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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Bowling Green, Kentucky » Food Animal Environmental Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393883
Research Project: Developing Agronomically and Environmentally Beneficial Management Practices to Increase the Sustainability and Safety of Animal Manure Utilization

Location: Food Animal Environmental Systems Research

Title: Nitrogen cycling bacteria abundance in tall fescue pasture and wheat - soybean double crop soils with light spring grazing

Author
item NETTHISINGHE, ANNESLY - Western Kentucky University
item Agga, Getahun
item GUNTER, PHILLIP - Western Kentucky University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/19/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: .

Technical Abstract: Meeting the rising food demand through increased agricultural productivity without expanding the farming area and achieving environmental goals is a great challenge (Sanford et al., 2021). Crop rotations that include annual cover crops can provide multiple benefits (Snapp et al., 2005) including the additional forage sources for livestock (Plainisich et al., 2021) thus facilitate integration of livestock in crop production systems. Use of annual cover crops in crop-livestock systems can intensify agriculture production and provide broader array of ecosystem services (Hilimire, 2011). Nitrogen (N) is important nutrient for plant growth, but it is often limited in soils (Janja et al., 2009). Shifts in soil N status can be caused by variations in N transformations (Brunetto et al., 2017) that are mediated by microbial processes (Liu et al., 2019). Different land uses can result in different soil microclimates, which can affect N transformation pathways (Li et al., 2018). This study examined the impact of tall fescue pasture spring grazing (TFG), winter wheat + soybean (WS), and winter wheat spring grazing + soybean double cropping (WGS) on soil chemical properties and their relation to 16s rRNA (total), amoA (NH3 oxidizing) narG (NO2 reduction), nirK (NO3 reduction) and nosZ (N2O)gene abundance. Mean 16S rRNA (9.87 vs. 9.6-9.7 log10), amoA (7.01 vs. 6.4-6.5 log10), narG (7.2 vs. 6.9-7.2 log10), and nirK (7.5 vs.7.2-7.3 log10) gene abundance was highest in the TFG. All gene numbers except narG were not different among WS and WGS systems. Soil pH, total soil C, and Soil NH4 concentrations altogether could explain the variability of all gene copy numbers and expressed significant correlation coefficients (< 0.01).