Summary
This review examines the microbial and soil consequences of Green Revolution agricultural intensification, specifically comparing effects of high inorganic fertiliser regimes and semi-dwarf cereal varieties on root-associated microbiota. The analysis reveals a trade-off: whilst Green Revolution breeding selections enhanced nitrogen-cycling microbial communities, elevated fertiliser inputs simultaneously reduced overall rhizosphere microbial diversity, with potential implications for long-term soil fertility and nutrient acquisition.
UK applicability
UK cereal production adopted Green Revolution breeding and intensified fertilisation practices throughout the late 20th century. These findings may inform contemporary UK soil health policy and regenerative agriculture initiatives seeking to restore microbial diversity whilst maintaining productive capacity.
Key measures
Rhizosphere microbial diversity; abundance of nitrogen-utilising microbes; soil fertility; nutrient uptake capabilities
Outcomes reported
The study examined how Green Revolution practices (inorganic fertiliser application and semi-dwarf cultivar selection) altered rhizosphere microbial communities and their capacity for nutrient uptake. Findings indicated that higher inorganic fertiliser rates reduced microbial diversity, whilst semi-dwarf varieties showed greater abundance of nitrogen-utilising microbes.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.