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Title: EFFECTS OF AMENDING SOIL WITH COVER CROP, COMPOST, AND MANURE ON SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY DURING THE GROWING SEASON ON FIELD GROWN TOMATOES

Author
item Carrera, Lidia
item Buyer, Jeffrey
item Abdul Baki, Aref
item Sikora, Lawrence
item Vinyard, Bryan
item Teasdale, John

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/12/2003
Publication Date: 10/1/2003
Citation: Carrera, L.M., Buyer, J.S., Abdul Baki, A.A., Sikora, L.J., Vinyard, B.T., Teasdale, J.R. 2003. Effects of amending soil with cover crop, compost, and manure on soil microbial community during the growing season on field grown tomatoes. American Phytopathological Society Abstracts. 93:514. Publication No. P2003-0099-AMA

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Effects of amending soil with cover crop, compost, and manure on soil microbial community during the growing season on field tomatoes. L.M. CARRERA*, J.S. Buyer, A. Abdul-Baki, L.J. Sikora, B. Vinyard, and J.R. Teasdale. USDA, ARS, ANRI, SASL, Henry A.Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, 20705. Sustainable production systems aim to improve soil quality by use of soil amendments and cover crops. Characterization of the soil changes triggered by these amendments and crops is lacking. Soil microbial communities were investigated in a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) field production system that utilized poultry manure compost, poultry manure, and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) cover crop as nitrogen sources. Field plots were located at the Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD. A randomized complete block design experiment with 4 replications was used. Treatments consisted of: synthetic N, hairy vetch mulch (HV), a mixture of HV and poultry manure compost (10 t/ha), three levels of poultry manure compost (5, 10, 20 t/ha), and two levels of poultry manure (2.5, and 5 t/ha). Soil samples were taken at 5 different times during the tomato-growing season. Communities were characterized by soil fatty acid analysis. Data were analyzed using canonical variates MANOVA analysis. Significant seasonal variations in microbial community structure were found, suggesting effects by the tomato crop and soil microenvironment. Fungal and protozoan populations were strongly affected by the treatments, but Eubacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and actinomycetes populations were not affected. The microbial community in the soil amended with compost-HV mixture was significantly different from the other treatments. These data showed significant effects of soil amendments to the soil microbial communities.