000			03952naa a22004217a 4500
001			G94436
003			MX-TxCIM
005			20240223202103.0
008			240223s2011 ne ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
020			_a978-90-481-9513-8
024	8		_ahttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9513-8_11
040			_aMX-TxCIM
041			_aeng
090			_aCIS-6061
100	1		_aSharma, S.K. _92935
245	0	0	_aMicrobial community structure and diversity as indicators for evaluating soil quality
260			_aDordrecht (Netherlands) : _bSpringer, _c2011.
490			_aSustainable Agriculture Reviews ; _vVol. 5
520			_aThe living soil system is of primary importance in sustainable agricultural production. Soil quality is considered as an integrative indicator of environmental quality, food security and economic viability. Therefore, soil itself serves as a potential indicator for monitoring sustainable land management. As part of the soil quality concept, a healthy soil supports high levels of biological diversity, activity, internal nutrient cycling and resilience to disturbance. The use of microbial community structure and diversity as an indicator to monitor soil quality is challenging due to little understanding of the relationship between community structure and soil function. This review addresses two critical questions regarding soil quality: (1) which soil microbial properties, particularly diversity and community structure, most effectively characterize soil quality and can be used as indicators, and (2) how can soil quality assessed by such indicators be improved or maintained? We provide an overview of available techniques to characterize microbial community structure and diversity, and furnish information pertaining to strategies that can improve microbial diversity, including mycorrhizae, in relation to soil quality by adopting suitable agricultural practices to sustain soil and crop productivity. These techniques include those for structural profiling, i.e. fatty acid methyl ester analysis, genetic profiling, i.e. PCR-DGGE, SSCP, T-RFLP, functional profiling, i.e. catabolic profiling, diversity of enzyme activity, and to profile both structural and functional communities comprehensively, i.e. gene chip. We identify the importance of minimum data sets (MDS) of microbial indicators, such that they must be (i) compatible with basic ecosystem processes in soil as well as physical or chemical indicators of soil health, (ii) sensitive to management in acceptable time frames, (iii) easy to assess or measure, (iv) composed of robust methodology with standardized sampling techniques, (v) cost-effective, and (vi) relevant to human goals, food security, agricultural production, sustainability and economic efficiency. We focus on specific agricultural strategies such as tillage, crop rotations, organic amendments and microbial inoculation to improve soil quality by managing microbial communities and diversity. Overall, we provide techniques to assess microbial communities and diversity, and their management through agricultural practices to improve quality of soil.
536			_aConservation Agriculture Program
546			_aText in English
594			_aINT2813
650		7	_91270 _aSoil quality _gAGROVOC
650		7	_910080 _aMicroorganisms _2AGROVOC
650		7	_93563 _aGenes _2AGROVOC
650		7	_916171 _aArbuscular mycorrhiza _2AGROVOC
650		7	_91832 _aTillage _2AGROVOC
650		7	_91807 _aCrop rotation _2AGROVOC
650		7	_95194 _aInoculation _2AGROVOC
700	1		_aRamesh, A. _933189
700	1		_aSharma, M.P. _933190
700	1		_aJoshi, O.P. _933192
700	1		_aGovaerts, B. _gDG's Office _8INT2813 _9860
700	1		_aSteenwerth, K.L. _933193
700	1		_aKarlen, D.L. _933194
773	0		_dDordrecht (Netherlands) : Springer, 2011. _gp. 317-358 _tBiodiversity, Biofuels, Agroforestry and Conservation Agriculture _wG99254 _z978-90-481-9513-8
942			_cBP _2ddc _n0
999			_c10327 _d10327