Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus Orchard
ABSTRACT Monocrop of mandarin leading to reduced soil biodiversity and functionality that must be changed to a sustainable agriculture practice such as alley cropping. In this study an attempt has been made to assess how two different alley cropping strategies promote soil bacterial diversity, micro...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70063 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849417185560100864 |
|---|---|
| author | Margarita Ros Jessica Cuartero Onurcan Özbolat Virginia Sánchez‐Navarro Marcos Egea‐Cortines Maria Almagro María Hurtado‐Navarro Maria Martinez‐Mena Jose Antonio Pascual Raúl Zornoza |
| author_facet | Margarita Ros Jessica Cuartero Onurcan Özbolat Virginia Sánchez‐Navarro Marcos Egea‐Cortines Maria Almagro María Hurtado‐Navarro Maria Martinez‐Mena Jose Antonio Pascual Raúl Zornoza |
| author_sort | Margarita Ros |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Monocrop of mandarin leading to reduced soil biodiversity and functionality that must be changed to a sustainable agriculture practice such as alley cropping. In this study an attempt has been made to assess how two different alley cropping strategies promote soil bacterial diversity, microbial activities and the abundance of beneficial bacteria. Three treatments were established: (i) mandarin monoculture (MC); (ii) mandarin diversified with barley/vetch (summer) and with fava bean (winter) for 3 consecutive years (DIV1); and (iii) mandarin diversified with fava bean, purslane and cowpea (DIV2). Results reveal that alley cropping did not significantly affect alfa‐diversity indices, but beta‐diversity showed significant differences among the three treatments, indicating changes in the bacterial community. Specific genera such as Haliangium, Microbacterium, Pseudonocardia, Solirubrobacter and Sphingomonas, known as plant growth‐promoting bacteria, showed higher relative abundances in DIV1 and DIV2 than MC. The genus Novosphingobium showed a higher relative abundance in DIV2, while MND1 showed a higher relative abundance in DIV1. Regarding potential gene abundances related to C and N cycling at the end of the experiment, only manB (hemicellulose degradation) showed a higher abundance in DIV2 than MC, while nifH (N fixation), amoA, and hao (nitrification) showed higher values in DIV1 and DIV2. Enzyme activities showed lower values in diversified treatments than in MC. Most significant changes were observed in the diversification of the alley with a sequence of different crops every year (DIV1), rather than repeating the same crops (DIV2). These alley cropping strategies (DIV1 and DIV2) seem an effective strategy to enhance the abundance of beneficial bacteria with increased potential activity related to N fixation and nitrification. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d7c8dffc8ed743299631d1035771e869 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2767-035X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-d7c8dffc8ed743299631d1035771e8692025-08-20T03:32:55ZengWileyJournal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment2767-035X2025-06-0142n/an/a10.1002/sae2.70063Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus OrchardMargarita Ros0Jessica Cuartero1Onurcan Özbolat2Virginia Sánchez‐Navarro3Marcos Egea‐Cortines4Maria Almagro5María Hurtado‐Navarro6Maria Martinez‐Mena7Jose Antonio Pascual8Raúl Zornoza9Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC) Campus Universitario de Espinardo Murcia SpainRhizosphere Processes Group Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL Birmensdorf SwitzerlandInstituto de Biotecnología Vegetal (IBV), Campus Muralla del Mar Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena Cartagena SpainInstituto de Biotecnología Vegetal (IBV), Campus Muralla del Mar Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena Cartagena SpainInstituto de Biotecnología Vegetal (IBV), Campus Muralla del Mar Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena Cartagena SpainCentro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC) Campus Universitario de Espinardo Murcia SpainCentro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC) Campus Universitario de Espinardo Murcia SpainCentro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC) Campus Universitario de Espinardo Murcia SpainCentro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC) Campus Universitario de Espinardo Murcia SpainInstituto de Biotecnología Vegetal (IBV), Campus Muralla del Mar Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena Cartagena SpainABSTRACT Monocrop of mandarin leading to reduced soil biodiversity and functionality that must be changed to a sustainable agriculture practice such as alley cropping. In this study an attempt has been made to assess how two different alley cropping strategies promote soil bacterial diversity, microbial activities and the abundance of beneficial bacteria. Three treatments were established: (i) mandarin monoculture (MC); (ii) mandarin diversified with barley/vetch (summer) and with fava bean (winter) for 3 consecutive years (DIV1); and (iii) mandarin diversified with fava bean, purslane and cowpea (DIV2). Results reveal that alley cropping did not significantly affect alfa‐diversity indices, but beta‐diversity showed significant differences among the three treatments, indicating changes in the bacterial community. Specific genera such as Haliangium, Microbacterium, Pseudonocardia, Solirubrobacter and Sphingomonas, known as plant growth‐promoting bacteria, showed higher relative abundances in DIV1 and DIV2 than MC. The genus Novosphingobium showed a higher relative abundance in DIV2, while MND1 showed a higher relative abundance in DIV1. Regarding potential gene abundances related to C and N cycling at the end of the experiment, only manB (hemicellulose degradation) showed a higher abundance in DIV2 than MC, while nifH (N fixation), amoA, and hao (nitrification) showed higher values in DIV1 and DIV2. Enzyme activities showed lower values in diversified treatments than in MC. Most significant changes were observed in the diversification of the alley with a sequence of different crops every year (DIV1), rather than repeating the same crops (DIV2). These alley cropping strategies (DIV1 and DIV2) seem an effective strategy to enhance the abundance of beneficial bacteria with increased potential activity related to N fixation and nitrification.https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.7006316rRNA genbacterial communitylegumestotal nitrogentotal organic carbon |
| spellingShingle | Margarita Ros Jessica Cuartero Onurcan Özbolat Virginia Sánchez‐Navarro Marcos Egea‐Cortines Maria Almagro María Hurtado‐Navarro Maria Martinez‐Mena Jose Antonio Pascual Raúl Zornoza Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus Orchard Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment 16rRNA gen bacterial community legumes total nitrogen total organic carbon |
| title | Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus Orchard |
| title_full | Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus Orchard |
| title_fullStr | Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus Orchard |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus Orchard |
| title_short | Alley Cropping Can Potentially Alter the Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Cycles and Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Bacteria in a Mediterranean Citrus Orchard |
| title_sort | alley cropping can potentially alter the nitrogen and carbon soil cycles and increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria in a mediterranean citrus orchard |
| topic | 16rRNA gen bacterial community legumes total nitrogen total organic carbon |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70063 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT margaritaros alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT jessicacuartero alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT onurcanozbolat alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT virginiasancheznavarro alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT marcosegeacortines alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT mariaalmagro alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT mariahurtadonavarro alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT mariamartinezmena alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT joseantoniopascual alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard AT raulzornoza alleycroppingcanpotentiallyalterthenitrogenandcarbonsoilcyclesandincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialbacteriainamediterraneancitrusorchard |