Evaluating the Influence of Organic Waste Compost Amendments on Microbiome Richness and Diversity in Pre-Plantation and Post-Harvest Soils: Insights from 16S rRNA Metagenomic Profiling

Abstract

Understanding the dynamics of soil microbiomes is crucial for sustainable agriculture and developing effective soil management strategies. This study investigates the impact of leaf-based compost and other organic waste bio-compost amendments on the microbial richness and diversity in soils using 16S rRNA metagenomic profiling. Our results revealed significant variation of the microbiome richness and diversity on soil due to the bio-composts amendment. Interestingly, the bio-composts amendment resulted in a pronounced enrichment of beneficial microorganisms such as Achromobacter, Agromyces, Bacillus, Clostridium, Nitrospira, Planctomyces, Pseudomonas, Steroidobacter, Streptomyces, Alicyclobacillus, and Bdellovibrio, known for their roles in nutrient recycling, plant growth promotion, and disease suppression. The presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Flavobacterium, Leptolyngbya, Balneimonas, Geobacter, Nocardia, and Mycobacterium, were higher in the chemical fertilizer-amended soil sample than the bio-composts amended soils, which indicated the bioremediation of pathogens due to bio-compost amendment. Moreover, it was also observed that the microbiome population of the cultivars were affected by the bio-compost amendments. Generally, the organic cultivars produced using bio-compost amendments had higher beneficial microorganisms and lower pathogens than the conventional produce with chemical fertiliser amendment. Thus, leaf-based compost and other organic-waste compost could be used as bio-organic fertilizer for healthy sustainable productivity.