The response of soil biota to water availability in vineyards

The association of soil communities with soil moisture was studied in a vineyard under two frequencies of deficit irrigation. The abundances of major soil organisms (fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, collembola and mites) were characterized and their relationships with either fluctuating (low-frequency irrigation) or constant (high-frequency irrigation) soil moisture were determined. Increased fungal biomass was associated with a low-frequency irrigation regime, whereas all other organisms were more abundant in the soil kept more constantly moist. This study suggests that manipulating irrigation in viticultural systems has the potential to affect soil community structure and possibly associated functioning, especially in arid climates.