Relationship between Microbial Community Composition, Soil Physicochemical Properties and Cotton Yields at a Field Scale.

Characterizing the soil microbial community structure at the field scale helps to assess soil health variations and enables site-specific management to improve crop production. We analyzed the microbial community structure using the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) method in two commercially managed fields in the Texas High Plains. Preliminary results showed significant spatial variation in microbial community structure. Microbial community structure appeared to be related to soil texture, topography, and cotton yield. Further analysis needs to identify spatial and temporal variation microbial community and biomass related to crop growth and development as well as crop yield.