TY - JOUR
T1 - Enhancement of soil aggregation and physical properties through fungal amendments under varying moisture conditions
AU - Angulo, Violeta
AU - Bleichrodt, Robert Jan
AU - Dijksterhuis, Jan
AU - Erktan, Amandine
AU - Hefting, Mariet M.
AU - Kraak, Bart
AU - Kowalchuk, George A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2024/5
Y1 - 2024/5
N2 - Soil structure and aggregation are crucial for soil functionality, particularly under drought conditions. Saprobic soil fungi, known for their resilience in low moisture conditions, are recognized for their influence on soil aggregate dynamics. In this study, we explored the potential of fungal amendments to enhance soil aggregation and hydrological properties across different moisture regimes. We used a selection of 29 fungal isolates, recovered from soils treated under drought conditions and varying in colony density and growth rate, for single-strain inoculation into sterilized soil microcosms under either low or high moisture (≤−0.96 and –0.03 MPa, respectively). After 8 weeks, we assessed soil aggregate formation and stability, along with soil properties such as soil water content, water hydrophobicity, sorptivity, total fungal biomass and water potential. Our findings indicate that fungal inoculation altered soil hydrological properties and improved soil aggregation, with effects varying based on the fungal strains and soil moisture levels. We found a positive correlation between fungal biomass and enhanced soil aggregate formation and stabilization, achieved by connecting soil particles via hyphae and modifying soil aggregate sorptivity. The improvement in soil water potential was observed only when the initial moisture level was not critical for fungal activity. Overall, our results highlight the potential of using fungal inoculation to improve the structure of agricultural soil under drought conditions, thereby introducing new possibilities for soil management in the context of climate change.
AB - Soil structure and aggregation are crucial for soil functionality, particularly under drought conditions. Saprobic soil fungi, known for their resilience in low moisture conditions, are recognized for their influence on soil aggregate dynamics. In this study, we explored the potential of fungal amendments to enhance soil aggregation and hydrological properties across different moisture regimes. We used a selection of 29 fungal isolates, recovered from soils treated under drought conditions and varying in colony density and growth rate, for single-strain inoculation into sterilized soil microcosms under either low or high moisture (≤−0.96 and –0.03 MPa, respectively). After 8 weeks, we assessed soil aggregate formation and stability, along with soil properties such as soil water content, water hydrophobicity, sorptivity, total fungal biomass and water potential. Our findings indicate that fungal inoculation altered soil hydrological properties and improved soil aggregation, with effects varying based on the fungal strains and soil moisture levels. We found a positive correlation between fungal biomass and enhanced soil aggregate formation and stabilization, achieved by connecting soil particles via hyphae and modifying soil aggregate sorptivity. The improvement in soil water potential was observed only when the initial moisture level was not critical for fungal activity. Overall, our results highlight the potential of using fungal inoculation to improve the structure of agricultural soil under drought conditions, thereby introducing new possibilities for soil management in the context of climate change.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85192793385&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1462-2920.16627
DO - 10.1111/1462-2920.16627
M3 - Article
C2 - 38733112
AN - SCOPUS:85192793385
SN - 1462-2912
VL - 26
JO - Environmental Microbiology
JF - Environmental Microbiology
IS - 5
M1 - e16627
ER -