Long-term lime and gypsum amendment increase nitrogen fixation and decrease nitrification and denitrification gene abundances in the rhizosphere and soil in a tropical no-till intercropping system

Author(s)

Bossolani, Joao William ^{[1, 2]} ; Costa Crusciol, Carlos Alexandre ^[1] ; Merloti, Luis Fernando ^[3] ; Moretti, Luiz Gustavo ^{[1, 2]} ; Costa, Nidia Raquel ^{[1, 2]} ; Tsai, Siu Mui ^[4] ; Kuramae, Eiko Eurya ^{[5, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Sao Paulo State Univ, Coll Agr Sci, Dept Crop Sci, UNESP, BR-18610034 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[2] Netherlands Inst Ecol, Dept Microbial Ecol, NIOO KNAW, NL-6708 PB Wageningen - Netherlands

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Luiz de Queiroz Coll Agr ESALQ, USP, BR-13418900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Nucl Energy Agr CENA, Cell & Mol Biol Lab, USP, BR-13416000 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Utrecht, Inst Environm Biol Ecol & Biodivers, Padualaan 8, NL-3584 CH Utrecht - Netherlands

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Geoderma; v. 375, OCT 1 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Liming is widely used to decrease soil acidity, and the application of lime alone or in combination with other amendments, such as gypsum, is a viable agricultural practice to improve soil nutrient status and crop yield. However, the effects of applying lime and gypsum alone or in combination on the microbial population and N cycle in intercropped no-till tropical systems are largely unknown. Here, we determined the lasting effects of applying lime and gypsum individually or in combination on soil chemical properties, N uptake by intercropped plants, maize yield, archaeal and bacterial abundances, and N cycle genes in the maize and ruzigrass rhizospheres in a long-term field experiment in tropical soil with a no-till maize and forage ruzigrass intercropping system. Our results showed that the application of lime or lime + gypsum increased soil fertility and the gene abundances of microorganisms responsible for biological nitrogen fixation and reduced gene abundances of nitrification and denitrification in the soil and rhizosphere of ruzigrass and maize. The accompanying increases in Ca2+ and Mg2+ availability, reduced Al3+ levels, and balance of micronutrient availability, mainly Mn, in the soil strongly influenced the responses of N cycle genes and enhanced plant N-acquisition and maize yield. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/12764-1 - Impact of long-term application of lime and gypsum on tropical no-tillage system on soil microbiome changes and nitrogen-cycle
• Grantee: João William Bossolani
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/11063-7 - Lime and phosphogypsum in long-term no-till: soil quality improving crop physiology and 15N-fertilizer recovery in the soil-plant system
• Grantee: João William Bossolani
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate