Cattle excreta (urine and dung) applied on soils under two different grassland managements: promoted grasslands based on Lotus tenuis and Natural grasslands

Cattle activity generates products derived from the animal components of the system, like urine and dung. These inputs directly affect the soil environment by modifying the microbial diversity due to their contribution to organic matter and nitrogen-derived compounds. The use of legume-based pastures also triggers the incorporation of nitrogen in soils, reshaping the microbial conditions and contributing to nitrous oxide (N2O) gas emissions.The cattle activity generates outputs which have driven the incorporation of new products in the soil. These incorporations, mainly represented by urine and dung depositions, are sources of organic matter, nitrogen and microorganisms. The composition of these excreta is influenced by factors such as diet and livestock health. We analysed the effect provoked by cattle activity on the soil bacterial community of two grassland systems: natural and L. tenuis-based grassland. Thus, the analysis of the effect of cow depositions on soil microbial diversity could improve the holistic approach to the impact of the cattle system on the environment.The objective of the study was focused on the analysis of the implementation of a full legume-based system, in comparison with a poor protein forage, considering the respective soils and excreta of each grassland system and their impact on soil microbiome diversity.The study was conducted using the Next Generation Sequencing technology (NGS) through the metabarcoding strategy to analyze soil samples collected from experimental mesocosms simulating cow depositions in both pasture systems. This approach provides new insights into the microbial and environmental factors related to the alternative for cattle production by using L. tenuis as the main component of the diet.