Bulk soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane communities in contrasting agricultural systems over maize development

This experiment aimed to understand how agricultural management affects soil microbial communities, particularly in association with maize roots. We aimed to gain a better understanding of how agricultural management decisions affect the community structure of prokaryotic and fungal communities at differing distances from the root surface and across the growing season. We hoped to gain insight into how root-microbial communities may help mineralize nutrients and support plant growth by comparing a high-input, inorganically fertilized system to a system that relies mainly on organic fertilization. Syncing plant nutrient demand with soil nutrient availability will be a vital component of sustainable agriculture to meet future food demands. Our hypotheses were: 1) maize root-associated communities in contrasting agricultural systems would differ at a rapid phase of maize growth, when nutrients are in highest demand by the plant, and 2) this effect would be strongest within the rhizoplane due to a tighter association with plant roots.