In the face of growing global challenges to agricultural sustainability, a new study has uncovered the critical role of soil micro-food web complexity in enhancing soil fertility and promoting crop growth. This groundbreaking discovery offers a fresh perspective on agricultural productivity and provides valuable scientific evidence for improving yields and optimizing ecosystem management strategies. The researchers’ finding appeared on October 30, 2024 in Soil Ecology Letters.
The study highlights that soil fertility is a key determinant of agricultural productivity, and the soil micro-food web—composed of microorganisms and nematodes—plays a crucial role in soil nutrient cycling and plant health. However, little is known about how the composition and complexity of soil food webs affect plant growth and soil fertility. To address this, researchers isolated soil microorganisms and nematodes from two soil types (calcareous soil and red soil) and two land use types (corn-soybean cultivation and natural grass-shrubland), and established four sequential micro-food webs (FW1, FW2, FW3, FW4) with increasing complexity. These micro-food webs were then inoculated into sterilized soils and planted with soybeans in a three-month pot experiment to explore the effects of food web complexity on soil nutrients and soybean growth.
The results revealed that soils inoculated with micro-food webs had significantly higher levels of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), microbial biomass, and plant nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the control and untreated (unsterilized) soil. Surprisingly, the untreated soil, which contained the original soil food web, had lower soil and plant nutrient levels than the sterilized soil without any food web. Additionally, the complexity of the inoculated food webs was positively correlated with soil TN, TP, and total potassium (TK), indicating that more complex food webs maintain higher soil fertility and crop growth.
These findings carry significant scientific and practical implications. First, the study provides solid evidence that soil micro-food web complexity is a key driver of ecosystem services, particularly in maintaining higher soil fertility and crop productivity. Second, it offers deeper insights into the relationship between soil food web structure and soil fertility, which could aid in developing innovative approaches to optimizing soil management and improving crop yields.
This research not only brings new hope for sustainable agricultural production but also lays a strong scientific foundation for future ecosystem service management. The complexity of soil micro-food webs and their impact on soil fertility is undoubtedly a crucial topic for future agricultural research and practice. Media and the public should pay attention to these findings, as they have the potential to revolutionize agricultural practices and address the dual challenges of food security and environmental protection.
DOI: 10.1007/s42832-024-0264-0