Chemical and microbiological soil quality indicators and their potential to differentiate fertilization regimes in temperate agroecosystems

The study examined the interrelationships between chemical and microbiological quality indicators of soil and their ability to differentiate plots under contrasting fertilization regimes. The study was based on a long-term field experiment established on an Udic Ustocrepts in 1966. The soil was cropped with maize (Zea mays L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and received no organic fertilization (control), wheat straw and maize stalk (crop residue) or cattle manure (manure) in combination with increasing levels of mineral N (N₀ and N₂₀₀). To asses whether seasonal fluctuations of measured properties might mask the effects of fertilization, soil samples were collected four times within a growing season. Manure amendment increased soil TOC and TN, while crop residue amendment had no significant effects. Mineral N increased TN only in April, while in September it decreased water extractable organic C (WEOC). Data of diffuse reflectance Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) gave evidence for a higher relative contribution of the aliphatic peak at 2930 cm⁻¹ and a lower relative contribution of the aromatic peaks at 1620 cm⁻¹ and 1520 cm⁻¹ under manure. Manure amendment stimulated enzymatic activities, increased microbial biomass carbon (C_mic) and total phospholipids (PLFAs), and reduced the metabolic quotient (qCO₂). Patterns of PLFAs indicated that manure amendment increased the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria. Crop residue amendment had no significant effects, while in September mineral N inhibited protease activity and reduced the Gram-positive to Gram-negative ratio. Microbial-related parameters fluctuated over time but their seasonality did not hamper the identification of fertilization-induced effects. The selected properties proved to be valuable indicators of long-term changes of soil quality and were strongly interrelated: changes in soil organic matter content and composition induced by manure amendment were accompanied by changes in abundance and function of the soil microbial community. Partial least square analysis obtained relating DRIFTS spectra to measured soil properties produced accurate predictive models for TOC and PLFAs, and moderately accurate models for C_mic, showing the potential of DRIFTS to be used as a rapid soil testing technique for soil quality monitoring.