Pedosphere 36(5): 1133--1149, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Soil microbial composition responds to diverse long-term management systems |
Dipti RAI1, Antonio CASTELLANO-HINOJOSA2, Idowu A. ATOLOYE1,3, Arnab BHOWMIK1 |
1 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro NC 27411 (USA);
2 Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada 18071 (Spain);
3 Department of Agriculture, Alcorn State University, Lorman MS 39096 (USA) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in influencing nutrient inputs and soil biogeochemical processes. However, the long-term responses of soil microbes to changes in nutrient inputs under various management systems remain a critical and unresolved question. The objective of this study was to examine the responses of soil microbial communities, in terms of activity, diversity, composition, and predicted functionality, to shifts in long-term (24 years) management systems. Here, we collected soil at two depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm) across six distinct long-term plots established at the Center of Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro, North Carolina, USA. The experimental treatments included: i) conventional tillage with mineral fertilizer (CTCC), ii) no-tillage with mineral fertilizer (NTCC), iii) organic system with conventional tillage (ORGC), iv) organic system with reduced tillage (ORGR), v) integrated crop-livestock system using pasture-crop rotation (PSTR), and vi) agricultural abandonment with successional plant development as a control. Long-term organic inputs in the ORGC and ORGR treatments significantly enhanced potential enzyme activities related to soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling at both depths and altered bacterial and fungal community composition. Our findings highlight that microbial shifts were not limited to surface soils but extended into the 10–20 cm layer, emphasizing the deeper influence of sustained management practices. Structural equation modeling revealed that the quality of nutrient inputs was the primary driver of soil microbial community composition and their functional potential rather than tillage practices. Adopting organic farming practices can significantly enhance soil enzyme activities and reshape microbial composition at multiple depths, demonstrating the importance of sustainable agricultural management for long-term ecological benefits, while considering the effects of crop rotation and temporal variability. |
| Key Words: conservation practice,conventional farming,microbial community,nutrient input quality,organic farming,pasture,soil property,sustainable agricultural practice |
| Citation: Rai D, Castellano-Hinojosa A, Atoloye I A, Bhowmik A. 2026. Soil microbial composition responds to diverse long-term management systems. Pedosphere. 36(5): 1133-1149. |
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