Agricultural soil microbiomes using two sampling strategies

In this study we sought to determine whether composite samples - often analyzed as a low cost and effort alternative to replicated individual samples - provide representative summary estimates of microbial communities. At three Minnesota agricultural research sites planted with an oat cover crop, we conducted amplicon sequencing for soil bacterial and fungal communities (16SV4 and ITS2) of replicated individual or homogenized composite soil samples. We compared soil microbiota from within and among plots and then among agricultural sites using both sampling strategies.