Smallholder Farmers’ Practices and African Indigenous Vegetables Affect Soil Microbial Biodiversity and Enzyme Activities in Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya

Biology

Nic Pacini¹  Vincenzo Tabaglio²  Andrea Fiorini²  Eren Taskin³  Edoardo Puglisi³  Chiara Misci³  Francesca Bandini³  Clifford Obiero⁴  DanielNdaka Sila⁵ 

[1] Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Ambiente (DIAm), Università della Calabria, Via Pietro Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy;Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Vegetali Sostenibili (DI.PRO.VE.S.), Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy;Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari per la Sostenibilità della Filiera Agro-Alimentare (DISTAS), Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy;Land Resource Planning and Management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000, Kenya;School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000, Kenya;

关键词: soil biodiversity;    soil bacteria;    soil fungi;    family farming;    NGS;    HTS;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biology10010044

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Loss of soil biodiversity and fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) may put the food security of smallholder farmers in peril. Food systems in SSA are seeing the rise of African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) that are underexploited but locally consumed without being considered a primary source of food and income. Here we present a field study, a first of its kind, in which we investigated the effects of different cropping systems and inclusion of AIVs in the farming approach on bacterial and fungal biodiversity and community structures, enzymatic activity, and the alteration status of soils of the smallholder farmers in Kenya. When compared to mainstream farming approaches, the composition and biodiversity of bacteria and fungi under AIV cultivations was significantly different. Tillage had a significant impact only on the fungal communities. Fertilization and soil amendments caused shifts in microbial communities towards specialized degraders and revealed the introduction of specific microorganisms from amendments. Traditional homemade plant protection products did not cause any disturbance to either of soil bacteria or fungi. The soil alteration index based on enzyme activity successfully differentiated the alteration status for the first time in SSA. These findings could be useful for farmers to integrate AIVs with correct sustainable practices for a sustainable future.

【 授权许可】

Unknown