Agriculture Commons^™

Evaluating The Impact Of Two Contrasting Tillage Practices On Soil Properties In Central Kentucky, Emily Cook

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Farming practices such as no tillage and plowing can institute change on soil physical and chemical characteristics. In this research, the effects of long-term conventional and no-tillage systems on the selected soil properties were determined in a continuous corn system on a farm with Maury silt loam soil. These samples were taken from University of Kentucky's Research Farm (Spindletop Farm). The field used was tilled in 1969 from bluegrass sod and the first time research was conduced was in 1970. Each plot is 20 ft. by 40 ft. and for many years each plot was split with winter cover crop …

Substantial Contribution Of Genetic Variation In The Expression Of Transcription Factors To Phenotypic Variation Revealed By Erd-Gwas, Hung-Ying Lin, Qiang Liu, Xiao Li, Jinliang Yang, Sanzhen Liu, Yinlian Huang, Michael J. Scanlon, Dan Nettleton, Patrick S. Schnable

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: There are significant limitations in existing methods for the genome-wide identification of genes whose expression patterns affect traits.

Results: The transcriptomes of five tissues from 27 genetically diverse maize inbred lines were deeply sequenced to identify genes exhibiting high and low levels of expression variation across tissues or genotypes. Transcription factors are enriched among genes with the most variation in expression across tissues, as well as among genes with higher-than-median levels of variation in expression across genotypes. In contrast, transcription factors are depleted among genes whose expression is either highly stable or highly variable across genotypes. We developed a …

Estimation Of Irrigation Requirements For Drip-Irrigated Maize In A Sub-Humid Climate, Liu Yang, Hai-Shun Yang, Jiu-Sheng Li, Yan-Feng Li, Hai-Jun Yan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Drip-irrigation is increasingly applied in maize (Zea mays L.) production in sub-humid region. It is critical to quantify irrigation requirements during different growth stages under diverse climatic conditions. In this study, the Hybrid-Maize model was calibrated and applied in a sub-humid Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China to estimate irrigation requirements for drip irrigated maize during different crop physiological development stages and under diverse agro-climatic conditions. Using dimensionless scales, the whole growing season of maize was divided into diverse development stages from planting to maturity. Drip-irrigation dates and irrigation amounts in each irrigation event were simulated and summarized in 30-year simulation …

Identifying Ecologically Relevant Scales Of Habitat Selection: Diel Habitat Selection In Elk, Caleb P. Roberts, James W. Cain Iii, Robert D. Cox

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Although organisms make resource selection decisions at multiple spatiotemporal scales, not all scales are ecologically relevant to any given organism. Ecological patterns and rhythms such as behavioral and climatic patterns may provide a consistent method for identifying ecologically relevant scales of habitat selection. Using elk (Cervus canadensis) as an example species, we sought to test the ability of behavioral patterns to empirically partition diel scales for modeling habitat selection. We used model selection to partition diel scales by shifts in dominant behavior and then used resource selection probability functions to model elk habitat selection hierarchically at diel scales within seasons. …

Effects Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilizer And Topsoil Amendment On Native Plant Cover In Roadside Revegetation Projects, Heidi L. Hillhouse, Walter H. Schacht, Jonathan M. Soper, Carol E. Wienhold

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Establishing vegetation on roadsides following construction can be challenging, especially for relatively slow growing native species. Topsoil is generally removed during construction, and the surface soil following construction (“cut-slope soils”) is often compacted and low in nutrients, providing poor growing conditions for vegetation. Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) protocols have historically called for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization when planting roadside vegetation following construction, but these recommendations were developed for cool-season grass plantings and most current plantings use slower-establishing, native warmseason grasses that may benefit less than expected from current planting protocols. We evaluated the effects of nitrogen and …

Recognizing Challenges And Opportunities In The Quest To End Hunger, Jennifer Williams Zwagerman

Texas A&M Law Review

As an attorney and professor that does not focus on intellectual property law, I was a bit apprehensive about providing a keynote address for a Symposium focusing on “Agriculture, Intellectual Property, and Feeding the World in the 21st Century.” As I thought about this topic, knowing that there were other speakers who would focus more on the IP issues and technical aspects of various topics, I kept coming back to the importance of technology as we worktowards the goal of feeding the world, and the many ways in which innovation plays a role in meeting that goal. It also brought …

The Gmo/Ge Debate, Joanna K. Sax

Texas A&M Law Review

We live longer and healthier lives because advances in science create easier and better ways to sustain and survive. Society has an intricate relationship with biotechnology. Vaccines save lives. Fluoridated water decreases dental issues. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Nuclear power is a form of clean energy. With any emerging technology, the benefits do not exist in a vacuum, thus, negative consequences result as well. Our widespread uses of antibiotics are creating antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Our research into nuclear energy also facilitated the creation of nuclear bombs. Perhaps it is human nature to use scientific advances for good and for …

Control Of Glyphosate-Resistant Common Ragweed (Ambrosia Artemisiifolia L.) In Glufosinate-Resistant Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr], Ethann R. Barnes, Stevan Z. Knezevic, Peter H. Sikkema, John L. Lindquist, Amit J. Jhala

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Common ragweed emerges early in the season in Nebraska, USA and is competitive with soybean; therefore, preplant herbicides are important for effective control. Glyphosate has been used as a preplant control option; however, confirmation of glyphosate-resistant (GR) common ragweed in Nebraska necessitates evaluating other herbicide options. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the efficacy of preplant (PP) herbicides followed by (fb) glufosinate alone or in tank-mixture with imazethapyr, acetochlor, or S-metolachlor applied post-emergence (POST) for control of GR common ragweed in glufosinate-resistant soybean; (2) their effect on common ragweed density, biomass, and soybean yield; and (3) the …

Pinching And Spacing Effects On Cut Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Production In East Texas, Rebecca B. Burnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three experiments evaluated pinching and spacing on Helianthus annuus in East Texas to determine their effects on growth and development. Experiment 1 was designed to determine the effects of pinching nodes 1, 2, 3, or 4 on ‘Pro Cut Gold’ sunflowers. Results from experiment 1 showed non-pinched plants produced marketable stem lengths and flower sizes, while pinched plants’ stem length, stem diameter, flower diameter, and disk diameter decreased compared to the non-pinched plants. The objective for experiment 2 was to evaluate pinching and spacing treatments on ‘Pro Cut Gold’ sunflowers. All spacings for non-pinched plants in experiment 2 produced marketable …

Impact Of Seed Protein Alleles From Three Soybean Sources On Seed Composition And Agronomic Traits, Lillian F. Brzostowski, Timothy I. Pruski, James Specht, Brian W. Diers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Evaluation of seed protein alleles in soybean populations showed that an increase in protein concentration is generally associated with a decrease in oil concentration and yield.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] meal is one of the most important plant-based protein sources in the world. Developing cultivars high in seed protein concentration and seed yield is a difficult task because the traits have an inverse relationship. Over two decades ago, a protein quantitative trait loci (QTL) was mapped on chromosome (chr) 20, and this QTL has been mapped to the same position in several studies and given the confirmed QTL …

Protocol For Enrichment Of The Membrane Proteome Of Mature Tomato Pollen, Puneet Paul, Palak Chaturvedi, Anida Mesihovic, Arindam Ghatak, Wolfram Weckwerth, Enrico Schleiff

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

We established and elaborated on a method to enrich the membrane proteome of mature pollen from economically relevant crop using the example of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). To isolate the pollen protein fraction enriched in membrane proteins, a high salt concentration (750 mM of sodium chloride) was used. The membrane protein-enriched fraction was then subjected to shotgun proteomics for identification of proteins, followed by in silico analysis to annotate and classify the detected proteins.

Transcriptomic Resources For The Medicinal Legume Mucuna Pruriens: De Novo Transcriptome Assembly, Annotation, Identification And Validation Of Est-Ssr Markers, N. Sathyanarayana, Ranjith Kumar Pittala, Pankaj Kumar Tripathi, Ratan Chopra, Heikham Russiachand Singh, Vikas Belamkar, Pardeep Kumar Bhardwaj, Jeff J. Doyle, Ashley N. Egan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background:

The medicinal legume Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. has attracted attention worldwide as a source of the anti-Parkinson’s drug L-Dopa. It is also a popular green manure cover crop that offers many agronomic benefits including high protein content, nitrogen fixation and soil nutrients. The plant currently lacks genomic resources and there is limited knowledge on gene expression, metabolic pathways, and genetics of secondary metabolite production. Here, we present transcriptomic resources for M. pruriens, including a de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation, as well as differential transcript expression analyses between root, leaf, and pod tissues. We also develop microsatellite markers …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Alternative Splicing In Paleopolyploid Maize, Wenbin Mei, Sanzhen Liu, James C. Schnable, Cheng-Ting Yeh, Nathan M. Springer, Patrick S. Schnable, William Brad Barbazuk

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Identifying and characterizing alternative splicing (AS) enables our understanding of the biological role of transcript isoform diversity. This study describes the use of publicly available RNA-Seq data to identify and characterize the global diversity of AS isoforms in maize using the inbred lines B73 and Mo17, and a related species, sorghum. Identification and characterization of AS within maize tissues revealed that genes expressed in seed exhibit the largest differential AS relative to other tissues examined. Additionally, differences in AS between the two genotypes B73 and Mo17 are greatest within genes expressed in seed. We demonstrate that changes in the level …

Evaluation Of Hall’S Panicgrass (Panicum Hallii Vasey) As A Model System For Genetic Modification Of Recalcitrance In Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum (L.)), Joshua Nathaniel Grant

Masters Theses

While switchgrass (Panicum virgatum (L.)) has long been recognized as a viable bioenergy feedstock, it and other plants have cell walls with recalcitrance to processing. Recalcitrance is recognized as a major barrier to broad adoption of switchgrass and other feedstocks for cellulosic bioenergy. In an effort to reduce recalcitrance, transgenic plants have been generated with altered cell wall phenotypes such as reduced lignin. Unfortunately, stable transformation of switchgrass and other C4 grasses is time intensive, costly, and genetic analysis is further complicated by polyploid genomic structures. Unlike switchgrass, which can be tetraploid to octoploid, a closely related species, Hall’s …

Gatekeepers Of Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis: Cytokinin-Ethylene Crosstalk Regulates Symbiotic Interaction In Lotus Japonicus, Seyedehmandana Miri

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Leguminous plants thrive under nitrogen-limited soil conditions because of their ability to symbiotically interact with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, known as rhizobia. In the presence of compatible strains of rhizobia, they develop specialized symbiotic organs, called root nodules, which host the bacteria and provide the appropriate conditions for symbiotic nitrogen fixation to occur. The plant hormone cytokinin is the key endogenous trigger for the inception of root nodule organogenesis. In the model legume Lotus japonicus, analysis of the cytokinin receptor gene Lotus histidine kinase 1 (Lhk1) showed that it is required and also sufficient for the initiation of nodule …

Emergence, Competition, And Management Of Glyphosate-Resistant Common Ragweed (Ambrosia Artemisiifolia L.) In Nebraska Soybean, Ethann R. Barnes

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is a competitive annual broadleaf weed in soybean (Glycine max) production fields throughout North America. The recent confirmation of glyphosate-resistant common ragweed in Nebraska justified the need to assess the emergence pattern and competitive ability of common ragweed in soybean and to evaluate alternative herbicide programs for effective management. The objectives of this research were to: 1) evaluate the effect of tillage and develop a predictive model for the emergence pattern of common ragweed in Nebraska; 2) model the competitive interaction between soybean and common ragweed as influenced by density and irrigation …

Investigation De Regeneración Natural De Plantas Vasculares En La Reserva Madrigal Del Podocarpus / Investigation Of Natural Regeneration Of Vascular Plants In The Madrigal Reserve Of The Podocarpus, Sy Baker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En el Sur de Ecuador, hay una historia larga de incendio que está asociada con la historia de la agricultura y ganadería a causa de las técnicas de tala y quema para despejar áreas para campos y también quemaduras intencionales para fertilizar los suelos y mejorar productividad agrícola (Fernandez et al 2015). En los últimos días de Noviembre de 2016, un incendio quemó campos, la Reserva Madrigal de Podocarpus, y parte del Parque Nacional Podocarpus en Loja, Ecuador—el enfoque de este estudio. En este estudio: (1) se registraron las especies y distribución de plantas pioneras y sobrevivientes, (2) la se …

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Of Wild Tomato Species During Fruit Development, Altynay Zhanayeva

Masters Theses

Fleshy fruits in different species can display large variation in color. A link between fruit color and seed dispersal success is suggested by previous studies showing that high intensity of fruit color increases the visitation rate in seed-dispersing birds. Wild tomato species (Solanum spp.) are excellent model organisms for research on genetic basis of differential fruit color development during the ripening process. Despite polymorphism in fruit color, all tomato species have yellow flowers due to accumulation of carotenoid pigments, which suggests that the carotenoid pathway is intact. Thus, regulatory changes controlling enzymes activity during fruit maturation are likely …

The Lx Report Of The Bean Improvement Cooperative No. 60, March 2017.

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

CONTENTS

LX Annual Report of the Bean Improvement Cooperative xi

BIC Coordinating Committee Membership - 1957 to 2017 . xii

BIC Meritorious Service and Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients - 1957 to 2015 xiii

BIC Awards Nomination Request for 2017 xvi

BIC/NAPIA Meeting in 2017 . xix

In Memory of Guillermo E. Galvez-Enriquez xx

RESEARCH PAPERS FOR 2017

OPTIMIZING SPORULATION OF Pseudocercospora griseola IN VITRO • Paula F. de Pádua1, Rafael Pereira1, Luanna B. W. Gomes1 and Elaine A. de Souza1* 1

FINE MAPPING THE BROAD SPECTRUM ANTHRACNOSE RESISTANCE GENE IN AMENDOIM CAVALO 3 • Gilio, T.A.S.1, Oscar P. Hurtado-Gonzales2, Giseli …

Towards The Development Of A Sustainable Soya Bean-Based Feedstock For Aquaculture, Hyunwoo Park, Steven Weier, Fareha Razvi, Pamela A. Peña, Neil A. Sims, Jennica Lowell, Cory Hungate, Karma Kissinger, Gavin Key, Paul Fraser, Jonathan Napier, Edgar B. Cahoon, Thomas Clemente

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty and Staff Publications

Soya bean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is sought after for both its oil and protein components. Genetic approaches to add value to either component are ongoing efforts in soya bean breeding and molecular biology programmes. The former is the primary vegetable oil consumed in the world. Hence, its primary usage is in direct human consumption. As a means to increase its utility in feed applications, thereby expanding the market of soya bean coproducts, we investigated the simultaneous displacement of marine ingredients in aquafeeds with soya bean-based protein and a high Omega-3 fatty acid soya bean oil, enriched with alpha-linolenic …

Corn Residue Use By Livestock In The United States, Marty R. Schmer, Rachael M. Brown, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Daren D. Redfearn

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Corn (Zea mays L.) residue grazing or harvest provides a simple and economical practice to integrate crops and livestock, but limited information is available on how widespread corn residue utilization is practiced by US producers. In 2010, the USDA Economic Research Service surveyed producers from 19 states on corn grain and residue management practices. Total corn residue grazed or harvested was 4.87 million ha. Approximately 4.06 million ha was grazed by 11.7 million livestock (primarily cattle) in 2010. The majority of grazed corn residue occurred in Nebraska (1.91 million ha), Iowa (385,000 ha), South Dakota (361,000 ha), and Kansas …

A Comprehensive Image-Based Phenomic Analysis Reveals The Complex Genetic Architecture Of Shoot Growth Dynamics In Rice (Oryza Sativa), Malachy T. Campbell, Qian Du, Kan Liu, Chris J. Brien, Bettina Berger, Chi Zhang, Harkamal Walia

Agronomy & Horticulture -- Faculty Publications

Early vigor is an important trait for many rice (Oryza sativa L.)- growing environments. However, genetic characterization and improvement for early vigor is hindered by the temporal nature of the trait and strong genotype × environment effects. We explored the genetic architecture of shoot growth dynamics during the early and active tillering stages by applying a functional modeling and genomewide association (GWAS) mapping approach on a diversity panel of ~360 rice accessions. Multiple loci with small effects on shoot growth trajectory were identified, indicating a complex polygenic architecture. Natural variation for shoot growth dynamics was assessed in a subset …

Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow From Glyphosate-Resistant Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus Rudis Sauer): Consequences For The Dispersal Of Resistance Genes, Debalin Sarangi, Andrew J. Tyre, Eric L. Patterson, Todd A. Gaines, Suat Irmak, Stevan Z. Knezevic, John L. Lindquist, Amit J. Jhala

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Gene flow is an important component in evolutionary biology; however, the role of gene flow in dispersal of herbicide-resistant alleles among weed populations is poorly understood. Field experiments were conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to quantify pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) from glyphosate-resistant (GR) to -susceptible (GS) common waterhemp using a concentric donorreceptor design. More than 130,000 common waterhemp plants were screened and 26,199 plants were confirmed resistant to glyphosate. Frequency of gene flow from all distances, directions, and years was estimated with a double exponential decay model using Generalized Nonlinear Model (package gnm) in R. PMGF declined by 50% …

Influence Of Olfactory And Visual Cover On Nest Site Selection And Nest Success For Grassland-Nesting Birds, Dillon T. Fogarty, Dwayne Elmore, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Scott R. Loss

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Habitat selection by animals is influenced by and mitigates the effects of predation and environmental extremes. For birds, nest site selection is crucial to offspring production because nests are exposed to extreme weather and predation pressure. Predators that forage using olfaction often dominate nest predator communities; therefore, factors that influence olfactory detection (e.g., airflow and weather variables, including turbulence and moisture) should influence nest site selection and survival. However, few studies have assessed the importance of olfactory cover for habitat selection and survival. We assessed whether ground-nesting birds select nest sites based on visual and/or olfactory cover. Additionally, we assessed …

Genome-Guided Phylo-Transcriptomic Methods And The Nuclear Phylogentic Tree Of The Paniceae Grasses, Jacob D. Washburn, James C. Schnable, Gavin C. Conant, Thomas P. Brutnell, Ying Shao, Yang Zhang, Martha Ludwig, Gerrit Davidse, J. Chris Pires

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The past few years have witnessed a paradigm shift in molecular systematics from phylogenetic methods (using one or a few genes) to those that can be described as phylogenomics (phylogenetic inference with entire genomes). One approach that has recently emerged is phylo-transcriptomics (transcriptome-based phylogenetic inference). As in any phylogenetics experiment, accurate orthology inference is critical to phylo-transcriptomics. To date, most analyses have inferred orthology based either on pure sequence similarity or using gene-tree approaches. The use of conserved genome synteny in orthology detection has been relatively under-employed in phylogenetics, mainly due to the cost of sequencing genomes. While current trends …

Long-Term Tillage Impact On Soil Hydraulic Properties, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Brian J. Weinhold, Virginia L. Jin, Marty R. Schmer, Leonard C. Kibet

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

An improved understanding of the impact of tillage systems on soil hydraulic properties is necessary to conserve and manage soil water under a changing climate. The objective of this study was to specifically measure soil hydraulic properties (total porosity, water infiltration, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water retention characteristics) in no-till, chisel plow, disk, and moldboard plow systems under rainfed continuous corn (Zea mays L.) after 35 yr on silty clay loam soils in eastern Nebraska. We measured ponded water infiltration (positive soil water pressure) and tension (-1 kPa matric potential) infiltration to exclude macropore (>125 mm diameter) flow. …

The Impact Of Continuous Living Cover On Soil Hydrologic Properties: A Meta-Analysis, Andrea D. Basche, Marcia Delonge

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Increased rainfall variability due to climate change threatens the efficacy of critical soil ecosystem services. One strategy to negate effects of too much or not enough rainfall is to improve soil water properties. Practices that offer “continuous living cover” can enhance soil water storage and other soil hydrologic properties relative to annual crop systems, but to what extent such benefits can accrue, under different conditions, remains under-quantified. To address these uncertainties, we conducted a meta-analysis that included 27 studies representing 93 paired observations measuring two soil hydrologic properties: porosity and the water retained at field capacity. All experiments compared the …

Mapping And Characterization Of The Fefe Gene That Controls Iron Uptake In Melon (Cucumis Melo L.), Raghuprakash Kastoori Ramamurthy, Brian M. Waters

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Iron (Fe) deficiency in plants limits crop growth and productivity. Molecular mechanisms that plants use to sense and respond to Fe deficiency by coordinated expression of Feuptake genes are not fully understood. The C940-fe chlorotic melon (Cucumis melo) mutant known as fefe is unable to upregulate Fe-uptake genes, however, the FeFe gene had not been identified. In this study, we used two F₂ mapping populations to map and identify the FeFe gene as bHLH38, a homolog of subgroup Ib bHLH genes from Arabidopsis thaliana that are involved in transcriptional regulation of Feuptake genes in partnership with the …

Patterns Of Gene Expression In Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera) Neonates, Challenged With Cry34ab1, Cry35ab1 And Cry34/35ab1, Based On Next-Generation Sequencing, Haichuan Wang, Seong-Il Eyun, Kanika Arora, Sek Yee Tan, Premchand Gandra, Etsuko N. Moriyama, Chitvan Khajuria, Jessica D. Jurzenski, Huarong Li, Maia Donahue, Kenneth E. Narva, Blair Siegfried

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

With Next Generation Sequencing technologies, high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) was conducted to examine gene expression in neonates of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (LeConte) (Western Corn Rootworm, WCR) challenged with individual proteins of the binary Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal proteins, Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1, and the combination of Cry34/Cry35Ab1, which together are active against rootworm larvae. Integrated results of three different statistical comparisons identified 114 and 1300 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in the Cry34Ab1 and Cry34/35Ab1 treatment, respectively, as compared to the control. No DETs were identified in the Cry35Ab1 treatment. Putative Bt binding receptors previously identified in other insect species were not identified …

Changes In Soil Microbial Communities After 10 Years Of Winter Wheat Cultivation Versus Fallow In An Organic-Poor Soil In The Loess Plateau Of China, Hui Tian, Hui Wang, Xiaoli Hui, Zhaohui Wang, Rhae A. Drijber, Jinshan Liu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Agricultural management methods, such as cultivation or fallowing, have led to significant changes in soil fertility and hence, crop yield. Such changes may have stemmed from changes in soil microbial communities and associated biogeochemical processes. This phenomenon is particularly true in organic-poor soil in the Loess Plateau of China. In this study, we examined three existing soil management regimes as part of a 10-year field experiment and evaluated their effects on fungal and bacterial community structures by performing high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing. These management regimes were (i) fertilized winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (FW), (ii) continuous natural fallow with weeds …