Impacts of winter wheat and cover crops on soil microbial diversity in a corn–soybean no‐till cropping system in Quebec (Canada)

Intensive agriculture based on repeatedly plowing a monoculture is known to degrade the structural, chemical, and biological properties of soils. Conservation gaining popularity worldwide with practices including reduced tillage, increased plant diversity, implementation cover crops. The aim this study was assess impact crop rotation crops soil microbial communities. hypothesis that enhanced diversity would boost microbiome. Two were tested by adding cereal (corn [Zea mays L.]–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] corn–soybean–wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]), as well had no total molecular biomass. bacteria/fungi ratio varied across plots but not clearly linked diversity. Bacterial richness influenced treatments, whereas eukaryotic decreased in presence one sites. Microbial composition most sensitive indicator Differential relative abundance (log2 fold changes) identified proteobacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) specifically related each system There more ASV Actinobacteria associated three-crop less Acidobacteria compared two- systems, respectively. As for eukaryotes, number ASVs belonging Ascomycota Cercozoa phyla important than two-crop system. This shows conservation agricultural can influence variations some could have functional implications organic matter decomposition or growth terms ecosystem services field sustainability.