Published January 10, 2026 | Version version 1
Dataset Embargoed

Data set of soil microbial components in response to extreme spring events at variable temperatures

Creators

  • 1. Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l"analisi dell"economia agraria

Contributors

  • 1. ROR icon Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria

Description

The soil microbial response to prolonged soil drought (20% field capacity FC), wetness (above FC) and moderate drought (common at 50% FC) was simulated in pots at two spring temperatures - 2°C and +2.5°C colder and warmer, respectively, compared to the average in the central-eastern Po Valley, Italy (decade 2014-2024). 

Two soils (a ploughed soil and an adjacent renatured soil) were subjected to two 60-day cycles (cold and warm spring) at three levels of soil water content. The climate simulation started after the wheat seedlings had reached the two-leaf stage in all pots. Soil samples were taken from the wheat rhizome at the end of each experiment.

The response of microbial biomass was evaluated in terms of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), total bacteria quantified as 16S gene copy number using Real Time PCR and total fungi quantified as 18S gene copy number using Digital PCR.

Three major bacterial groups, Pseudomonas, Actinomycetes and Bacillus, were quantified by real-time PCR using specific primers of the 16S region (F968/Ps-r; F243/518r; BacF/518).

Twenty-two enzyme activities were also quantified in soil samples. The data set contains a total of twenty-eight variables.

Files

Embargoed

The files will be made publicly available on February 1, 2026.

Reason: As the paper on the dataset has not yet been submitted, the embargo has been set until the possible date of acceptance by a scientific journal.

Additional details

Funding

European Commission
ARTEMIS European Union's Horizon 2020 No. 862695 EJP SOIL

Dates

Collected
2023-04-01
collection started
Collected
2024-09-01
collection concluded

References

  • Manici, L.M., Caputo, F., Fornasier, F., Paletto, A., Ceotto, E., De Meo, I., 2024. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungal phyla as indicators of land use efficiency for soil organic carbon accrual with woody plantations. Ecol. Indic. 160, 111796. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOLIND.2024.111796
  • Fornasier, F., Ascher, J., Ceccherini, M.T., Tomat, E., Pietramellara, G., 2014. A simplified rapid, low-cost and versatile DNA-based assessment of soil microbial biomass. Ecol. Indic. 45, 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOLIND.2014.03.028
  • Cardelli, V., De Feudis, M., Fornasier, F., Massaccesi, L., Cocco, S., Agnelli, A., Weindorf, D.C., Corti, G., 2019. Changes of topsoil under Fagus sylvatica along a small latitudinal-altitudinal gradient. Geoderma 344, 164–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.GEODERMA.2019.01.043
  • Manici, L.M., Caputo, F., Cappelli, G.A., Ceotto, E. 2021 Can repeated soil amendment with biogas digestates increase soil suppressiveness toward non-specific soil-borne pathogens in agricultural lands? Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 36, 4, 353 – 364 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170520000393