Agricultural Soil Management Impacts on Soil Microbial Communities

Soil microbial communities are significantly affected by agricultural soil management. Inappropriate management can be a cause of land degradation and ecosystem services loss. This chapter aims to assess the impacts of agricultural soil management on soil microbiome. In large amounts, fertilizers and pesticides can affect the soil microbial structure and communities and change ground interactions between different ecological-trophic groups of microorganisms. Soil microbiological activity directly impacts plant biomass production and determines the ecological state of soils. The excessive use of mineral fertilizers affects the mineralization process and reduces microbiological diversity and soil organic matter. Organic fertilizers can positively affect soil properties (e.g., soil structure, fertility) and soil microbiome (diversity, microbial biomass, activity). Nevertheless, before using it, it is essential to identify the presence of antibiotic residues not to increase soil pollution and prevent it from entering the food chain. Control of contamination by antimicrobial substances is crucial for the elimination of spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. This is an additional tool for the prevention formation of soil resistome.