Organic farming systems improve soil quality and shape microbial communities across a cotton-based crop rotation in an Indian Vertisol.

ABSTRACT: The adverse effects of intensified cropland practices on soil quality and biodiversity become especially evident in India, where nearly 60% of land is dedicated to cultivation and almost 30% of soil is already degraded. Intensive agricultural practice significantly contributes to soil degradation, highlighting the crucial need for effective countermeasures to support sustainable development goals. A long-term experiment, established in the semi-arid Nimar Valley (India) in 2007, monitors the effect of organic and conventional management on the plant-soil system in a Vertisol. The focus of our study was to assess how organic and conventional farming systems affect biological and chemical soil quality indicators. Additionally, we followed the community structure of the soil microbiome throug

SUBMITTER: Lori M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11503945 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature