Comparison of the microbiome of calcareous and gypseous soils in rainfed field plots under Mediterranean climate

Abstract

The role of microorganisms in maintaining healthy and balanced soil is essential due to the different functionalities they offer, which, in turn, will directly influence the soil ecosystem services. The use of microbiome as an indicator of soil health can be of great relevance at a global level. In agroecosystems, the composition of the microbiome together with the functionalities it offers, balanced or not, will determine the agricultural production of the soil. And all this will be influenced by a chain of interconnected variables that differ between ecosystems. This work focuses on the differences between the microbiome of a calcareous soil and a gypseous soil, both dedicated to barley monoculture. Factors such as microbiome diversity, abundance or functionality are evaluated. The results of this work, given the low fungus/bacteria ratios, indicate soil degradation in both cases. If we consider the greater diversity of the calcareous soil, this seems to be the healthiest. On the other hand, there is more specialization, reflected in greater relative abundances of certain microorganisms, in the calcareous gypsum soil. The latter also has greater functionality that may be related to the adaptation of these microorganisms to greater stress factors.