Vermicompost Alters Soil Microbial Communities and Decomposition but Increases Nitrate Leaching in Tropical Sugarcane.

ABSTRACT: Agricultural intensification has elevated nitrogen losses that threaten water quality and farm efficiency. Organic amendments such as vermicompost are promoted as tools to enhance soil health and reduce fertiliser demand, yet their effects under tropical field conditions remain uncertain. A six-week field trial in Australian sugarcane soil tested factorial combinations of vermicompost and nitrogen fertiliser. Metabarcoding, trait-based analysis and structural equation modelling were used to assess soil biodiversity, decomposition and nitrate leaching. Bacterial genera diversity increased in the control soils during early wet-season recovery but rose less in vermicompost-amended soils. Vermicompost also shifted bacterial community composition and accelerated decomposition, while fungal and

SUBMITTER: Canning AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12828582 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature