Abstract
<p><strong>Background:</strong> Microorganisms play a fundamental role in soil dynamics of agroecosystems. <strong>Objective:</strong> To determine soil quality parameters and the abundance of functional groups of edaphic microorganisms in eight different contrasting sites evaluated in a milpa agroecosystem interclassed whit fruit trees (MIAF) and in monocultures system. <strong>Methodology:</strong> Bulk density, humidity, pH, electrical conductivity, percentage of ash, oxidizable organic matter, oxidizable carbon, total nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen and nutrients (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup> and K<sup>+</sup>) were determined in composite soil samples by triplicate for each sites, as well as the diversity of weeds and abundance of total actinomycetes, nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes, yeasts, fungi, bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores. A principal component analysis was carried out to calculate a soil quality index (SQI). Analysis of variance, Tukey's mean comparison test (P ≤ 0.05), linear correlation, cluster analysis and canonical correlation were performed. <strong>Results:</strong> A greater amount of total actinomycetes (&gt; 4 Log CFU g<sup>-1</sup> soil) and nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes (&gt; 3.8 Log CFU g<sup>-1</sup> soil) and fungi (&gt; 1.7 Log CFU g<sup>-1</sup> soil) were observed in the MIAF system compared to the monocultures. For the sites with corn-bean association in the MIAF system, a high positive correlation was observed between organic matter content and nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes (r = 0.60) and yeasts (r = 0.73), as well as with the percentage of total nitrogen with yeasts (r = 0.70) and nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes (r = 0.75). <strong>Implications:</strong> The methodology used allowed the grouping of the sites studied, based on the SQI and a reduced set of variables. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The MIAF system favored the abundance of functional groups, soil quality parameters and the availability of nutrients in the soil compared to the monoculture sites.<strong> </strong></p>
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