Physical, chemical and microbiological attributes as discriminators of coffee and forest areas under different soils in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome

Abstract

Abstract Ensuring soil quality of coffee fields is fundamental for sustainable production of coffee itself. Microbiological attributes are especially effective predictors of changes in the soil. But their value as indicators can vary depending on the soil class and the type the management. This study aimed to determine the effect of different soil classes and management (natural systems and agricultural systems) on microbiological attributes and the potential of these attributes to serve as discriminators of different soils used for conventional coffee growing in the Atlantic Forest domain. The microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial basal respiration (MBR), the metabolic quotient (qCO2), microbial quotient, and the activity of several enzymes were assessed in coffee plantations and adjacent forests on two soil classes. The lowest values of most attributes were observed in the Planosol under a coffee plantation. The activities of most of the enzymes were higher in the forest’s Oxisol and lower in the Planosol under coffee. Among the physical and chemical attributes, organic matter content, potential acidity, potential cation exchange capacity, pH, phosphorus, and zinc were most important in the discrimination of the areas. For the microbiological attributes, the forest vegetation maintained higher MBC, BMR, qCO2, and urease activity independent of soil class. Nevertheless, the soil class had a marked negative effect on microbial biomass and activity in the Planosol coffee plantation. We can conclude that MBC, FDA, urease, β-glucosidase, and acid phosphatase were the most important attributes in the discrimination of coffee and forest areas under different soil classes.