Conventional management has a greater negative impact on Phaseolus vulgaris L. rhizobia diversity and abundance than water scarcity

Abstract

Introduction: Drought is one of the biggest problems for crop production and also affects the survival and persistence of soil rhizobia, which limits the establishment of efficient symbiosis and endangers the productivity of legumes, the main source of plant protein worldwide.

Aim: Since the biodiversity can be altered by several factors including abiotic stresses or cultural practices, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of water availability, plant genotype and agricultural management on the presence, nodulation capacity and genotypic diversity of rhizobia.

Method: A field experiment was conducted with twelve common bean genotypes under irrigation and rain-fed conditions, both in conventional and organic management. Estimation of the number of viable rhizobia present in soils was performed before the crop establishment, whereas the crop yield, nodule number and the strain diversity of bacteria present in nodules were determined at postharvest.

Results: Rainfed conditions reduced the number of nodules and of isolated bacteria and their genetic diversity, although to a lesser extent than the agrochemical inputs related to conventional management. In addition, the effect of water scarcity on the conventional management soil was greater than observed under organic conditions.

Conclusions: The preservation of diversity will be a key factor to maintain crop production in the future, as problems caused by drought will be exacerbated by climate change and organic management can help to maintain the biodiversity of soil microbiota, a fundamental aspect for soil health and quality.