Response of soil fungi and biological processes to crop residues in no-tillage system

Abstract

Soil management and crop rotation can directly affect the soil microbial community. This study aimed at determining soil quality indicators and soilborne fungi in a no-tillage system. A randomized blocks design, in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, was used. Three cover crops (palisade grass, millet and common bean) provided straw and root residues to the following crops of corn and soybean. The common bean-soybean sequence provided little soil covering and higher metabolic quotient and soil basal respiration and total enzymatic activity, as well as a general increase of soilborne fungi. The principal component analysis revealed that 76.61 % of the variance can be explained by the three first components, with cover crops, soil basal respiration and metabolic quotient regarded as the main qualitative and quantitative sources of variance in the first component. Carbon from the microbial biomass was the soil quality indicator best correlated to crop yield and negatively correlated to Fusarium solani density. The Rhizoctonia solani population was correlated with higher metabolic quotient and soil total enzymatic activity and basal respiration. The palisade grass crop favored soil fungistasis and enhancement of antagonist Trichoderma spp. populations. The multivariate approach demonstrated the association of soil fungi with soil quality indicators, as well as a higher influence of cover crops on the variance observed, in comparison to cash crops.