Variability Of Soil Chemical Properties Research Articles

Spatial Variability of Soil Chemical Properties in Patna, Vaishali and Saran Districts Adjoining the Ganga River, Bihar, India

The spatial variability in soil nutrients was recorded during 2019-2020 at Patna, Vaishali and Saran districts of Bihar, India which are adjoined to Ganga river. The soil samples were collected from pin pointed locations using GPS device to obtain the exact local coordinates of each sampling site and subsequently the protocol for sampling procedure was followed. Then, soil properties, viz., pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and available iron (Fe) content were analysed in the laboratory. Descriptive statistics were applied to explain the normality status of soil properties The data of skewness and kurtosis for soil pH at 0–15 cm soil depth were negative (-0.72) and (-0.55). Standard deviation of available nitrogen, phosphorus and available iron was found equal to 1/3 of mean indicating the non-normality of the distribution of parameter of data. In sub-surface soil, the value of kurtosis was recorded negative values with pH, OC, available N whereas, positive data recorded with EC, available P, K and Fe respectively. The correlation coefficients indicated that organic carbon was positively correlated with available N, P and K and available iron had negative correlation. The negative correlation was also noticed with available iron with pH, EC, SOC, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium at 0-15 cm soil depth. Spatial distribution maps of soil properties were developed for these districts using kriging interpolation techniques in a GIS environment. The generated maps of soil fertility parameter could be helpful to the farmers and policy makers.

Geostatistical methods applied to soil fertility zoning

In conventional agricultural production systems, soil management is generally carried out without considering the spatial variability of its properties. This situation generates not only soil degradation but also an increase in production costs associated with the management of this factor. The objective of this research was to evaluate, through geostatistical methods, the spatial variability of soil fertility in Botana Experimental Farm of Universidad de Nariño. Spatial variability maps were estimated using the ArcGIS 10 program, the Kriging interpolation method, and the optimal ranges of soil fertility for the Andean region as projection parameters for making decisions related to land use. The fertility zoning of the farm was established, classifying soil as having high, medium, and low fertility. Most of the experimental farm had low fertility soils (20.7ha), and only 3ha had good conditions. Statistical analysis indicated a high variability in soil chemical properties. Properties such as pH and bulk density showed low variability.

English

This study was performed at lower Wabishebele sub-basin in Somali region south eastern Ethiopia to analyse the land use and cover and spatial variability of soil chemical properties of the sub-basin and develop soil map. A total of 41 soil samples were collected from 0-30 cm depth and analyzed for; pH total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and exchangeable potassium (EK). The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and geostatistical methods. The results showed that highest mean value of pH was recorded from bare land (8.05). The highest mean of soil N was seen on potential croplands (0.251) followed by dense shrub land (0.230), woodland (0.230), croplands (0.187), and sparse shrub land (0.159) and bare land (0.151). The highest mean of AP recorded at dense shrub land (7.279) followed by potential croplands (6.607 ppm), cropland, woodland, bare land and sparse shrub land. Soil map was developed for lower Wabishebele sub-basin. Therefore, the findings of this study can be used as baseline information to implement appropriate soil management intervention for current study area. Key words. Land use, land cover, soil properties, lower wabishebele, sub-basin.

Variation in Soil Chemical Properties in Relation to Vegetation Characteristics in a Serpentine Area of Hokkaido, Japan

Variation in Soil Chemical Properties in Relation to Vegetation Characteristics in a Serpentine Area of Hokkaido, Japan

Spatial distribution of soil chemical properties in the cerrado of Tocantins

Information on spatial variability of soil chemical properties is allowing an increasingly efficient management of soil fertility. This study was conducted in the municipality of Santa Rosa do Tocantins, TO, in the 2018/2019 crop year. The objectives of the study were to characterize the spatial variability of chemical properties of a dystrophic Red Latosol in the Cerrado of Tocantins using geostatistics and optimize the management of soil fertility by means of precision agronomy techniques, for more efficient input use in agricultural production areas. For the experiment, 49 soil samples were collected at 0.2 m depth, from equidistant points in a regular grid 100 m apart, over an area of ??150 ha. Each sample was composed of 5 subsamples. The soil properties evaluated included pH, bases sum, potential acidity, organic matter, total cation exchange capacity, base saturation, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. A descriptive analysis was carried out, highlighting the mean, median, minimum, and maximum values for each soil variable. In addition, the coefficients of variation, asymmetry, kurtosis, and the normality test of Kolmogorov-Smirnov were performed. The area presented significant variations in chemical and macronutrient attributes and little variation in micronutrients, except for zinc. The study reveals variations in different soil attributes and the need for correction depending on the requirements of the crop.

Characterization of soils cultivated with cassava under different managements

ABSTRACT Although cassava is an undemanding crop in terms of soil chemical fertility, the scarcity of nutrients affects crop productivity, and it is common to cultivate it in soils with low natural fertility, as occurs in Coastal Tablelands. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the physical and chemical attributes of soils cultivated with cassava under different managements. The study was carried out in the municipality of São Felipe, located in the landscape unit of Coastal Tablelands, Bahia state, Brazil. Fifteen properties were selected to evaluate the characteristics of soils cultivated with cassava under different types of management. Soil sampling was carried out during the months of October and November 2018, a dry period in the region. The medium-textured soil was predominant in the different areas of management of cassava cultivation. Most areas showed pH below the recommended range for cassava (5.5 to 6.5), base saturation below 50% and low phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium contents, according to the crop’s nutritional needs. The first two principal components explained 84.65% of the total variance. Thus, it was possible to verify that the diversity of management of cassava production areas results in high or very high variability of soil chemical attributes. The attributes pH, P, Al, H + Al, V, CEC and OM are the most representative in the distinction of soils of the cassava cultivation areas evaluated.

Little effect of tree species richness on within‐ and between‐plot variability in soil chemical properties in a young plantation forest

AbstractTrees impact the chemical properties of the soil in which they grow. When planting forests, the choice of tree species and species combinations is thus expected to partly determine the spatial variation in soil properties, even in the early stages of forest development. We made use of a biodiversity‐ecosystem functioning experiment in Belgium, FORBIO (FORest BIOdiversity and Ecosystem Functioning). The studied site is situated on former agricultural land on loamy sandy soil and replicates tree species richness (1–4 species) and composition. Soil samples (0–10 cm) were taken at five locations in 1, 2 and 4 species plots. We measured the total C and N concentration, the Olsen P, the pH‐H2O and the available Ca, Mg and K concentration. We hypothesised that the within‐plot spatial variability would increase with species richness and that the between‐plot variability would decrease with species richness. We found little evidence to support our hypothesis. We only found a smaller within‐plot variability in monocultures than mixtures for Ca, pH and C:N. Potential reasons for the little evidence for the effect of tree species richness may include the fact that the forest is only 9 years old, the agricultural land‐use history and the soil texture. Further research in sites with different soil properties or different land‐use history is needed to generalise these results.HighlightsVariation in soil chemistry was studied in young forest plots varying in tree species richness.Larger within‐ and a smaller between‐plot variation in mixtures than monocultures was expected.Larger within‐plot variation in mixtures was only found for for Ca, pH and C:N.Little effect of tree species richness may be due to young age, agricultural land‐use history or soil texture.

A genetic algorithm for resizing and sampling reduction of non-stationary soil chemical attributes optimizing spatial prediction

Aim of study: To evaluate the influence of the parameters of the geostatistical model and the initial sample configuration used in the optimization process; and to propose and evaluate the resizing of a sample configuration, reducing its sample size, for simulated data and for the study of the spatial variability of soil chemical attributes under a non-stationary with drift process from a commercial soybean cultivation area.Area of study: Cascavel, BrazilMaterial and methods: For both, the simulated data and the soil chemical attributes, the Genetic Algorithm was used for sample resizing, maximizing the overall accuracy measure.Main results: The results obtained from the simulated data showed that the practical range did not influence in a relevant way the optimization process. Moreover, the local variations, such as variance or sampling errors (nugget effect), had a direct relationship with the reduction of the sample size, mainly for the smaller nugget effect. For the soil chemical attributes, the Genetic Algorithm was efficient in resizing the sampling configuration, since it generated sampling configurations with 30 to 35 points, corresponding to 29.41% to 34.31% of the initial configuration, respectively. In addition, comparing the optimized and initial configurations, similarities were obtained regarding spatial dependence structure and characterization of spatial variability of soil chemical attributes in the study area.Research highlights: The optimization process showed that it is possible to reduce the sample size, allowing for lesser financial investments with data collection and laboratory analysis of soil samples in future experiments.

Spatial variability of soil chemical properties under different land-uses in Northwest Ethiopia.

The understanding of the spatial variation of soil chemical properties is critical in agriculture and the environment. To assess the spatial variability of soil chemical properties in the Fogera plain, Ethiopia, we used Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), pair-wise comparisons, descriptive analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA). In 2019, soil samples were collected at topsoil (a soil depth of 0-20 cm) from three representative land-uses (cropland, plantation forestland, and grazing lands) using a grid-sampling design. The variance analysis for soil pH, available phosphorus (avP), organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable potassium (exchK), exchangeable calcium (exchCa), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) revealed significant differences among the land-uses. The highest mean values of pH (8.9), avP (32.99 ppm), OC (4.82%), TN (0.39%), EC (2.28 dS m-1), and exchK (2.89 cmol (+) kg-1) were determined under grazing land. The lowest pH (6.2), OC (2.3%), TN (0.15%), and EC (0.11 dS m-1) were recorded in cultivated land. The PCA result revealed that the land-use change was responsible for most soil chemical properties, accounting for 93.32%. Soil maps can help identify the nutrient status, update management options, and increase productivity and profit. The expansion of cultivated lands resulted in a significant decrease in soil organic matter. Thus, soil management strategies should be tailored to replenish the soil nutrient content while maintaining agricultural productivity in the Fogera plain.

Temporal variability of soil chemical properties under conventional and silvopastoral cultivation systems

In recent years, agroforestry and silvopastoral systems have been gaining ground in rural areas, especially due to great acceptance by the population of products from locations that preserve the environment, being able to produce food and preserve the natural resources. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal variation of the chemical attributes of the soil in pasture areas managed with silvopastoral system and full sun (monoculture). The areas were evaluated in 2011, 2014 and 2017. Soil samples were collected at depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. Both systems presented reductions in the levels of organic matter over the evaluated period, reflecting the degradability of the material deposited in the soil. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the silvopastoral system (SPS) was more efficient in maintaining the organic component when compared with monoculture, despite not maintaining regularity in the levels of organic matter in the soil. As for the other chemical parameters, there were also changes, especially related to phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). For P, low replacement via organic material from the pasture and/or native trees in the SSP system were observed, resulting in a marked reduction over time. As for K, the presence of the nutrient was critical in both studied systems and depths, showing low replacement through litter.

Effects of brewery sludge on soil chemical properties, trace metal availability in soil and uptake by wheat crop, and bioaccumulation factor

Brewery sludge is the solid residue obtained from agro-industrial processing. It is possible to utilize the waste products in an environment friendly and economical way to replace mineral fertilizer due to its sufficient macronutrients and organic carbon content. However, its use is limited due to heavy metal concentration that may contaminate crops and then the food chain. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of brewery sludge for using to grow bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by determining the effect of brewery sludge (7 levels: 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 t ha−1, and 1 recommended rate of NPS only) on soil chemical properties, bioaccumulation factor, and heavy metal absorption in the soil and in the bread wheat grain using a Randomized Blocks Design field experiment conducted at two sites during the 2018 cropping season. Amendment of brewery sludge at a rate of 15 t ha−1 led to substantial variations in soil chemical properties except for Mg2+ content at both study sites. Concentrations of the studied heavy metals (except Zn in the soil) increased with increasing brewery sludge application rate in the soil and in the wheat grain. However, heavy metal uptake by wheat grain and heavy metal concentration in the soil were below the allowed limits. The bioaccumulation factor in the wheat grain was <1.0 for the studied heavy metals. The findings of the study suggest that brewery sludge at a rate of 15 t ha−1 could be recommended due to its high nourishing effect for soil and for promoting nutritional quality of wheat crop and is safe for human consumption. However, since sludge application may lead to increase in the amount of trace metals in the soil-plant system, a long-term study is recommended.

Effect of Savanna windrow wood burning on the spatial variability of soil properties

ABSTRACT Tropical Savannas cover an area of approximately 1.9 billion hectares around the word and are subject to regular fires every 1 to 4 years. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of burning windrow wood from Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) deforestation on the spatial variability of soil chemical properties, in the field. The data were analysed by using geostatistical methods. The semivariograms for pH(H2O), pH(CaCl2), Ca, Mg and K were calculated according to spherical models, whereas the phosphorus showed a nugget effect. The cross semi-variograms showed correlations between pH(H2O) and pH(CaCl2) with other variables with spatial dependence (exchangeable Ca and Mg and available K). The spatial variability maps for the pH(H2O), pH(CaCl2), Ca, Mg and K concentrations also showed similar patterns of spatial variability, indicating that burning the vegetation after deforestation caused a well-defined spatial arrangement. Even after 20 years of use with agriculture, the spatial distribution of pH(H2O), pH(CaCl2), Ca, Mg and available K was affected by the wood windrow burning that took place during the initial deforestation.

Impact of different crops on the spatial variability of the chemical attributes of Indian black earth in Southern Amazonas

ABSTRACT In the Amazon region, soil patches with an anthropic A horizon are found, called Indian black earths (IBEs). Indian black earths are highly fertile and, therefore, are deforested by small local farmers to cultivate without basic management that maintains soil and crop sustainability. Therefore, in order to evaluate the effect of using different cultures on the spatial variability of soil chemical attributes, three cultivated IBEs and one IBE under natural forest were selected for georeferencing and sample collection. The collection was made with a mesh system with 88 points per IBE, stratified in three layers: 0–0.05, 0.05–0.10 and 0.10–0.20 m. The soil was sampled, dried in the shade and sieved to obtain the fine earth fraction for analysis of chemical attributes. Descriptive statistical and geostatistical analyses were applied to the results. The use and management of soil influenced the spatial behavior of the chemical attributes of IBEs. The cultivation of Brachiaria over many years favored the reduction of the spatial variability of chemical attributes. The use of cacao and coffee crops also favored the homogeneity of the IBEs in relation to the natural forest, but not as much as for Brachiaria, likely due to the succession of crops that preceded these crops. The IBE in the forest contains a high natural spatial correlation in the first 0.1 m of the surface; however, more than 70% of this correlation is linked to a random variation.

Prostorno mapiranje kemijskih svojstava tla koristeći multivarijatnu geostatistiku. Studija s oraničnih tala u istočnoj Hrvatskoj

The spatial variability of soil chemical properties is affected by factors of soil formation and human activities. Understanding their spatial variability will improve agricultural production, reduce environmental problems (e.g., soil pollution, offsite effects), and achieve sustainable agroecosystems. The main objective was to study the spatial variability of pH, soil organic matter, available phosphorus, and available potassium using univariate and multivariate methods in cropland fields in eastern Croatia. For the study, 169 (0-30 cm) soil samples were collected in a 911 ha study area. The results showed that soils had slightly acidic pH, adequate available phosphorus and potassium values for crop production, and low soil organic matter concentration. The variability was high in available phosphorus and low in pH. Soil pH, soil organic matter, available phosphorus, and potassium nugget/sill ratio was 0.00, 2.79, 18.68, and 22.08, respectively. Auxiliary variables increased the accuracy of the predictions. Soil organic matter levels were below the recommendable, and this is very likely an anthropogenic effect, even though the intrinsic process influences soil organic matter. The heterogeneous distribution of phosphorus and potassium highlighted the necessity of fertilization in some areas. For the sustainability of agroecosystems, adaptable site-specific soil management strategies need to be implemented.

Comprehensive assessment of fertilization, spatial variability of soil chemical properties, and relationships among nutrients, apple yield and orchard age: A case study in Luochuan County, China

Data on fertilization and spatial characterization of soil chemical properties are crucial for developing sustainable apple production systems. However, such information at regional scale is scarce. We conducted a survey asking farmers in Luochuan County about their current use of fertilizers, and collected 290 soil samples from 0 to 20 cm and 20–40 cm depths, respectively, to examine the spatial variability of eight chemical properties, and analyze the possible relations between soil quality index (SQI), apple yield, and stand age. Results showed apple orchards were severely overfertilized, with chemical N-P2O5-K2O fertilizers of 1230–795–1080 kg ha−1 yr−1 and organic fertilizers applied at the rates of 74.7 kg N ha−1 yr−1, 66.1 kg P2O5 ha−1 yr−1, and 75.8 kg K2O ha−1 yr−1. With the exception of pH, both coefficient of variation and variogram range showed a moderate to high variability (16.5–77.7%) and spatial dependency (7.10–47.8%) for selected parameters. Distribution maps illustrated that the 0–20 cm soil depth was characterized by typically higher soil nutrient contents compared with that of 20–40 cm depth. Relative to the data observed in the 1980s, the averaged pH values decreased by ~0.20 units across 0–40 cm depth, while soil organic matter, total N, available N, P, K and Zn, and exchangeable Ca (Ex-Ca) increased markedly (26.2–508%) in the 0–20 cm depth, whilst few changes ( 9.84–178%) occurred at 20–40 cm depth. Correlation analysis revealed that Ex-Ca was the unique variable that was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with apple yield at 0–20 cm depth, suggesting the importance of soil Ex-Ca as an indicator of apple production. The relationship between apple yield and stand age was well described by a parabolic model, with ~17 years as the optimal stand age for producing the maximum apple yield. Notably, the SQI scores had significant relationships with apple yields for 8–13, 14–17 and 18–31-yr-old stands in the 0–20 cm depth, but the relationship was only significant for the 14–17-yr-old stands in the 20–40 cm depth, implying that 0–20 cm is the appropriate sampling depth for evaluating soil quality changes in apple production systems. Overall, long-term fertilization improved soil fertility of apple orchards, which required particular attention with regard to overuse of N, P and K fertilizers. Those results provide an important reference for China and other major apple-producing countries.

Spatial variability of soil chemical properties of Moso bamboo forests of China

This study investigates the spatial variability of soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC) and pH in the upper 20-cm layer and 20–40 cm layer in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Pradelle) forests using a geostatistics model. Interpolation maps of SOM, SOC, and pH were developed using ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse distance weighted (IDW) methods. The pH, SOC, and SOM of the two soil layers ranged from 4.6 to 4.7, from 1.5 to 2.7 g kg−1 and from 20.3 to 22.4 g kg−1, respectively. The coefficient of variation for SOM and SOC was 29.9–43.3% while a weak variability was found for pH. Gaussian and exponential models performed well in describing the spatial variability of SOC contents with R2 varying from 0.95 to 0.90. The nugget/sill values of pH are less than 25%, which indicates a strong spatial correlation, while the nugget/sill values of SOC and SOM fall under moderate spatial correlation. Interpolation using ordinary kriging and inverse distance weighted methods revealed that the spatial distribution of SOM, SOC, and pH was inconsistent due to external and internal factors across the plots. Regarding the cross-validation results, the ordinary kriging method performed better than inverse distance weighted method for selected soil properties. This study suggests that the spatial variability of soil chemical properties revealed by geostatistics modeling will help decision-makers improve the management of soil properties.

Comparison of Interpolation Techniques for Assessment of Spatial Variability of Soil Chemical Properties for Oil Palm Plantation Zonal Management

Spatial variability map of the soil properties is highly dependent on availability of data either in detailed or semi-detailed resolution. Variation on the data resolution affects the interpolation technique, thus the zonal management zone. However, there are many interpolation techniques offers, thus raises the issues of the most suitable method in zone classification. The study aim is to evaluate the best interpolation method in assessing the spatial variability of the soil chemical properties from highly weathered tropical mineral inland 108.5 ha oil palm plantation. These soil samples were brought back for further lab analysis. The spatial variability of the soil chemical properties was done by using interpolation techniques were utilized for geospatial statistical and deterministic analysis. Due to a variety of algorithms embedded in the interpolation techniques, the strength of Pearson correlation coefficient (r), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), percent bias (PBIAS), and RMSE-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR) were applied for accurate quantification of interpolation method. On average, EBK and OK were the suitable interpolation methods with the least average model validation statistical value i.e. error. Therefore, the evaluation and comparison of r, NSE, PBIAS, and RSR were appropriate approaches in determining the accuracy of the interpolation method for the zonal management practices.

Effects of afforestation of agricultural land with grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) on soil chemical properties, comparing two contrasting soil groups

BackgroundNatural afforestation of former agricultural lands with alder species is common in Europe. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation by actinomycetes associated with alder species has been widely used for improvement of soil properties of abandoned agricultural lands, but relatively little is known of the interactions of these processes with soil type and chemical composition. We conducted a space-for time study with soil sampling under and outside grey alder tree canopies on two different soil groups to explore effects of colonisation of former agricultural lands by alder on soil properties.ResultsThe results were analysed using analysis of variance. During the first 25 years after afforestation of former agricultural lands there was a significant increase in content of Ctot, Ntot, K+, Fe3+, Mn2+ and available P in the topsoil (0–10 cm and 11–20 cm) of Dystric Arenosols soils, which are deficient in organic matter. Such trends were not evident in organic matter rich Endostagnic Umbrisols soils, in which exchangeable K+ concentration decreased and exchangeable Fe3+ and Al3+ concentration increased.ConclusionsThe results show that the effects of grey alder on soil chemical properties depend on initial soil properties. The invasion of agricultural land by grey alder leads to spatial variability of soil chemical properties creating a mosaic pattern.

Behavior of Soil Chemical Attributes in Field-Forest Succession in Southern Amazonas

The use of geostatistical methods in the identification of the size and structure of the spatial variability of soil chemical attributes has been a very important tool in the evaluation and behavior of soil attributes. This research aimed to evaluate the spatial variability of chemical attributes in natural field and forest areas, in the Humaitá region (AM). In these areas, meshes with dimensions of 70 m x 70 m were established at regular intervals of 10 minutes in the 0.0-0.2 m layers, totaling 64 samples per layer. It was determined: soil pH, phosphorus (P), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), aluminum (Al3+) and potential acidity (H++Al3+). Base saturation (V%) and sum of bases (SB) were calculated. The data were evaluated by descriptive statistics and spatial dependence analysis, based on the best models and semivariograms adjustment. The chemical attributes are spatially dependent, they present random distribution of ideal sample spacing, considering that the variables that showed dependence were adjusted to the exponential and spherical model. Geostatistic was presented as an appropriate tool, providing information that allows the understanding of the spatial distribution. The degree of dependence was strong and moderate. The highest reaches were recorded in the natural field area.

Variations in soil bacterial communities and putative functions in a sugarcane soil following five years of chemical fertilization

ABSTRACT Chemical fertilizers are often applied to increase soil nutrient contents and improve crop yields. However, the impact of chemical fertilizers on abiotic and biotic characteristics of soil is unclear. Here, we investigated the variations in soil chemical properties and bacterial communities of sugarcane soil after a five-year chemical fertilization period with five different regimes, namely, Control (no fertilizer), PK (phosphorus plus potassium fertilizer), NK (nitrogen plus potassium fertilizer), NP (nitrogen plus potassium fertilizer), and NPK (combined nitrogen, phosphorus plus potassium fertilizer). We found that N-addition fertilizer treatments resulted in lower bacterial biodiversity as estimated by Chao1 and Shannon’s indexes. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Actinobacteria were the predominant phyla in all of the fertilizer treatments. The concentrations of different N forms (TN, NH4 +-N, and NO3 –N) were the most important factors in shaping bacterial community structure. Functional groups involved in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling significantly increased or decreased with chemical N-related fertilizer treatments (NK, NP, and NPK). The community composition and functions related to element cycling of soil bacteria were strongly affected by N-containing fertilizer treatments. The results suggest that bacterial communities in sugarcane soil may have been phylogenetically and functionally altered in response to chemical fertilization.