Summary
This large-scale comparative study of 26 arable fields (13 organic–conventional paired sites) and five semi-natural grasslands assessed whether organic farming restores arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities. Organic fields harboured significantly more AMF taxa (6.4 mean) than conventional fields (3.9), with communities more similar to natural grasslands and greater between-site diversity. AMF richness increased with years since organic conversion, suggesting organic management contributes to recovery of these soil mutualists.
Regional applicability
This study was conducted on sandy soils in Europe. The findings are potentially applicable to United Kingdom arable regions with similar soil types, though UK soil diversity and climate variability may affect transferability. The mechanistic insights into organic management benefits for soil mycorrhizal communities are relevant to UK organic certification standards and regenerative agriculture policy.
Key measures
Average number of AMF taxa, AMF community richness, AMF community composition similarity to grasslands, beta-diversity (between-site diversity), time since conversion to organic management
Outcomes reported
The study compared arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community composition across organically managed, conventionally managed arable fields, and semi-natural grasslands on sandy soil. AMF taxon richness, community similarity to grasslands, and beta-diversity were measured using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting.
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