Changes in microbial and physicochemical properties under cover crop inclusion in a degraded common bean monoculture system.

ABÁN, CARLA L; PEREZ BRANDÁN, C.; VERDENELLI R.; HUIDOBRO, J; MERILES J. M.; VARGAS GIL S.

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2021

1164-5563

The expansion of the common bean monoculture system along with intensive agricultural practices focused onproductivity has generated a misuse of natural resources, accompanied by a significant decline of the soilecosystem services. The aim of this study was to analyze the short-term effect (3 years) of the inclusion ofdifferent cover crops (legumes, non-legumes and mixtures) on the physicochemical, biological properties andcrop yield in a degraded common bean monoculture system in the north region of Argentina. The inclusion oflegumes (vetch and melilotus) and non-legumes (oat and wheat) as sole cover crops over three consecutive yearssignificantly increased the abundance of the main microbial groups, microbial biomass C and N (MBC and MBN)and the activity of the common bean rhizosphere microbial community, which resulted into a fast improvementof soil quality and rhizosphere microbiota compared with bean monoculture. However, mixed cover crops (oat +vetch) had a positive but lower impact on rhizosphere microbial community abundance compared to legume ornon-legume cover crops when used as sole cover crops. The information generated in this study will contribute tothe evaluation of the inclusion of specific cover crops as a conservation strategy to recover soil health andminimize soil degradation, while maintaining crop yields.