Applied Soil Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Use of quantitative PCR to detect and differentiate earthworm species","authors":"Nicole L. Schon ,&nbsp;Pei-Chun (Lisa) Hsu ,&nbsp;Sara M. (nee Kayes) Loeffen ,&nbsp;Kyle Devey ,&nbsp;Roger J. Hill","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Earthworms are a key component of the soil biology, their abundance and ecological diversity can be used to assess soil biological health. Current assessment of earthworms involves manual hand-sorting individuals from soil before identification. While molecular techniques have been used to describe earthworm diversity, they have not been used to assess earthworm abundance. This study investigates the use of molecular techniques to describe both earthworm abundance and diversity.</div><div>Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to identify the DNA of common pasture earthworms, representing the different ecological groups (e.g. <em>Lumbricus rubellus</em> as epigeic, <em>Aporrectodea caliginosa</em> as endogeic and <em>Aporrectodea longa</em> as anecic). The primers and probes used could specifically identify target earthworm species. The qPCR cycle quantification threshold (Cq) results from dried soil (38 °C) showed improved detection efficiency and stability in comparison to fresh soil. A significant relationship was observed between <em>A. caliginosa</em> Cq value and abundance determined by traditional assessment from soil collected from 129 transects on pasture soils.</div><div>This study validated the ability of molecular techniques to define earthworm abundance and diversity that will enable the routine assessment of earthworms as biological indicators of soil health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106208"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential AMF diversity in the rhizosphere and endosphere of two Camellia oleifera cultivars","authors":"Yuxuan Huang ,&nbsp;Zhen Wang ,&nbsp;Shaohua Huang ,&nbsp;Jia Cao ,&nbsp;Fei Wu ,&nbsp;Linping Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106204","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106204","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While ecological intensification through arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis offers a sustainable pathway for phosphorus (P) acquisition in crops, the role of host genotype in shaping AMF communities under intensive management remains unclear. This study investigated the root endosphere (ES) and rhizosphere soil (RS) AMF communities of two <em>Camellia oleifera</em> cultivars with contrasting phosphorus-use efficiencies (CL3: low-P-sensitive; CL40: low-P-tolerant) in a field experiment. The result revealed that CL3 exhibited significantly higher AMF colonization rates and α-diversity, with ES communities dominated by Glomeraceae. Rhizosphere soil of CL40 showed lower pH, higher available phosphorus (Avail-P), organic acids (e.g., citric and oxalic acids), and extracellular enzyme activities, suggesting a “higher enzyme activity and organic acid” strategy for P mobilization. In contrast, CL3 relied on AMF-mediated P uptake, supported by elevated shikimic acid content and Glomeraceae recruitment. pH, Avail-P, and organic acids as key drivers of AMF community divergence in rhizosphere. These findings demonstrate that host genotypes regulate AMF symbiosis through distinct P-acquisition strategies, emphasizing the importance of cultivar-specific root-microbe interactions in sustainable agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106204"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144106523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One-time application of struvites, ashes and superphosphate had no major impact on the microbial phosphorus mobilization capabilities over 15-months in a grassland field trial","authors":"Lea Deinert ,&nbsp;S.M. Ashekuzzaman ,&nbsp;Patrick Forrestal ,&nbsp;Achim Schmalenberger","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rock phosphate is a non-renewable primary source for mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizers that intensive agriculture is highly dependent on. To avoid P fertilizer shortages and limit negative environmental impacts, circular economy approaches are needed with recycling-derived fertilizer (RDF) applications. Here, a grassland field trial was established with two struvites (potato wastewater, municipal wastewater) and two ashes (poultry-litter ash, sewage-sludge ash) at a P application rate of 40 kg P ha⁻¹ (replicates <em>n</em> = 5). The impact of these RDFs on the soil microbial P cycling community was compared to conventional mineral P-fertilizer and a P-free control. Topsoil samples were taken directly after <em>Lolium perenne</em> grass cuts at months 3, 5 and 15. Cultivable phosphonate and phytate utilizing bacteria, potential acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterase activity, and <em>phoC</em> and <em>phoD</em> copy numbers responded stronger to seasonal effects than treatment effects. No significant overall effect of the fertilizer application was detected in the beta-diversity of the bacterial and fungal communities after 15 months, but individual phylogenetic taxa were affected by the treatments. The ash treatments resulted in significantly higher relative abundance of Bacillota and Rokubacteria and lower relative abundance of Actinomycetota. Sewage-sludge ash had significantly lowest abundances of genera <em>Bacillus</em> and <em>Bradyrhizobium</em> that are well known for their P cycling abilities. The struvite RDFs either positively influenced the P cycling microbial community as demonstrated through higher tri‑calcium phosphate solubilizing capabilities (month 3), or were similar to the superphosphate and P-free treatment. From a soil-microbial health perspective, the presented findings indicate that struvites are a suitable substitute for superphosphate fertilizers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106198"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of distillery sewage sludge application placement methods on microbial community functions in sorghum rhizosphere: Focus on nitrogen and phosphorus cycling","authors":"Hongpei Lu ,&nbsp;Yonggui Wu ,&nbsp;Youfa Luo ,&nbsp;Jiayi Yuan ,&nbsp;Yajiao Huang ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Xingying Li ,&nbsp;Mei Zhu ,&nbsp;Qi Zhang ,&nbsp;Yibin Qiang ,&nbsp;Ningning Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effect of different fertilization methods using distillery sewage sludge (DSS) on the functional potential of soil microorganisms involved in nutrient cycling is largely unknown. This study used metagenomic sequencing to investigate the effects of two basic DSS application placement methods on soil microbial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling in sorghum rhizosphere soil. The treatments applied were mix powder application (MF), spherical deep application (further classified as vertical (VF) and lateral (LF) placement methods), and no fertilization control (CK). The results showed that microbial diversity is highly correlated with soil AN and Ex-Na. The VF treatment revealed a high abundance of <em>phnA</em>, <em>phnM</em>, <em>appA</em>, and <em>phnJ</em> genes responsible for organic P mineralization. LF treatment significantly increased the abundance of <em>hao</em> and <em>amoA/B/C</em> genes involved in nitrification. MF treatment significantly enhanced the abundance of <em>phnA</em>, <em>phoD</em>, <em>phnM, TC.PIT</em>, and <em>phoB</em> genes, increasing the genetic potential for P cycling. Moreover, the abundance of N denitrification-related genes rose considerably during the MF treatment, increasing the risk of N loss. Network analysis showed that VF and LF treatments reduced the complexity and stability of soil microbial networks while modularity increased. The partial least squares path model demonstrated that N (including available N, ammonium N, and nitrate N), available P, and available potassium (K) directly influence N and P cycling. In contrast, changes in soil organic matter indirectly affect this cycling. This study offers comprehensive insights into the distinct microbial functional potentials associated with various DSS fertilization methods. The findings could potentially impact soil nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, particularly effective solid waste recycling from the distillery industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106199"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144106524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of simulated root exudate C:N stoichiometry on key microbial taxa and microbial respiration","authors":"Jiajia Li ,&nbsp;Zhenhao Wei ,&nbsp;Wei Guo ,&nbsp;Kang Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Jia ,&nbsp;Zhouping Shangguan","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant roots release carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) compounds into the rhizosphere, thereby enhancing nutrient availability and promoting plant growth. However, the influence of root exudate stoichiometry on soil C cycling is not well understood. This study added root exudate mimics to soil collected from a <em>Robinia pseudoacacia</em> plantation (35 years old). The experiment lasted 110 days and root exudate mimics included water (control), C alone, N alone, and combinations of C and N (C:N ratios of 10, 50 and 100). The cumulative CO₂ flux significantly differed among C:N10, C:N50, C:N100 and CK groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and cumulative CO₂ flux significantly increased with increasing exudate C:N ratio (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Meanwhile, bacterial Shannon index decreased with increasing exudate C:N, and increased with increasing incubation time. Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) of pairwise distances between bacterial communities indicated that significant differences in bacterial composition over time and in response to exudate inputs. Furthermore, network analysis showed that network complexity increased with increasing root exudate C:N ratio. In module hubs of the bacterial network, the relative abundance of <em>Acidobacteriota</em> and <em>Proteobacteria</em> decreased with increasing exudate C:N ratio, but <em>Actinobacteriota</em> showed an opposite trend. <em>Actinobacteriota</em> and <em>Acidobacteriota</em> were regarded as k-strategists, and <em>Proteobacteria</em> as r-strategists. These results suggested different responses to exudate input by key bacterial taxa with the same life strategy. Finally, partial least squares path analysis showed that root exudate stoichiometry regulated soil respiration via key bacterial taxa and enzyme activity. Our study provides fundamental information on the effects of root exudates on microbial communites, microbial metabolism, and soil C pool stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106196"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144106522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics at comparable environmental levels on pesticide degradation in soil","authors":"Pengtao Chen ,&nbsp;Furong Fu ,&nbsp;Lixia Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaojing Li ,&nbsp;Yang Sun ,&nbsp;Zhenyan Fu ,&nbsp;Liping Weng","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106189","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106189","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The co-existence of microplastics (MPs) and pesticides in agricultural environments, especially under greenhouse conditions, is a common occurrence. However, there is limited information on how MPs affect pesticide degradation under comparable environmental concentrations. In this study, we conducted a laboratory experiment to evaluate the impact of two types of MPs—biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and conventional polyethylene (PE)—on the degradation of 2 pesticides, metolachlor (MET) and imidacloprid (IMI), in soil at low (0.1 %) and high (1.0 %) concentrations. Over a 30-day period, we assessed pesticide degradation rates and metabolic products, along with soil properties and the aging status of MPs. Our results show that PLA reduced the degradation rate of IMI with concentration variability — 1 % PLA (<em>w</em>/w) significantly reduced the degradation rate of IMI by a 6.7 % decrease after 30 days compared to the treatment of CK, but had no effect on MET. In contrast, PE did not influence the degradation of either pesticide. PLA significantly inhibited IMI degradation by reducing the soil pH from 7.28 ± 0.01 to 7.12 ± 0.05, diminishing bacterial diversity, and altering the composition of soil bacterial communities. Furthermore, the accelerated degradation of PLA, compared to PE, resulted in the release of a greater quantity of microplastic particles, exacerbating its impact on soil microbial functions and IMI degradation efficiency. These findings suggest that biodegradable MPs, such as PLA, can hinder the degradation of the two pesticides, posing ecological risks to agricultural environments. Our results provide insights for developing policies to prevent and control farmland pollution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106189"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of growth stage and soil type on the secretion of biological nitrification inhibitors from sorghum","authors":"Fangfang Qin ,&nbsp;Danni Wang ,&nbsp;Fuyun Gao ,&nbsp;Hongwen Yue ,&nbsp;Huaiying Yao ,&nbsp;Yaying Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sorghum can secrete biological nitrification inhibitors (BNIs), whereas maize lacks this capability. In this study, we selected two different types of soil, sandy soil dominated by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and silty soil dominated by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), to investigate the effects of sorghum cultivation on soil nitrification microbial abundance and community composition at different growth stages (seedling, jointing, and flowering stages). The results indicated that, compared with maize cultivation, sorghum cultivation significantly reduced the soil nitrification rate. This effect was particularly pronounced during the jointing and flowering stages in sandy, AOA-dominated soil. In silty, AOB-dominated soil, both the nitrification rate and potential nitrification decreased only during the jointing stage. During the flowering stage, sorghum cultivation reduced the abundance of the AOA <em>amoA</em> gene in silty, AOB-dominated soil, whereas in sandy, AOA-dominated soil, sorghum cultivation suppressed the AOB <em>amoA</em> gene abundance, reducing it by 38 % and 29 % during the jointing stage and the flowering stage, respectively. Sorghum cultivation significantly altered the AOB community structure but did not affect AOA. During the flowering stage, sorghum cultivation significantly decreased both the richness and diversity of the AOB community in sandy, AOA-dominated soil, particularly reducing the relative abundance of <em>Nitrosospira</em> Cluster 2a.1 compared with that under maize cultivation. In silty, AOB-dominated soil, sorghum cultivation significantly reduced only the relative abundance of <em>Nitrosospira</em> Cluster 1. Overall, the secretion of BNIs was greatest in the jointing stage, which potentially regulated the nitrification rate by inducing niche differentiation between AOB and AOA. The AOB community exhibited greater sensitivity to the secretion of BNIs than did the AOA community, particularly in sandy, AOA-dominated soil. These findings provide critical evidence for the functional utilization of the BNIs in sorghum.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106180"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stable carbon isotope fractionation during microbial turnover of sucrose in different media: Soils, carbon-free quartz and liquid media","authors":"Klara Cecilia Gunnarsen ,&nbsp;Jakob Magid ,&nbsp;Per Ambus ,&nbsp;Bent T. Christensen ,&nbsp;Sander Bruun ,&nbsp;Saadatullah Malghani","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using vegetation sources (C3 vs. C4) with different stable carbon (C) isotope ratios (δ¹³C) is an important approach for revealing ecosystem functioning and soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. However, differences in δ¹³C across different C pools (substrate, microbial biomass, respired CO₂) indicate isotopic fractionation causing interpretive challenges. This calls for a deeper understanding of the isotopic fractionation processes taking place during the initial microbial turnover of substrates. We addressed this issue by incubating soil extracted microbial consortia in a C-free liquid media and quartz along with soils providing C3 (−26.6 ‰) and C4 (−12.2 ‰) sucrose as sole C-source. Regardless of media type, respired CO₂ showed consistent ¹³C depletion of 3.0 ‰ for C3 and 4.3 ‰ for C4 compared to the sucrose substrate. While δ¹³C of the SOC remained unchanged, the soil microbial biomass was enriched in ¹³C by 3–7 ‰ compared to the sucrose. This rather consistent initial fractionation around 4 ‰ between substrate and respired CO₂, suggests that ignoring microbial fractionation in short-term studies of specific substrates may lead to over- or underestimations of C exchange among different pools. Furthermore, it highlights potential flaws in studies assessing short-term C turnover in soil and priming effects using ¹³C natural abundance. Further research is needed to explore the governing factors of microbial fractionation during turnover of complex substrates and refine our understanding of longer-term SOC dynamics, ultimately improving accurate interpretations of δ¹³C data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106200"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced complexity of interkingdom co-occurrence networks in blueberry rhizosphere microbial communities under soil pH stress","authors":"Jilu Che ,&nbsp;Yaqiong Wu ,&nbsp;Hao Yang ,&nbsp;Ying Chang ,&nbsp;Wenlong Wu ,&nbsp;Lianfei Lyu ,&nbsp;Xiaomin Wang ,&nbsp;Fuliang Cao ,&nbsp;Weilin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106191","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106191","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Blueberry prefers acidic soils, resulting in its growth and development being limited by soil pH across various habitats. However, the effect of soil pH stress on the structure and interactions within its root-associated microbiome remains unclear. In this study, we investigated how varying soil pH conditions affect the composition, assembly processes, network complexity, and stability of blueberry root-associated bacterial and fungal communities. The results showed soil pH affected both bacterial and fungal community structures, with community assembly predominantly governed by stochastic processes. Notably, fungal communities were more influenced by stochastic drift than bacterial communities. Higher network complexity (nodes, edges, and average degree) and lower network stability were observed in the rhizosphere under low and high pH conditions compared to optimum pH conditions. A total of 24 and 29 keystone taxa were identified in the rhizosphere and endosphere, respectively. Collectively, these findings suggested that soil pH stress modulates the blueberry root-associated microbiome by reshaping community composition and enhancing interkingdom network complexity, though accompanied by reduced network stability. This study shed insights into changes in microbial interaction networks within the root-associated microbiome of host plants under abiotic stresses and lay essential groundwork for leveraging keystone microbes to improve plant health and resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106191"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Common soil invertebrate (Collembola: Isotomiella minor) reduces weed biomass and alters weed communities","authors":"Ashley B. Jernigan ,&nbsp;Jenny Kao-Kniffin ,&nbsp;Sarah Pethybridge ,&nbsp;Lynn Sosnoskie ,&nbsp;Kyle Wickings","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106178","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil microarthropods affect soil ecosystems in a manner that may contribute to balancing the goals of building soil health and controlling weeds in organic agricultural systems. While soil microarthropod feeding behavior can affect plant growth, their impacts on plant communities in agricultural systems are largely unknown. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of microarthropods on weed communities. A model weed seed bank was used in each mesocosm, which included yellow foxtail (<em>Setaria pumila</em> (Poir.) Roem&amp;Schult.), giant foxtail (<em>Setaria faberi</em> Herrm.), Powell amaranth (<em>Amaranthus powellii S. Watson</em>), waterhemp (<em>Amaranthus tuberculatus</em> (Moq.) Sauer), common lambsquarters (<em>Chenopodium album</em> L.), and velvetleaf (<em>Abutilon theophrasti</em> Medik.). The study included three treatments: Collembola (<em>Isotomiella minor</em>, Schaffer 1896) abundance (none, low, high), soil microbial community (sterilized/non-sterilized), and fertilizer (presence/absence of compost). A lab experiment examining individual weed species interactions with <em>I. minor</em> was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms driving the greenhouse experiment findings. Twenty seeds of each weed species were placed on moistened germination paper in containers with varying <em>I. minor</em> abundance levels (none, low, high, very high). Seed germination was recorded after five and seven days. In the greenhouse, the presence of <em>I. minor</em> increased total weed emergence during the first two weeks, but this effect diminished after three weeks. Increasing <em>I. minor</em> abundances generally decreased weed biomass, though this effect was greater in the non-sterilized soil. In the non-sterilized soil, <em>I. minor</em> presence decreased total aboveground weed biomass production by up to 23 %. The <em>Amaranthus</em> species, Powell amaranth and waterhemp, drove this effect with a 55 % and 32 % reduction in biomass, respectively. In tandem, the <em>Amaranthus</em> species had reduced abundances in the presence of <em>I. minor</em>. <em>I. minor</em> increased yellow foxtail germination in the lab, while not affecting the other weed species. This suggests that their effects on the <em>Amaranthus</em> weeds in the greenhouse were likely not caused by direct effects on germination, but instead through nutrient cycling or root herbivory. The proposed mechanism underlying these interactions is that <em>I. minor</em> can initially stimulate germination by feeding on seed coats, but when the seed coats are minimal can damage the seedling. Our findings indicate <em>I. minor</em> could impact weed growth in a manner that affects management decisions and outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106178"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}