All agricultural soils harbour a microbiome, consisting of a high diversity of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists. Together they provide ecosystem services which are crucial for sustainable agriculture and a healthy environment. Agricultural soil management may not deliberately impact microbial diversity
function, however it may possibly trigger adverse effects, e.g. higher production of greenhouse gases, increased levels of soil-borne plant pathogens or inefficient use of fertilisers.
Solution
Microbiomes strongly respond to environmental changes and management practices such as tillage (till versus no-till) and fertilisation. This responsiveness can be used for stirring their activities. Farming systems should be managed to promote diverse microbiomes, thereby stabilizing microbial ecosystem services. Examples of adapted management schemes are described in recommendations. More knowledge on promoting beneficial microbiomes should be generated through research.
Description
This tool provides benefits and practical recommendations of soil microbiomes. Benefits include ecosystem services provided by soil microbiomes, which can be exploited to help to reduce fertiliser and pesticide inputs, as well as to help to improve soil structure and plant health. A better understanding of microbial soil ecosystem services can be instructive to select cropping systems and agricultural practices. Some practical recommendations are to diversify cropping systems, include legumes, preserve soil structure, minimize fertilizer use.
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In order to use the comment function, you must register with the third-party provider "Disqus".
When you activate this function, your browser establishes a direct connection with the servers of the third-party provider. We would like to point out that data is transmitted to the third-party provider after activation, and the latter may set cookies that can also be used for analysis and marketing purposes. For more information, please refer to our privacy policy.
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