Soil mesocosm microbial experiment
Approximately one quarter of the world's arable land shows signs of erosion and degradation, mainly due to inadequate management practices. In the Pampas region, agricultural intensification has led to soil quality decline, highlighting the importance of adopting sustainable management practices that preserve natural resources. This study evaluated the impact of two tillage systems—no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)—on an Argiudol soil located at the Integrated Experimental Farm of Chascomús, Buenos Aires Province, where agriculture has been practiced for over 20 years. Physical-chemical and edaphic parameters were analyzed at two depths (0–10 cm and 10–30 cm), and Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to assess microbial communities.  Results showed that NT soils did not consistently exhibit better physical-chemical properties. NT plots presented higher penetration resistance (>2000 Kpa between 5–30 cm), while total organic carbon (TOC) was higher in the surface layer compared to CT. Both tillage systems showed higher TOC and total nitrogen (TN) than the non-agricultural reference system, whereas particulate organic carbon (POC) was lower. Nitrate-N was higher under CT, while ammonium-N and C/N ratio showed no differences between tillage systems but were greater than the reference.  Microbial analysis revealed dominant bacterial phyla (Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria) and fungal phyla (Basidiomycota, Ascomycota). Several bacterial and fungal taxa were more abundant under CT, contributing functions such as organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and pathogen control, while NT favored Dinemasporium, associated with plant health. Beta diversity differed between systems, with greater variability under NT.  These findings suggest that soil quality assessments must integrate biological indicators, as microbial community responses reveal the sensitivity of soils to management practices and the potential resilience provided by NT.