Data set of soil microbial components in response to extreme spring events at variable temperatures

The soil microbial response to prolonged soil drought (20% field capacity FC), wetness (above FC) and moderate drought (common at 50% FC) was simulated in pots at two spring temperatures - 2°C and +2.5°C colder and warmer, respectively, compared to the average in the central-eastern Po Valley, Italy (decade 2014-2024). 

Two soils (a ploughed soil and an adjacent renatured soil) were subjected to two 60-day cycles (cold and warm spring) at three levels of soil water content. The climate simulation started after the wheat seedlings had reached the two-leaf stage in all pots. Soil samples were taken from the wheat rhizome at the end of each experiment.

The response of microbial biomass was evaluated in terms of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), total bacteria quantified as 16S gene copy number using Real Time PCR and total fungi quantified as 18S gene copy number using Digital PCR.

Three major bacterial groups, Pseudomonas, Actinomycetes and Bacillus, were quantified by real-time PCR using specific primers of the 16S region (F968/Ps-r; F243/518r; BacF/518).

Twenty-two enzyme activities were also quantified in soil samples. The data set contains a total of twenty-eight variables.