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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407579
Research Project: Developing Strategies for Resilient and Sustainable Crop, Water, and Soil Management in Semi-Arid Environments

Location: Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research

Title: Response of soil microbial communities to different cover crops options for semi-arid regions

Author
item OGUNLEYE, ANUOLUWAPO - New Mexico State University
item THAPA, VESH - New Mexico State University
item ARYAL, DEB RAJ - New Mexico State University
item Acosta-Martinez, Veronica
item GHIMIRE, RAJAN - New Mexico State University

Submitted to: Agricultural and Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/26/2023
Publication Date: 11/14/2023
Citation: Ogunleye, A., Thapa, V.R., Aryal, D., Acosta Martinez, V., Ghimire, R. 2023. Response of soil microbial communities to different cover crops options for semi-arid regions. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20118.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20118

Interpretive Summary: Soil microbial communities play a significant role in soil health. Using cover crops during the winter can increase these communities in semiarid regions with low soil organic matter and improve many essential processes for crop production. Scientists from New Mexico State University and USDA-ARS in Lubbock, TX, tested the influence of different cover crops (brassica, grasses, legumes, and their mixtures) on microbial abundance and composition in a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)-sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)-fallow crop rotation at Clovis, NM. The scientists found that soil microbial abundance under oats was significantly higher than under canola. Pea, pea+canola mixture, and diverse cover crop mixtures had over 30% higher microbial abundance than fallow. While microbial abundance varied with cover diversity after thirty-six weeks of cover crop termination, it was not different after a year of cover crop termination. Thus, scientists suggest it is needed to continue the long-term evaluation of the effects of cover crops management history on microbial communities in semi-arid and arid regions.

Technical Abstract: Soil microbial communities play a significant role in soil health. Using cover crops during the winter can increase these communities in semiarid regions with low soil organic matter and improve many essential processes for crop production. However, little is known about their response to different cover crops options. We evaluated how cover crop (CC) diversity influenced abundance and composition of the microbial communities in a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)-sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)-fallow crop rotation in Clovis, NM, which represents a potential sustainable cropping system for this semiarid region. Treatments included eight CCs: pea (Pisum sativum), oat (Avena sativa), canola (Brassica napus); pea and oat [PO]; pea and canola [PC]; pea, oat, and canola [POC]; six species mixture [SSM] of pea, Oat, canola, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), forage radish (Raphanus sativus var.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare); and fallow in a three year crop rotation. Soil microbial community structure was characterized via fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles at cover crop termination (I) and thirty-six days (II) and a year after termination (III). Total FAMEs (indicator of microbial community size) under oats was significantly higher than under canola (14%) in phase I, but was not different from other treatments. Pea, PC, and SSM had over 30% total FAMEs compared to fallow in phase II. While microbial abundance varied with cover diversity after thirty-six weeks of CC termination, it was not different after a year of CC termination.