Comparative Metagenomics Reveals Enhanced Nutrient Cycling Potential After Two Years of Biochar Amendment in a Tropical Oxisol.

In this study, we utilized shotgun metagenomics in order to decipher changes in the microbial community in soil microcosms after 14 days of incubation at 23°C, which contained soils from biochar-amended and control plots cultivated with napiergrass. Our analyses revealed that biochar-amended soil microbiomes exhibited a significant shift in both community composition and predicted metabolism. Key metabolic pathways related to carbon turnover, such as the utilization of plant-derived carbohydrates as well as denitrification were enriched under biochar amendment. These community shifts were in part associated with increased soil carbon, such as labile and aromatic carbon compounds, which was likely stimulated by the increased available nutrients associated with biochar amendment. These findings indicate that the soil microbiome response to the combination of biochar addition and to incubation conditions confers enhanced nutrient cycling, a small decrease in CO2 emissions, and potentially mitigates nitrous oxide emissions.Importance Incorporation of biochar into soil is a promising management strategy for sustainable agriculture owing to its potential to sequester carbon and improve soil fertility. Expanding the addition of biochar to large-scale agriculture hinges on its lasting beneficial effects on the microbial community. Yet, there exist a significant knowledge gap regarding the specific role that biochar plays in altering key biological soil processes that influence plant...
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Appl Environ Microbiol Source Type: research