Crop Rotation Boosts Number and Diversity of Microbes in Soil, Research Finds

By Bev Betkowski

Farmers now have more reasons to consider rotating their crops, University of Alberta research shows. Widely used to restore soil health, the agricultural practice boosts the diversity of bacterial and fungal microbes that benefit soil function, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.

Researchers analyzed the results of 148 published studies worldwide that used modern DNA sequencing to provide more accurate data on soil microbial diversity. They found that crop rotation raises both the number and overall diversity of bacterial species in soil.

Rotating crops also makes fungal communities in the soil more "unique" from place to place. This increased variation helps reduce the risk of particular types of fungus, such as a pathogen, from dominating an entire field.

And as bacterial richness and fungal diversity increased, so did crop yield, the researchers found. Stronger results were seen in rotations between contrasting types of plants, particularly legumes like beans, and non-legumes like grains.