Anthropogenic drivers of soil microbial communities…

This review paper assessed the impact of anthropogenic interventions, including crop diversification in rotations, soil physical disturbance, synthetic chemical inputs, and bio- fertilizer use on soil microbial community structure and function, and the consequential effects on agroecosystem productivity and environmental sustainability.

Summarizing the results of over 160 medium- to long‐term experiments from various soil-climatic zones across the globe in this review illustrated that (1) increasing crop diversification in rotations could bring positive impacts on soil microorganisms and soil health, especially including legume crops in rotations. (2) However, monocultures such as continuous wheat cropping could negatively impact soil health by enhancing activities of host specific pathogens. (3) Physical agronomic practices such as tillage can alter soil microbial communities by shifting microclimate conditions. (4) Mineral nitrogen fertilizer use, a leading nutrient input, may have exceeded the planetary boundary of N cycling, and is causing soil acidification and decreasing microbial biomass. (5) Synthetic chemicals, essential for disease management
(pesticides) and yield sustainability (fertilization) in conventional agroecosystems are often toxic to non-target soil microorganisms, while bio-fungicides and biofertilizers—a more sustainable approach—carry significant risks to trigger succession of the native soil microbial community, thus impacting soil health.