Shifting abundances of communities associated with nitrogen cycling in soils promoted by sugarcane harvest systems

Author(s)

Rigotto, A. ; Cotta, S. R. ; Dias, A. C. F. ; Carvalho, J. L. N. ; Andreote, F. D.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Letters in Applied Microbiology; v. 71, n. 5, p. 7-pg., 2020-07-29.

Abstract

Sugarcane cultivation supports Brazil as one of the largest world sugar and ethanol producer. In order to understand the impact of changing sugarcane harvest from manual to mechanized harvest, we studied the effect of machinery traffic on soil and consequently soil compaction upon soil microbial communities involved in nitrogen cycling. The impact of sugarcane harvest was dependent on soil depth and texture. At deeper soil layers, mechanized harvesting increases the abundance of nitrogen fixers and denitrifying communities (specificallynosZ clade I and II) while manual harvesting increases the abundance of ammonia oxidizers (specifically AOA) and increases denitrifying communities (nosZ clade I and II) on top and at intermediate depth. The effect of change on the harvest system is more evident on sandy soil than on clay soil, where soil indicators of compaction (bulk density and penetration resistance) were negatively correlated with soil microorganisms associated with the nitrogen cycle. Our results point to connections between soil compaction and N transformations in sugarcane fields, besides naming biological variables to be used as proxies for alterations in soil structure. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/24049-2 - BIOGEOGRAPHY OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN SODA LAKES OF BRAZILIAN PANTANAL
• Grantee: Simone Raposo Cotta
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 13/50353-7 - Microbial consortia for biowaste management: life cycle analysis of novel strategies of bioconversion (MICROWASTE)
• Grantee: Fernando Dini Andreote
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants