Tensions in tillage: Reduction in tillage intensity associates with lower wheat growth and nutritional grain quality despite enhanced soil biological indicators

“Acari.csv“

This file contains counts of total acari (counts/500 mL soil), family level and functional groups. This data was used in Figure 1 and Table 2.

“Bacteria_fungi_qPCR_Shannon.csv”

This file contains quantitative PCR data for bacterial and eukaryotic marker genes (copies/g soil) and Shannon diversity indices calculated from microbiome sequencing data. It was used in Table 2.

“Grain_characteristics.csv”

This file contains wheat grain characteristics after harvest. Grain yield in kg/ha, Grain C N S in %, Grain elements in mg/kg, grain B vitamins in ug/100 g, reported technological properties in %, other technological properties not reported on in %, mm, unitless or 10-4 J. This data is presented in Table 5.

“Nematodes.csv”

This files contains counts of total nematodes (counts/100 g soil), family level, functional groups, and functional indices in units reported in tables. It was used in Figure 1, Table 2, and Table 3. Further details to nematode functional indices reported are as follows: Maturity indices after Bongers, (1990): MI and M25. Indicate maturity of the nematode community along ecological succession. Ranges 1-5. SMI= Modification and qualification of the nematode maturity index for plant feed nematodes, after Yeates (1994). Soil Food Web indices after Ferris et al., (2010, 2001), Range 0-100: PPI, CI= Channel Index: indicator of fungal-mediated organic matter decomposition. BI= Basal Index: indicator of basal, perturbed soil food webs. EI= Enrichment Index: indicator of active bacterial-mediated OM decomposition, soil fertility. SI= Structure Index: indicator of structured soil food webs, with predators and omnivores. BIOM= BIOM: total nematode biomass / 100 g dry soil. CF= Composite footprint; the whole nematode community. EF= Based on the amount of C mineralized by the nematode community inferred by their biomasses. SF= Structure footprint; nematodes in higher soil food web levels. HF= Herbivore footprint: herbivore nematodes. FF= Fungivore footprint; fungivore nematodes. BF= Bacterivore footprint: bacterivore nematodes. PF= Predator footprint: predatory nematodes. OF= Omnivore footprint: omnivore nematodes. TOT= Tot no. nematodes/100g dry soil. Herb= % herbivores in the community. Fung= % fungivores in the community. Bact= % bacterivores in the community. Pred= % predators in the community. Omn= % omnivores in the community. S= Taxa richness (based on genera/families).

“Plant_characteristics_flowering.csv”

This file contains wheat plant characteristics at flowering stage with above- and belowground methods. Aboveground and belowground data are in units as reported in Table 4. Note percentages are recorded as fraction of 100.

“Soil_chemistry.csv”

This file contains soil chemical parameters. Soil moisture and C N is reported in %. Soil elements are reported in mg/kg except Mg_cacl2, K20_cal, and P2O5_cal which are stored as mg/100g. This is presented in Table 1

“Soil_functionality.csv”

This files contains community level physiological profiles and potential enzymatic activities. Community level substrate use/respiratory profile (CLPP) indices with prefix MR. Acronyms are substrates as follows: Basal=water, KGA= keto-glutaric acid, OA=oxalic acid, Xyl=xylan, Gluc=Glucose, NAG=N-acetyl-glucoseamine, Ala=alanine, ABA=amino-butyric acid. Values are reported as µg CO2-C g-1 soil h-1. Substrate induced microbial biomass is inferred from glucose amended units and conversion of mass CO2-C from SIR into Volume CO2 with Ideal gas law and standard temperature (25°C) and standard pressure (1.013 bar). Microbial biomass is inferred with following formula: MBC=(mass C*40.04)+0.37) according to Anderson & Domsch (1978). Potential enzymatic activity is with prefix EEA. Acronyms are as follows: BG=beta-glucosidase, CB=cello-biohydrolase, XYL=xylanase, NAG=n-acetyl-glucoseaminidase, LAP= leucine amino peptidase, P_cyc = neutral and alkaline phosphatases (measured as PHOs, omitted as identical to P_cyc), C-cyc=sum of C acting enzymes, N_cyc= sum of N acting enzymes. Values are reported in nmol substrate g-1 soil h-1. This data is presented in Table 3.