Innovative Technologies Can Improve Understanding of Microbial Nitrogen Dynamics in Agricultural Soils

Abstract

Core Ideas Innovative technologies improve metadata quality for soil N cycle omics studies. Microfluidics and automated sensing enhance tracking of N cycle intermediates and products. Model microfabricated systems offer greater control of microbial habitat conditions. Multiple approaches can achieve parallel quantification of N cycling genes. Insights from small‐scale studies can inform field‐scale management to reduce N losses. Roughly half of all nitrogen (N) added to soils is not incorporated by crops and is lost to the environment, but our ability to reduce N loss from soils is hampered by an inadequate grasp of microbial processes affecting N retention and mobility. High‐throughput sequencing (HTS) of microbial DNA is enabling fundamental insights into N cycling microorganisms and their metabolisms. This commentary describes six emerging technologies that could be combined with HTS to enable real‐time collection of metadata on N transformations, intermediates, and products to link soil properties, microbial processes, and the fate of N. These technologies include microdialysis and microfluidics, automated sensing, microfabrication of model soils, parallel quantification of N functional genes, sorting active cells, and stable isotope probing. Use of integrated technologies applied initially under controlled conditions at small scales can lead to identification of soil conditions and field‐scale management practices that promote better N conservation and delivery to agricultural crops.