Root–Soil Interactions for Pepper Accessions Grown under Organic and Conventional Farming

Abstract

Modern agriculture has boosted the production of food based on the use of pesticides and fertilizers and improved plant varieties. However, the impact of some such technologies is high and not sustainable in the long term. Although the importance of rhizospheres in final plant performance, nutrient cycling, and ecosystems is well recognized, there is still a lack of information on the interactions of their main players. In this paper, four accessions of pepper are studied at the rhizosphere and root level under two farming systems: organic and conventional. Variations in soil traits, such as induced respiration, enzymatic activities, microbial counts, and metabolism of nitrogen at the rhizosphere and bulk soil, as well as measures of root morphology and plant production, are presented. The results showed differences for the evaluated traits between organic and conventional management, both at the rhizosphere and bulk soil levels. Organic farming showed higher microbial counts, enzymatic activities, and nitrogen mobilization. Our results also showed how some genotypes, such as Serrano or Piquillo, modified the properties of the rhizospheres in a very genotype-dependent way. This specificity of the soil–plant interaction should be considered for future breeding programs for soil-tailored agriculture.