Bacterial community of bulk soil in the experimental field of Andosol

Microbial inoculation can be effective for sustainable crop production; however, detrimental aspects have been argued because of the possibility of inoculated microorganisms behaving as invaders and negatively impacting the microbial ecosystem. Here, we evaluated the impact of rhizobial inoculation on the soil bacterial community compared to agricultural land-use changes using 16S rRNA and nosZ amplicon analysis. The experimental field was located within 50-ha at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Japan. The experimental fields were as follows: the general cultivation field (Field A), summer soybean/winter barley rotation field (Field B), and two separate secondary forests (Forest A and Forest B). The soil type at the experimental site was classified as Andosol.