein spots and 3 unique protein spots. Three common proteins involved in protein hydrolysis and glutamate synthesis and metabolism. Eight differentially expressed proteins involved in DNA replication, transcription, protein folding and energy metabolism, the processes of cofactor and vitamin metabolism, transcriptional regulation, recombination and xenobiotic compound biodegradation and metabolism. The long-term application of fertilization resulted in significant changes in the microbial community structure and function, and the long-term application of pig manure significantly increased the microbial biomass and the functional and structural diversity in the soil. It is very interesting to address the MS identification of intracellular proteins from microbial communities under different fertilizer treatments in a paddy soil.

Distinct soil microbial diversity under long-term organic and conventional farming

Low-input agricultural systems aim at reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in order to improve sustainable production and ecosystem health. Despite the integral role of the soil microbiome in agricultural production, we still have a limited understanding of the complex response of microbial diversity to organic and conventional farming. Here we report on the structural response of the soil microbiome to more than two decades of different agricultural management in a long-term field experiment using a high-throughput pyrosequencing approach of bacterial and fungal ribosomal markers. Organic farming increased richness, decreased evenness, reduced dispersion and shifted the structure of the soil microbiota when compared with conventionally managed soils under exclusively mineral fertilization. This effect was largely attributed to the use and quality of organic fertilizers, as differences became smaller when conventionally managed soils under an integrated fertilization scheme were examined. The impact of the plant protection regime, characterized by moderate and targeted application of pesticides, was of subordinate importance. Systems not receiving manure harboured a dispersed and functionally versatile community characterized by presumably oligotrophic organisms adapted to nutrient-limited environments. Systems receiving organic fertilizer were characterized by specific microbial guilds known to be involved in degradation of complex organic compounds such as manure and compost. The throughput and resolution of the sequencing approach permitted to detect specific structural shifts at the level of individual microbial taxa that harbours a novel potential for managing the soil environment by means of promoting beneficial and suppressing detrimental organisms.

Diversity and phylogenetic analysis of endosymbiotic bacteria of the date palm root borer Oryctes agamemnon (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

BACKGROUND

The date palm root borer Oryctes agamemnon (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is one of the major pests of palms. In Saudi Arabia, both larvae and adults of Oryctes are particularly troublesome, especially during the establishment of young date palm orchards. Endosymbiotic bacteria are known to have a key role in food digestion and insecticide resistance mechanisms, and therefore are essential to their host insect. Identification of these bacteria in their insect host can lead to development of new insect pest control strategies.

RESULTS

Metagenomic DNA from larval midgut of the date palm root borer, O. agamemnon, was analyzed for endosymbiotic bacterial communities using denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) utilizing 16S rRNA genes. The DGGE fingerprints with metagenomic DNA showed predominance of eleven major operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified as members of Photobacterium, Vibrio, Allomonas, Shewanella, Cellulomonas, and Citrobacter, as well as uncultured bacteria, including some uncultured Vibrio members. DGGE profiles also showed shifts in the dominant bacterial populations of the original soil compared with those that existed in the larval midguts. The endosymbiotic bacterial community was dominated by members of the family Vibrionaceae (54.5%), followed by uncultured bacteria (18.2%), Enterobacteriaceae (9.1%), Shewanellaceae (9.1%), and Cellulomonadaceae (9.1%). Phylogenetic studies confirmed the affiliation of the dominant OTUs into specified families revealed by clustering of each phylotype to its corresponding clade. Relative frequency of each phylotype in larval midguts revealed predominance of Vibrio furnisii and Vibrio navarrensis, followed by uncultured bacterial spp., then Cellulomonas hominis, Shewanella algae, and Citrobacter freundii.

CONCLUSION

Analysis of metagenomic DNA for endosymbiotic bacterial communities from the midgut of Oryctes larvae showed strong selection of specific bacterial populations that may have a key role in digestion, as well as other benefits to the larvae of O. agamemnon. Determination of the distinct endosymbiotic community structure and its possible biological functions within the insect could provide us with basic information for future pest control research.

The Importance of the Microbial N Cycle in Soil for Crop Plant Nutrition

Nitrogen is crucial for living cells, and prior to the introduction of mineral N fertilizer, fixation of atmospheric N2 by diverse prokaryotes was the primary source of N in all ecosystems. Microorganisms drive the N cycle starting with N2 fixation to ammonia, through nitrification in which ammonia is oxidized to nitrate and denitrification where nitrate is reduced to N2 to complete the cycle, or partially reduced to generate the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. Traditionally, agriculture has relied on rotations that exploited N fixed by symbiotic rhizobia in leguminous plants, and recycled wastes and manures that microbial activity mineralized to release ammonia or nitrate. Mineral N fertilizer provided by the Haber-Bosch process has become essential for modern agriculture to increase crop yields and replace N removed from the system at harvest. However, with the increasing global population and problems caused by unintended N wastage and pollution, more sustainable ways of managing the N cycle in soil and utilizing biological N2 fixation have become imperative. This review describes the biological N cycle and details the steps and organisms involved. The effects of various agricultural practices that exploit fixation, retard nitrification, and reduce denitrification are presented, together with strategies that minimize inorganic fertilizer applications and curtail losses. The development and implementation of new technologies together with rediscovering traditional practices are discussed to speculate how the grand challenge of feeding the world sustainably can be met.

Deep 16S rRNA pyrosequencing reveals a bacterial community associated with Banana Fusarium Wilt disease suppression induced by bio-organic fertilizer application

Our previous work demonstrated that application of a bio-organic fertilizer (BIO) to a banana mono-culture orchard with serious Fusarium wilt disease effectively decreased the number of soil Fusarium sp. and controlled the soil-borne disease. Because bacteria are an abundant and diverse group of soil organisms that responds to soil health, deep 16 S rRNA pyrosequencing was employed to characterize the composition of the bacterial community to investigate how it responded to BIO or the application of other common composts and to explore the potential correlation between bacterial community, BIO application and Fusarium wilt disease suppression. After basal quality control, 137,646 sequences and 9,388 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained from the 15 soil samples. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes and Actinobacteria were the most frequent phyla and comprised up to 75.3% of the total sequences. Compared to the other soil samples, BIO-treated soil revealed higher abundances of Gemmatimonadetes and Acidobacteria, while Bacteroidetes were found in lower abundance. Meanwhile, on genus level, higher abundances compared to other treatments were observed for Gemmatimonas and Gp4. Correlation and redundancy analysis showed that the abundance of Gemmatimonas and Sphingomonas and the soil total nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen content were higher after BIO application, and they were all positively correlated with disease suppression. Cumulatively, the reduced Fusarium wilt disease incidence that was seen after BIO was applied for 1-year might be attributed to the general suppression based on a shift within the bacteria soil community, including specific enrichment of Gemmatimonas and Sphingomonas.

Influence of long-term fertilization on soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, and bacterial and fungal community structure in a brown soil of northeast China

In this study, the effect of mineral fertilizer and organic manure were evaluated on soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, bacterial and fungal community structure in a long-term (33 years) field experiment. Except for the mineral nitrogen fertilizer (N) treatment, long-term fertilization greatly increased soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and dehydrogenase activity. Organic manure had a significantly greater impact on SMBC and dehydrogenase activity, compared with mineral fertilizers. Bacterial and fungal community structure was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Long-term fertilization increased bacterial and fungal ribotype diversity. Total soil nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP), soil organic carbon (SOC) and available phosphorus (AP) had a similar level of influence on bacterial ribotypes while TN, SOC and AP had a larger influence than alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AHN) on fungal ribotypes. Our results suggested that long-term P-deficiency fertilization can significantly decrease soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity and bacterial diversity. N-fertilizer and SOC have an important influence on bacterial and fungal communities.

Survival of introduced phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and their impact on microbial community structure during the phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soil

This study was conducted to investigate whether or not phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) as a kind of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria enhance the uptake of Cd by plants. In addition, the effect of PSB augmentation during phytoextraction on the microbial community of indigenous soil bacteria was also studied. In the initial Cd-contaminated soil, the major phyla were Proteobacteria (35%), Actinobacteria (38%) and Firmicutes (8%). While Proteobacteria were dominant at the second and sixth week (41 and 54%, respectively) in inoculated soil, Firmicutes (mainly belonging to the Bacilli class-61%), dramatically increased in the eight-week soil. For the uninoculated soil, the proportion of α-Proteobacteria increased after eight weeks (32%). Interestingly, Actinobacteria class, which was originally present in the soil (37%), seemed to disappear during phytoremediation, irrespective of whether PSB was inoculated or not. Cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis revealed that the microbial community of eight-week inoculated soil was completely separated from the other soil samples, due to the dramatic increase of Bacillus aryabhattai. These findings revealed that it took at least eight weeks for the inoculated Bacillus sp. to functionally adapt to the introduced soil, against competition with indigenous microorganisms in soil. An ecological understanding of interaction among augmented bacteria, plant and indigenous soil bacteria is needed, for proper management of phytoextraction.

Changes in soil microbial community structure with planting years and cultivars of tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa)

To understand the effects of planting tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) on soil microbial community structure, soil samples were collected from the tree peony gardens with three peony cultivars and three planting years, and adjacent wasteland at Luoyang, Henan Province of China. Soil microbial communities were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) of partial 16S rDNA and sequencing methods. With the succeeding development of tree peony garden ecosystems, soil pH, organic C, total P, and available P increased. Soil total N, the cell numbers of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, the Shannon's diversity index (H), richness (S), and Evenness (E(H)) first showed an increasing trend after wasteland was reclaimed and then a decreasing trend became apparent after 5 years of planting. Principal component analysis based on DGGE banding patterns showed that the microbial community structures were influenced by tree peony cultivars and planting years, and the influences of planting years were greater than those of tree peony cultivars. Sequence analysis of the DGGE bands revealed that the dominant bacteria in tree peony garden soils belonged to Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, Euryarchaeota, and Unclassified-bacteria. Moreover, some bacteria closely related to Bradyrhizobium, Sphingopyxis, Novosphingobium, and Sphingomonas, which have been associated with nitrogen fixation and recalcitrant compounds degradation, disappeared with the increasing planting years of tree peony. The bacteria had similarity of 100% compared with Pseudomonas mandelii which was a denitrifying bacteria, and increased gradually with increasing planting years of tree peony.

Functional gene differences in soil microbial communities from conventional, low-input, and organic farmlands

Various agriculture management practices may have distinct influences on soil microbial communities and their ecological functions. In this study, we utilized GeoChip, a high-throughput microarray-based technique containing approximately 28,000 probes for genes involved in nitrogen (N)/carbon (C)/sulfur (S)/phosphorus (P) cycles and other processes, to evaluate the potential functions of soil microbial communities under conventional (CT), low-input (LI), and organic (ORG) management systems at an agricultural research site in Michigan. Compared to CT, a high diversity of functional genes was observed in LI. The functional gene diversity in ORG did not differ significantly from that of either CT or LI. Abundances of genes encoding enzymes involved in C/N/P/S cycles were generally lower in CT than in LI or ORG, with the exceptions of genes in pathways for lignin degradation, methane generation/oxidation, and assimilatory N reduction, which all remained unchanged. Canonical correlation analysis showed that selected soil (bulk density, pH, cation exchange capacity, total C, C/N ratio, NO(3)(-), NH(4)(+), available phosphorus content, and available potassium content) and crop (seed and whole biomass) variables could explain 69.5% of the variation of soil microbial community composition. Also, significant correlations were observed between NO(3)(-) concentration and denitrification genes, NH(4)(+) concentration and ammonification genes, and N(2)O flux and denitrification genes, indicating a close linkage between soil N availability or process and associated functional genes.

Environmental factors affect Acidobacterial communities below the subgroup level in grassland and forest soils

In soil, Acidobacteria constitute on average 20% of all bacteria, are highly diverse, and are physiologically active in situ. However, their individual functions and interactions with higher taxa in soil are still unknown. Here, potential effects of land use, soil properties, plant diversity, and soil nanofauna on acidobacterial community composition were studied by cultivation-independent methods in grassland and forest soils from three different regions in Germany. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries representing all studied soils revealed that grassland soils were dominated by subgroup Gp6 and forest soils by subgroup Gp1 Acidobacteria. The analysis of a large number of sites (n = 57) by 16S rRNA gene fingerprinting methods (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism [T-RFLP] and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [DGGE]) showed that Acidobacteria diversities differed between grassland and forest soils but also among the three different regions. Edaphic properties, such as pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, phosphorus, nitrate, ammonium, soil moisture, soil temperature, and soil respiration, had an impact on community composition as assessed by fingerprinting. However, interrelations with environmental parameters among subgroup terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) differed significantly, e.g., different Gp1 T-RFs correlated positively or negatively with nitrogen content. Novel significant correlations of Acidobacteria subpopulations (i.e., individual populations within subgroups) with soil nanofauna and vascular plant diversity were revealed only by analysis of clone sequences. Thus, for detecting novel interrelations of environmental parameters with Acidobacteria, individual populations within subgroups have to be considered.

Gibel carp Carassius auratus gut microbiota after oral administration of trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole is widely used in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. However, the practice of antibiotic administration can promote the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria and result in a wane in efficacy over time. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of oral treatment with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota of healthy gibel carp and those affected with bacterial enteritis. By using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), the changes in the predominant bacterial communities were directly depicted for the first time. The main findings were (1) Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla in the healthy gibel carp intestine; (2) administration of antibiotics had a more profound impact on the intestinal microflora of healthy fish than of the diseased ones; and (3) Enterobacteriaceae might be one of the major drug-resistant bacteria in the gibel carp intestine. This study provides an insight into the effect of antibiotic treatment on the establishment and colonization of fish GI microbiota and speculates on some possible drug-resistant bacteria.

Effects of the antibiotic growth promoters flavomycin and florfenicol on the autochthonous intestinal microbiota of hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus ♀ × O. aureus ♂)

The 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE and rpoB quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) techniques were used to evaluate the effects of dietary flavomycin and florfenicol on the autochthonous intestinal microbiota of hybrid tilapia. The fish were fed four diets: control, dietary flavomycin, florfenicol and their combination. After 8 weeks of feeding, 6 fish from each cage were randomly chosen for the analysis. The total number of intestinal bacteria was determined by RQ-PCR. The results showed that dietary antibiotics significantly influenced the intestinal microbiota and dramatically reduced the intensity of total intestinal bacterial counts. The intensity of some phylotypes (EU563257, EU563262 and EU563255) were reduced to non-detectable levels by both dietary antibiotics, while supplementation of florfenicol to the diet also reduced the intensity of the phylotypes EU563242 and EU563262, uncultured Mycobacterium sp.-like, uncultured Cyanobacterium-like and uncultured Cyanobacterium (EU563246). Dietary flavomycin only reduced the OTU intensity of one phylotype, identified as a member of the phylum Fusobacteria. The antibiotic combination only reduced the phylotypes EU563242 and EU563262. Based on our results, we conclude that the reduced effect of florfenicol on intestinal microbiota was stronger than that of flavomycin, and when flavomycin and florfenicol were added in combination, the effect of florfenicol overshadowed that of flavomycin.

Characterization of coastal urban watershed bacterial communities leads to alternative community-based indicators

Background

Microbial communities in aquatic environments are spatially and temporally dynamic due to environmental fluctuations and varied external input sources. A large percentage of the urban watersheds in the United States are affected by fecal pollution, including human pathogens, thus warranting comprehensive monitoring.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Using a high-density microarray (PhyloChip), we examined water column bacterial community DNA extracted from two connecting urban watersheds, elucidating variable and stable bacterial subpopulations over a 3-day period and community composition profiles that were distinct to fecal and non-fecal sources. Two approaches were used for indication of fecal influence. The first approach utilized similarity of 503 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) common to all fecal samples analyzed in this study with the watershed samples as an index of fecal pollution. A majority of the 503 OTUs were found in the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. The second approach incorporated relative richness of 4 bacterial classes (Bacilli, Bacteroidetes, Clostridia and α-proteobacteria) found to have the highest variance in fecal and non-fecal samples. The ratio of these 4 classes (BBC∶A) from the watershed samples demonstrated a trend where bacterial communities from gut and sewage sources had higher ratios than from sources not impacted by fecal material. This trend was also observed in the 124 bacterial communities from previously published and unpublished sequencing or PhyloChip- analyzed studies.

Conclusions/Significance

This study provided a detailed characterization of bacterial community variability during dry weather across a 3-day period in two urban watersheds. The comparative analysis of watershed community composition resulted in alternative community-based indicators that could be useful for assessing ecosystem health.

Carbon/nitrogen ratio as a major factor for predicting the effects of organic wastes on soil bacterial communities assessed by DNA-based molecular techniques

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE

Current Australian legislation permits the beneficial application of grease trap waste (GTW) to agricultural soil, viewing it as a beneficial source of organic matter and soil conditioner containing no/low amounts of metals or pathogenic organisms. However, little is known about the influence of GTW on soil bacterial community. A field experiment was established at Menangle in south western Sydney in Australia to quantitatively assess the impacts of different types (GTW CO and GTW CL) and amounts of GTW application on the soil bacterial community and diversity. Furthermore, a municipal solid waste (MSW) compost was simultaneously examined to compare against the other organic wastes. Knowledge about the shifts in microbial community structure and diversity following the applications of organic wastes could help to evaluate the ecological consequences on the soil and thus to develop sound regulatory guidelines for the beneficial reuse of organic wastes in agricultural lands.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soil samples were collected from recycled organics plots treated with different types and quantity of organic wastes. The field experimental treatments included control (CK, without application of any organic wastes), low amount of GTW CO (COL), GTW CL (CLL), and MSW (ML), and high amounts of GTW CO (COH), GTW CL (CLH), and MSW compost (MH). Microbial DNA was extracted from soil samples and the 16S rRNA genes were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified. The PCR products were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), cloning, and sequencing. The bacterial community structures and diversity were assessed using the DGGE profiles and clone libraries constructed from the excised DGGE bands.

RESULTS

DGGE-based analyses showed that application of the GTW CO, regardless of the amount applied, had significant negative effects on soil bacterial genotypic diversity and community structure compared with the control, while the applications of other organic wastes including the GTW CL and MSW had no clear effects. The effects of the rate of organic waste application on soil bacterial community characteristics varied with the types of organic wastes applied. Sequence-based analyses of 126 clones indicated that Proteobacteria (53.2%) was the dominant taxa at the experimental site, followed by Actinobacteria (9.5%), Bacteroidetes (7.9%), Firmicutes (7.9%), Gemmatimonadetes (5.6%), Chloroflexi (2.4%), Acidobacteria (1.6%) and the unclassified group (11.9%). In the COH treatment, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Gemmatimonadetes were not detected; the percentages of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria in the COH treatment were significantly different from those in CK. There is a significant positive correlation (r = 0.71, p = 0.002) between the C/N ratio of organic wastes and the bacterial genotypic communities.

DISCUSSION

Both the type and the amount of GTW applied affected soil bacterial genotypic diversity and community structure. The different effects of various types of organic wastes on soil bacterial characteristics may be predicted by the differences in specific properties of organic wastes such as C/N ratio, as evidenced by the strong and significant positive relationship between the bacterial community distance and the environmental distance of C/N ratio. This also indicates that the C/N ratio of GTW applied can be a major driver for the shift in the soil bacterial community.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results revealed that the effects of organic wastes on soil bacterial communities varied with the types of organic wastes, and depending on the rate of application. Application of the GTW CO led to significant shifts in soil bacterial community diversity and structure. The effects of different types of organic wastes on the soil bacterial characteristics can be predicted by the differences of specific properties of organic wastes, such as the C/N ratio. Sequence-based analyses of 126 clones indicated that Proteobacteria was the dominant taxa at the experimental site.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

Our results have important implications for developing sound regulatory guidelines for the beneficial reuse of organic wastes, indicating that GTW CO and similar organic waste treatments may not be suitable for application in agricultural soils due to its significant negative effect on soil bacterial community.

Influence of long-term land application of Class B biosolids on soil bacterial diversity

AIM

To evaluate the effect of long-term annual land applications of Class B biosolids on soil bacterial diversity at University of Arizona Marana Agricultural Field Center, Tucson, Arizona.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Following the final of 20 consecutive years of application of Class B biosolids in March 2005, followed by cotton growth from April to November 2005 surface soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected from control (unamended) and biosolid-amended plots. Total bacterial community DNA was extracted, amplified using 16S rRNA primers, cloned, and sequenced. All 16S rRNA sequences were identified by 16S rRNA sequence analysis and comparison to known sequences in GenBank (NCBI BlastN and Ribosomal Database Project II, RDP). Results showed that the number of known genera (identifiable > 96%) increased in the high rate biosolid plots compared to control plots. Biosolids-amended soils had a broad phylogenetic diversity comprising more than four major phyla: Proteobacteria (32%), Acidobacteria (21%), Actinobacteria (16%), Firmicutes (7%), and Bacteroidetes (6%) which were typical to bacterial diversity found in the unamended arid southwestern soils.

CONCLUSION

Bacterial diversity was either enhanced or was not negatively impacted following 20 years of land application of Class B biosolids.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study illustrates that long-term land application of biosolids to arid southwestern desert soils has no deleterious effect on soil microbial diversity.