Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach
Fungi and soil bacteria are vital for organic matter decomposition and biogeochemical cycles, but excessive synthetic fertilizer use contributes to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity. Despite this, about 97% of soil microorganisms are unculturable, making them difficult to study. Metagenomics...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Angela Maffia Riccardo Scotti Thomas Wood Adele Muscolo Alessandra Lepore Elisabetta Acocella Giuseppe Celano |
| author_facet | Angela Maffia Riccardo Scotti Thomas Wood Adele Muscolo Alessandra Lepore Elisabetta Acocella Giuseppe Celano |
| author_sort | Angela Maffia |
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| description | Fungi and soil bacteria are vital for organic matter decomposition and biogeochemical cycles, but excessive synthetic fertilizer use contributes to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity. Despite this, about 97% of soil microorganisms are unculturable, making them difficult to study. Metagenomics offers a solution, enabling the direct extraction of DNA from soil to uncover microbial diversity and functions. This study utilized metagenomics to analyze the rhizosphere of two-year-old <i>Tonda di Giffoni</i> hazelnut saplings treated with synthetic NPK, composted olive pomace, and an innovative fertilizer derived from sulfur-based agro-industrial waste stabilized with bentonite clay. Using 16S rDNA for bacteria and ITS2 for fungi, Illumina sequencing provided insights into microbial responses to different fertilizer treatments. The results highlighted a significant increase in the abundance of beneficial microorganisms such as Thiobacillus, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Thermomyces, especially when organic materials were included. Additionally, microbial biodiversity improved with organic inputs, as shown by increased species richness (Chao1) and diversity (Bray-Curtis) greater than 20% compared with NPK and unfertilized soils (CTR). These findings emphasize the importance of organic fertilization in enhancing soil microbial health, offering a sustainable approach to improving soil quality and hazelnut productivity. |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-fd2b7e030d2b4cd4a3f10b704f043d882025-08-20T02:53:17ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292024-12-011412163310.3390/life14121633Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic ApproachAngela Maffia0Riccardo Scotti1Thomas Wood2Adele Muscolo3Alessandra Lepore4Elisabetta Acocella5Giuseppe Celano6Department of AGRARIA, ‘Mediterranea’ University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, ItalyNIAB, Cambridge Pathology, 93 Lawrence Weaver Road, Cambridge CB3 0LE, UKNIAB, Cambridge Pathology, 93 Lawrence Weaver Road, Cambridge CB3 0LE, UKDepartment of AGRARIA, ‘Mediterranea’ University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, ItalyDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, ItalyDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, ItalyFungi and soil bacteria are vital for organic matter decomposition and biogeochemical cycles, but excessive synthetic fertilizer use contributes to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity. Despite this, about 97% of soil microorganisms are unculturable, making them difficult to study. Metagenomics offers a solution, enabling the direct extraction of DNA from soil to uncover microbial diversity and functions. This study utilized metagenomics to analyze the rhizosphere of two-year-old <i>Tonda di Giffoni</i> hazelnut saplings treated with synthetic NPK, composted olive pomace, and an innovative fertilizer derived from sulfur-based agro-industrial waste stabilized with bentonite clay. Using 16S rDNA for bacteria and ITS2 for fungi, Illumina sequencing provided insights into microbial responses to different fertilizer treatments. The results highlighted a significant increase in the abundance of beneficial microorganisms such as Thiobacillus, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Thermomyces, especially when organic materials were included. Additionally, microbial biodiversity improved with organic inputs, as shown by increased species richness (Chao1) and diversity (Bray-Curtis) greater than 20% compared with NPK and unfertilized soils (CTR). These findings emphasize the importance of organic fertilization in enhancing soil microbial health, offering a sustainable approach to improving soil quality and hazelnut productivity.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/12/1633organic wastesulfurolive pomacemetagenomicsbiodiversitymicrobiome |
| spellingShingle | Angela Maffia Riccardo Scotti Thomas Wood Adele Muscolo Alessandra Lepore Elisabetta Acocella Giuseppe Celano Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach Life organic waste sulfur olive pomace metagenomics biodiversity microbiome |
| title | Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach |
| title_full | Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach |
| title_fullStr | Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach |
| title_short | Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Waste into Fertilizer: Assessing the Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach |
| title_sort | transforming agricultural and sulfur waste into fertilizer assessing the short term effects on microbial biodiversity via a metagenomic approach |
| topic | organic waste sulfur olive pomace metagenomics biodiversity microbiome |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/12/1633 |
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