Crop rotational diversity affects soil microbiomes

Soils microbiomes that influence plant productivity have the potential to provide disease suppression against plant pathogens. While crop rotations increase soil fertility and can promote microbial diversity, crop rotations can also enhance disease suppressive capacity, due to plant diversity impacts on soil bacterial composition or increased abundance of disease suppressive microorganisms. Our study compared bacterial community composition in response to crop rotations using a long-term Biodiversity Gradient Experiment at the Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research site. Soil was sampled along a crop diversity gradient (from monoculture to five crop species rotation) and a spring fallow (non-crop) treatment. Results showed that crop diversity significantly influenced bacterial community composition. The most diverse cropping systems with cover crops and non-crop fallow treatments differed from bacterial communities in the 1-3 crop species diversity treatments.