Impacts of organic fertilizer substitution on soil microbiota: A meta-analysis

Abstract

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture has led to a decline in soil biodiversity. Organic fertilizer substitution has been proposed as a sustainable alternative toward the mitigation of these adverse effects, yet its impacts on the diversity of soil microbiota across varying environmental contexts remain poorly quantified. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of 82 published studies from large-scale agricultural ecosystems. We revealed that organic fertilizer substitution significantly increased the abundances of bacteria, fungi, and nematodes, while enhancing the alpha diversity of bacterial and fungal communities. Specifically, the positive impacts on microbial abundance and alpha diversity became stronger over prolonged experimental timelines. The most potent effects on nematode abundance, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) richness, as well as bacterial Shannon and fungal Chao1 indices were observed under moderate substitution proportions (20%–50%). The stimulatory effects on the abundance and alpha diversity of bacteria and fungi were more pronounced in warm and humid climates, whereas the AMF Shannon index increased in colder regions. Moreover, the nematode Shannon index responded more strongly in drylands than in paddy fields. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that organic fertilizer substitution effectively rebuilt the complexity of the soil micro-food web. Consequently, we recommend a moderate substitution proportion of 20%–50% to maximize biodiversity gains in agricultural soils.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

organic fertilizer substitution / soil micro-food web / microbiome / nematode community / biodiversity.

Highlight

	● Organic fertilizer substitution enhances soil microbiota abundance broadly.
	● Bacterial Shannon diversity and fungal rare species diversity respond most sensitively.
	● Optimal effects occur at 20%–50% substitution proportions.

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