Continued Organic Fertigation after Basal Manure Application Does Not Impact Soil Fungal Communities, Tomato Yield or Soil Fertility

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) 2023-06, Vol.11 (7), p.1715
• Main Authors: Marín-Guirao, Jose Ignacio, García-García, María Del Carmen, Martín-Expósito, Emilio, de Cara-García, Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; agroecological soil modelling; Biodiversity; Biomarkers; Comparative analysis; Crop yield; Crops; culturable fungi; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA barcoding; DNA metabarcoding; Environmental aspects; Farms; Fertigation; Fertilizer application; Fertilizers; Fungi; Genetic aspects; greenhouse; Greenhouses; Growth; Identification and classification; Irrigation; Irrigation water; ITS2 genomic region; Liquid fertilizers; Manures; Microbiota; Organic farming; Organic fertilizers; Organic liquids; Parameter identification; Physiological aspects; Polyethylene; Sheep manure; Soil analysis; Soil chemistry; Soil fertility; Soil microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soils; Tomatoes
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071715

There is currently a limited understanding of the complex response of fungal microbiota diversity to organic fertigation. In this work, a 2-year field trial with organic tomato crops in a soil previously amended with fresh sheep manure was conducted. Two hypotheses were compared: (i) fertigation with organic liquid fertilizers versus (ii) irrigation with water. At the end of both years, soils were analyzed for physical-chemical parameters and mycobiome variables. Plate culture and DNA metabarcoding methods were performed in order to obtain a detailed understanding of soil fungal communities. Fertigation did not increase any of the physical-chemical parameters. Concerning soil fungal communities, differences were only found regarding the identification of biomarkers. The class and the family were identified as biomarkers in the soil fungal community analyzed by means of DNA metabarcoding of the "fertigation" treatment at the end of Year 1. The genus was detected as a biomarker in the "water" treatment, and was identified in the "fertigation" treatment in the cultivable soil fungi at the end of Year 2. In both years, tomato yield and fruit quality did not consistently differ between treatments, despite the high cost of the fertilizers added through fertigation.