The influence of different methods of soil processing on the microbial communities composition

Abstract

Modern agriculture faces the challenge of soil degradation due to improper land use and the development of erosion processes. Plowing technology profoundly transforms the surface soil horizon and makes it vulnerable to such negative processes. One of the technologies that reduce agricultural practices’ negative impact on the soil is direct sowing, which is much more environmentally friendly than disking and plowing. In this work, the influence of different tillage technologies on the soil microbial community structure was studied. It was found that the number of cellulolytic, ammonifying bacteria, actinomycetes, and soil fungi was significantly higher when using direct sowing technology compared to plowing. The intensity of mineralization processes was lower than during plowing, which indicates a shift in the balance towards the accumulation of soil organic matter. Thus, the technology of direct sowing contributes to an increase in the soil biological activity and can be an effective method for restoring soil fertility.