Cotton strip assay detects soil microbial degradation differences among crop rotation and tillage experiments on Vertisols

Gunasekhar Nachimuthu; Andy Hundt; Blake Palmer; Graeme D Schwenke; Oliver G G Knox

doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2022.106558

Cotton strip assay detects soil microbial degradation differences among crop rotation and tillage experiments on Vertisols

J Microbiol Methods. 2022 Sep:200:106558. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2022.106558. Epub 2022 Aug 14.

Authors

Gunasekhar Nachimuthu¹, Andy Hundt², Blake Palmer², Graeme D Schwenke³, Oliver G G Knox⁴

Affiliations

¹ NSW DPI, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Narrabri, NSW 2390, Australia. Electronic address: guna.nachimuthu@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
² NSW DPI, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Narrabri, NSW 2390, Australia.
³ NSW DPI, Tamworth Agricultural Institute, Calala, NSW 2340, Australia.
⁴ School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

PMID: 35977630
DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2022.106558

Abstract

The cotton strip assay (CSA) is a simple and inexpensive method of evaluating management effects on soil microbial decomposition. The average loss of tensile strength of cotton strips buried 3 to 35 days in soils from two long-term tillage and crop-rotation experiments was of the order: cotton-wheat rotation > minimum-tillage cotton monoculture > maximum-tillage cotton monoculture. The study suggests CSA can be an effective indicator to delineate microbial activity, soil organic carbon or crop biomass as influenced by agricultural practices in cotton fields.

Keywords: Assay; Cotton systems; Decomposition; Loss of tensile strength; Soil health.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Agriculture / methods
Carbon*
Crop Production
Crops, Agricultural
Soil Microbiology
Soil*

Substances

Soil
Carbon