Previous studies have shown that diverse cocktails of pesticide mixtures are omnipresent in agricultural soils yet miss a clear link to the effects on the soil microbiome. In this study, we linked the occurrence of pesticides in conventional and organic agricultural soils of the SPRINT (Sustainable plant protection transition) projects’ Case Study Sites to the composition and function of soil microbial communities. Metagenomic...

Background and Aims The advantages of genotype mixtures on soil water balance are still poorly understood. We aim to determine the impact of soil water conditions (well-watered or chronic water deficit) on the root water uptake (RWU) of two contrasting root genotypes (“shallow root system” SRS and “deep root system” DRS) and their mixture at the booting stage. We conducted a controlled plant-soil column experiment and quantifi...

Background and Aims Improving agricultural tolerance to climate change is crucial for food security. We investigated whether combining wheat genotypes with contrasting root architecture enhances plant performance under varying conditions. Specifically, we examined how these genotype mixtures affect nitrogen uptake, carbon release and root-microbe interactions compared to single-genotype plantings. Methods We exposed monocultur...

Pesticides can have adverse effects on soil microorganisms, but they are underrepresented in the currently required OECD 216 test for environmental risk assessment of plant protection products (PPP). The guideline monitors soil microbial nitrogen transformation over 28 days, potentially missing long-term effects of persistent pesticides. Additionally, nitrate alone may be not sensitive enough to detect disruptions in microbial...

Background and aims Climate change and associated weather extremes pose major challenges to agricultural food production, necessitating the development of more resilient agricultural systems. Adapting cropping systems to cope with extreme environmental conditions is a critical challenge. This study investigates the influence of contrasting root system architectures on microbial communities and functions in top- and subsoil. Me...

Droughts affect soil microbial abundance and functions—key parameters of plant–soil carbon (C) allocation dynamics. However, the impact of drought may be modified by the mean climatic conditions to which the soil microbiome has previously been exposed. In a future warmer and drier world, effects of drought may therefore differ from those observed in studies that simulate drought under current climatic conditions. To investigat...

Formation of mineral‐associated organic matter (MAOM) supports the accumulation and stabilization of carbon (C) in soil, and thus, is a key factor in the global C cycle. Little is known about the interplay of mineral type, land use and management intensity in MAOM formation, especially on subdecadal time scales. We exposed mineral containers with goethite or illite, the most abundant iron oxide and phyllosilicate clay in tempe...

Climate is changing and predicted future scenarios include both changes in long‐term mean climatic conditions and intensification of extreme events such as drought. Drought can have a major impact on soil functional processes; soil microorganisms, key to these processes, depend on water and temperature dynamics. Consequently, feedback mechanisms regarding microbially mediated carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils may be affecte...

The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), one of the most productive regions of the Southern Ocean, is currently undergoing rapid environmental changes such as ocean acidification (OA) and increased daily irradiances from enhanced surface‐water stratification. To assess the potential for future biological CO 2 sequestration of this region, we incubated a natural phytoplankton assemblage from Ryder Bay, WAP, under a range of pCO 2...

Global warming will likely enhance greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions from soils. Due to its slow decomposability, biochar is widely recognized as effective in long‐term soil carbon (C) sequestration and in mitigation of soil GHG emissions. In a long‐term soil warming experiment (+2.5 °C, since July 2008) we studied the effect of applying high‐temperature Miscanthus biochar (0, 30 t/ha, since August 2013) on GHG emissions and th...