Shotgun metagenomics of 10 Haplic Chernozem samples under natural, organic, and conventional farming. The project profiles microbial functional genes (N and P cycles) to assess the impact of agricultural management on soil health.
Organic farming (OF) is increasingly promoted as a sustainable alternative to conventional farming (CF) for maintaining soil fertility and limiting nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses in Chernozems.  Organically farmed soils showed lower abundances of nitrifiers and higher abundances of N-fixing bacteria, while natural and organic soils maintained greater functional stability, niche differentiation and microbial self-regulation, indicating the potential of organic practices to sustain long-term soil health.
Organic farming (OF) is increasingly promoted as a sustainable alternative to conventional farming (CF) for maintaining soil fertility and limiting nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses in Chernozems.  Organically farmed soils showed lower abundances of nitrifiers and higher abundances of N-fixing bacteria, while natural and organic soils maintained greater functional stability, niche differentiation and microbial self-regulation, indicating the potential of organic practices to sustain long-term soil health.
Southern Federal University