Does Sugarcane Straw Removal Change the Abundance of Soil Microbes?

Does Sugarcane Straw Removal Change the Abundance of Soil Microbes?

Growing global demand for bioenergies has raised the interest in using sugarcane crop residues (straw) as feedstock to produce cellulosic ethanol and/or bioelectricity in Brazil. However, indiscriminate straw removal may deplete soil quality, particularly induced by its negative effects on soil micr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioenergy research Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 901 - 908
Main Authors: Morais, Maristela C., Ferrari, Beatriz M., Borges, Clovis D., Cherubin, Maurício R., Tsai, Siu Mui, Cerri, Carlos C., Cerri, Carlos E. P., Feigl, Brigitte J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Springer US 01-12-2019
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Abundance
Archaea
Bacteria
Bioelectricity
Biomass
Biomass energy
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bulk density
Cation exchange
Cation exchanging
Crop management
Crop residues
Ethanol
Fungi
Life Sciences
Microbial activity
Microorganisms
Nuclear energy
Organic chemistry
Organic phosphorus
Organic soils
Phosphorus
Plant Breeding/Biotechnology
Plant Ecology
Plant Genetics and Genomics
Plant Sciences
Polymerase chain reaction
Renewable energy
Soil chemistry
Soil classification
Soil fertility
Soil microorganisms
Soil quality
Soil surfaces
Soils
Straw
Sugarcane
Sustainable energy
Sustainable production
Wood Science & Technology
Brazil
qPCR
Bioenergy
Soil microbes
Microbial biomass
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Summary:Growing global demand for bioenergies has raised the interest in using sugarcane crop residues (straw) as feedstock to produce cellulosic ethanol and/or bioelectricity in Brazil. However, indiscriminate straw removal may deplete soil quality, particularly induced by its negative effects on soil microbial communities. A 2-year field study was conducted in soils classified as Oxisol (site 1) and Ultisol (site 2) in southeastern Brazil. The experiment started after plant cane cycle, establishing three straw removal rates (treatments), as follows: total removal, moderated removal, and no removal of sugarcane straw from the field. The amount of straw left on the soil surface and removed in the treatments varied according to the straw yield of each year and location. Soil samples were collected at 0–5- and 5–10-cm layers. The total abundance of bacteria, archaea, and fungi were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Bulk density, pH, base saturation, cation exchange capacity, phosphorus (P), and total organic C and soil microbial biomass C (MBC) were also measured. The soil chemical results indicate that the Oxisol presents higher inherent soil fertility compared with the Ultisol. In the first year, the straw had a different significant effect for bacterial and archaeal abundance in both soils and for fungi in the Oxisol site. In the second year, the numbers of gene copies of bacteria, archaea, and fungi in the 0–5-cm layer were higher under moderated and no removal when compared with those under total removal, regardless of site. The MBC decreased significantly under total removal of straw at the Ultisol site. Moderate straw removal has no significant effect on the abundance of soil microbes, but total straw removal may induce sharp reductions (from 23 to 54%) on microbial abundance. Soil microbes are a sensitive indicator to assess soil changes induced by crop residue management and should be taken into account for defining sugarcane straw management towards a sustainable bioenergy production.
ISSN:1939-1234
1939-1242
DOI:10.1007/s12155-019-10018-5