Combined selective gamma irradiation and pulverized soil inoculation for ecologically relevant soil microfauna studies

• Published in: Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment ecosystems & environment, 2022-01, Vol.169, p.104223, Article 104223
• Main Authors: Hu, Junwei, Gebremikael, Mesfin Tsegaye, Tytgat, Bjorn, Dumack, Kenneth, Hassi, Ummehani, Salehi Hosseini, Pezhman, Sleutel, Steven, Verleyen, Elie, De Neve, Stefaan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Gamma irradiation; Microcosm; Selective sterilization; Soil nematodes; Soil powder inoculum; Soil protists
• ISSN: 0929-1393; 1873-0272
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.104223

The separate and collective role of soil nematodes and protists at community level in soil biogeochemical processes remains poorly quantified due to the lack of appropriate methodologies to study them independently from other soil biota under conditions emulating natural soil. Here we present a methodological exploration for the selective removal of nematodes and protists using gamma irradiation and the subsequent reinoculation with metazoan-free soil powder inoculum that allows reconstructing a complex microbial food web comprising the native microflora and soil protist communities, without other fauna. Nematodes, and culturable flagellates and ciliates were removed from 6 kGy onwards, while a small fraction of the amoebae survived (8% of the entire protist population) at 16 kGy but were totally removed at 27 kGy. Reinoculation with pulverized soil powder successfully established a protist community of similar size and composition as the control soil as assessed by both amplicon sequencing-based detection and microscopic observation after cultivation. A viable native microflora community remained from 6 to 16 kGy doses, but microbial activity was completely inhibited at 27 kGy. We suggest that, in ecological relevant experiments where selective removal of nematodes or other fauna is the purpose and protist community is meant to be kept intact, gamma irradiation needs to be followed routinely by soil powder inoculation in order to restore the suppressed protist community. This experiment also opens up new perspectives for studying the ecological roles of the entire protist community or specific groups thereof (flagellates and ciliates) in real soil and in the presence of a viable native microflora community. •Gamma irradiation was applied to selectively eliminate soil nematodes and/or protists in soil microcosms.•Nematodes, and culturable flagellates and ciliates were removed from 6 kGy onwards,•Soil amoebae showed higher resistance to gamma irradiation than flagellates and ciliates.•A viable native microflora community remained after gamma irradiation up to 16 kGy.•Soil powder reinoculation successfully established a representative protist community in (partially) sterilized soil.