Summary
This field-scale study compared soil microbial resistance and resilience to severe drought in long-term organically and conventionally managed wheat cropping systems. Drought reduced soil respiration and altered microbial community structure, with fungi showing greater sensitivity than prokaryotes, particularly in plant-associated compartments (rhizosphere and roots). Whilst organic management did not buffer taxonomic diversity loss under severe drought, both systems maintained distinct microbiomes and showed system-specific responses in plant growth-promoting genera, suggesting that factors beyond fertilisation type and pesticide use may be required to enhance microbial drought resilience.
Regional applicability
Given the United Kingdom's increasing exposure to summer drought stress and reliance on cereal production, these findings on fungal vulnerability and the limited protective effect of organic management practices on microbial diversity under severe water stress are relevant to UK arable farming resilience planning. However, the study's applicability may be limited by differences in soil type, climate intensity, and the specific cropping systems examined compared to typical UK conditions.
Key measures
Soil respiration rates; microbial community structure (fungi and prokaryotes) via molecular profiling; microbial taxa abundance and diversity in bulk soil, rhizosphere, and roots; drought legacy effects post-rewetting
Outcomes reported
The study assessed soil microbiome composition and function during and after drought simulation in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems, measuring microbial respiration, community structure shifts, and taxa-specific responses across bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root compartments.
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