Vineyard soil bacterial diversity and composition revealed by 16S rRNA genes: Differentiation by vineyard management

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry 2016-12, Vol.103, p.337-348
• Main Authors: Burns, Kayla N., Bokulich, Nicholas A., Cantu, Dario, Greenhut, Rachel F., Kluepfel, Daniel A., O'Geen, A. Toby, Strauss, Sarah L., Steenwerth, Kerri L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 16S rDNA; Actinobacteria; Adaptive radiation; Firmicutes; Plant-microbe interactions; Soil organic matter
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.09.007

Little is known about the hierarchical effects of management practices, soil attributes and location factors on structure of vineyard soil microbiota. A hierarchical effect occurs when the specific influence of an experimental factor (e.g. cover crop type, compost application) on soil-borne bacterial communities is greater within a subset composing the larger set but not across the entire set (e.g. bacterial communities only respond to a management practice within a subset of soil types but not across the entire set composed of all soil types). To address this concept, we measured differences in soil bacterial and archaeal diversity in wine-grape vineyard soils throughout Napa Valley, California. We describe how vineyard management practices influence soil resources, which in turn determine shifts in soil-borne bacterial communities. Soil bacterial communities were structured with respect to management practices, specifically cover crop presence and cover crop mix, tillage, and agricultural system designation, i.e. conventional, organic and biodynamic production systems. Distinctions with respect to management were associated with differences in pH and soil resource pools: total carbon and total nitrogen of the