Abstract
Dryland ecosystems are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of intensive agriculture, with intensive tillage exerting a major impact on soil health and its biotic components. The implementation of less disturbing soil management practices can be essential for preserving the soil environment and maintaining the diverse communities of microorganisms, micro- and mesofauna, which are vital contributors to soil fertility. In this study, we assessed soil chemical properties, soil biodiversity and functionality, and wheat crop growth across a tillage gradient encompassing no-tillage (NT), minimum tillage (MT), and standard tillage (ST). Results showed that reducing tillage intensity increased soil macronutrient levels and the abundance of soil biota. Overall, higher levels of bacterial and fungal marker genes and higher abundance of predatory acari were observed in MT and NT compared to ST. Also, nematode abundance increased by 25 % in MT and 50 % in NT, compared to ST. Similarly, community structure analysis revealed that tillage strongly influenced bacterial, fungal and acari community composition, reflecting a gradient of soil disturbance intensity. Corresponding to the increased abundance of soil biota, reducing tillage intensity increased microbial activity and soil functionality along the disturbance gradient. In addition, evidence of the formation of biocrust as a possible source of carbon input was found. Despite enhanced soil biological indicators in less intensive tillage systems, wheat growth, nitrogen uptake and grain B vitamin contents were higher in ST compared to NT. In addition, we observed a shift in technological grain properties across tillage practices. The higher root:shoot ratio (an indicator of nitrogen deficiency) and median root diameter (hormone-driven lateral expansion) in NT suggest that soil compaction could be a potential cause of reduced wheat performance. These results suggest that despite improved soil biological indicators, other factors such as low rates of N mineralization potential due to drought conditions during the study year and the prevalence of soil compaction may limit wheat performance in NT systems. • Enhanced microbial activity and functionality under reduced tillage intensity. • Tillage intensity shaped community structure of microbes, nematodes and acari. • Soil biocrust development under NT may increase soil organic carbon. • Root traits revealed soil compaction and nutrient limitation in NT systems. • NT and MT impaired wheat quality and changed technological grain properties.
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Claims 17
Claim · model-written summary
Reducing tillage intensity increased soil macronutrient levels
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Treatment
- reducing tillage intensitye1
- Outcome
- soil macronutrient levelse1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e1“Results showed that reducing tillage intensity increased soil macronutrient levels and the abundance of soil biota”
Claim · model-written summary
Reducing tillage intensity increased the abundance of soil biota
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- reducing tillage intensitye1
- Outcome
- the abundance of soil biotae1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e1“Results showed that reducing tillage intensity increased soil macronutrient levels and the abundance of soil biota”
Claim · model-written summary
Nematode abundance increased by 25 % in MT compared with ST
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- MTe2
- Outcome
- nematode abundancee2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 25 %e2
- Comparator
- STe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e2“Also, nematode abundance increased by 25 % in MT and 50 % in NT, compared to ST”
Claim · model-written summary
Nematode abundance increased by 50 % in NT compared with ST
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- NTe2
- Outcome
- nematode abundancee2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 50 %e2
- Comparator
- STe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e2“Also, nematode abundance increased by 25 % in MT and 50 % in NT, compared to ST”
Claim · model-written summary
Bacterial and fungal marker genes were higher in MT and NT than in ST
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- MT and NTe3
- Outcome
- bacterial and fungal marker genese3
- Direction
- highere3
- Comparator
- STe3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e3“higher levels of bacterial and fungal marker genes and higher abundance of predatory acari were observed in MT and NT compared to ST”
Claim · model-written summary
Predatory acari were more abundant in MT and NT than in ST
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- MT and NTe3
- Outcome
- predatory acarie3
- Direction
- highere3
- Comparator
- STe3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e3“higher levels of bacterial and fungal marker genes and higher abundance of predatory acari were observed in MT and NT compared to ST”
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage strongly influenced bacterial, fungal and acari community composition
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- tillagee4
- Outcome
- bacterial, fungal and acari community compositione4
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e4“tillage strongly influenced bacterial, fungal and acari community composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Reducing tillage intensity increased microbial activity and soil functionality
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- reducing tillage intensitye5
- Outcome
- microbial activity and soil functionalitye5
- Direction
- increasede5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e5“reducing tillage intensity increased microbial activity and soil functionality along the disturbance gradient”
Claim · model-written summary
Biocrust formation was observed as a possible carbon input under the tillage gradient
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- formation of biocruste6
- Qualifier
- as a possible source of carbon inpute6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e6“evidence of the formation of biocrust as a possible source of carbon input was found”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat growth was higher in ST than in NT
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e7“wheat growth, nitrogen uptake and grain B vitamin contents were higher in ST compared to NT”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen uptake was higher in ST than in NT
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e7“wheat growth, nitrogen uptake and grain B vitamin contents were higher in ST compared to NT”
Claim · model-written summary
Grain B vitamin contents were higher in ST than in NT
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- STe7
- Outcome
- grain B vitamin contentse7
- Direction
- highere7
- Comparator
- NTe7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e7“wheat growth, nitrogen uptake and grain B vitamin contents were higher in ST compared to NT”
Claim · model-written summary
Technological grain properties shifted across tillage practices
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- tillage practicese1
- Outcome
- technological grain propertiese1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e1“we observed a shift in technological grain properties across tillage practices”
Claim · model-written summary
The root:shoot ratio was higher in NT, an indicator of nitrogen deficiency
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- NTe1
- Outcome
- root:shoot ratioe1
- Direction
- highere1
- Qualifier
- an indicator of nitrogen deficiencye1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e1“The higher root:shoot ratio (an indicator of nitrogen deficiency) and median root diameter (hormone-driven lateral expansion) in NT suggest”
Claim · model-written summary
Median root diameter was higher in NT
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- NTe1
- Outcome
- median root diametere1
- Direction
- highere1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e1“The higher root:shoot ratio (an indicator of nitrogen deficiency) and median root diameter (hormone-driven lateral expansion) in NT suggest”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil compaction could be a potential cause of reduced wheat performance in NT
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- wheat performancee1
- Qualifier
- soil compaction could be a potential causee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e1“soil compaction could be a potential cause of reduced wheat performance”
Claim · model-written summary
Low N mineralization and drought, along with soil compaction, may limit wheat performance in NT systems
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- NT systemse1
- Outcome
- wheat performancee1
- Qualifier
- low rates of N mineralization potential due to drought conditions during the study yeare1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lower wheat growth”
e1“other factors such as low rates of N mineralization potential due to drought conditions during the study year and the prevalence of soil compaction may limit wheat performance in NT systems”
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