Stover and biochar can improve soil microbial necromass carbon, and enzymatic transformation at the genetic level. Issue 10 (28th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Yulan; Sun, CaiXia; Wang, ShuQiang; Xie, Hongtu; Jiang, Nan; Chen, Zhenhua; Wei, Kai; Bao, Xuelian; Song, Xueying; Bai, Zhen
• Is Part Of: Global change biology. Volume 14:Issue 10(2022)
• Page Start: 1082
• Page End: 1096
• Publication Date: 2022-07-28
• Subjects: abundance -- diversity -- gene community -- soil amino sugar carbon -- soil enzyme; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Energy crops -- Periodicals; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1111/gcbb.12984
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1757-1693

Abstract

Abstract: To understand how stover incorporation affects the levels of soil carbon and its biogeochemistry process, we examined soil carbon and amino sugar carbon (AS‐C). Activity of N‐acetylglucosaminidase (NAGase) and the abundance (real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, RT‐qPCR) and communities of the bacterial chitinase‐encoding gene ( chiA ) were monitored. We implemented a maize cropping system, which included four treatments, i.e., chopped maize stover returned directly (SD), compost produced by maize stover (SC), biochar produced by maize stover (BC), and stover removal (CK). The results showed that BC and SD enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon:SOC, total AS‐C, glucosamine carbon, galactosamine carbon, NAGase activity, and chiA gene abundance significantly. There were significant positive correlations between the abundance of the soil chiA gene and NAGase activity. Biochar and stover treatments increased the number of total operational taxonomic units (OTUs), unique OTUs, and the chao 1 and ACE richness indices, but decreased the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices. The dominant chiA ‐harboring bacterial phyla were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes . Some detectable genera in Actinobacteria had high relative abundance, including Streptomyces, Actinoplanes, and Amycolatopsis . PLS‐DA and CCoA revealed that the chiA community in the BC or SD plots was significantly different from that in the CK plots, and differences between BC and SD were not significant. Similar soil properties, diversity, and the abundance of chiA were observed between SC and CK. Greater abundance and diversity of the chiA gene with BC incorporation were associated with higher pH, SOC, and TN concentration. Soil pH was related to the composition and abundances of the chiA ‐harboring microbial communities (CCA). Abstract : Biochar and stover returned directly enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon:SOC, total amino sugar carbon, glucosamine carbon, galactosamine carbon, N‐acetylglucosaminidase (NAGase) activity, and chiA gene abundance significantly. There were significant positive correlations between the abundance of the soil chiA gene and NAGase activity. Biochar and stover increased the number of total operational taxonomic units (OTUs), unique OTUs, and the chao 1 and ACE richness indices, but decreased the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices. Similar soil properties, diversity, and the abundance of chiA were observed between compost and stover‐removing, or between biochar and Stover. Some detectable genera of chiA community in the biochar or stover plots was significantly different from that in the CK plots.