Corn4Ever

Producing healthy crops for the fulfillment of the demands of the worlds growing population depends on the status of agricultural soils and soil native biodiversity. the application of agrochemicals and fertilizers with the aim of increasing crop production can alter the biochemistry of plants, particularly in the root zone. Therefore, a abetter understanding of the soil microbiota at the soil-root interface is urgently required to achieve a sustainable crop production in agro-ecosystems while covering societal demands. Corn is one of the most important food and forage crops contributing to the global food security for human and animals. Galicia is reponsible for the cultivation of about 75 percent of all the corn silage in Spain. The planting season of this crop is around May and the harvesting season mid-September. Five cropland sites were chosen across different locations in Galicia. Moreover, a natural ecosystem, i.e. forest, nearby each cropland system was also included for comparison purposes. the objective of this project is to gain knowledge into the soil-plant-microbial associations in corn silage systems under different pedoclimatic conditions.