Exploring the influence of cover crops with native plant species on soil and berry microbiota in a Moscatel Galego vineyard: Implications for sustainable viticulture

Abstract

The understanding of how cover crops composed of native plant species affect soil and berry microbiota within vineyards is not yet elucidated. Through separate bacterial and fungal community profiling of soil and berry samples, the study elucidates the differential effects of cover crop mixtures on microbial communities within a Moscatel Galego vineyard. The results indicate distinct microbial habitats in soil and berries, each harbouring specific sets of microbes. Soil samples exhibit higher species richness compared to berries, with notable differences in taxonomic profiles between the two habitats. Cover crop species mixtures exert significant effects on soil microbial communities, as evidenced by canonical analysis and PERMANOVA tests. Interestingly, the impact of cover crops on berry microbiota is more nuanced, with fewer indicator species identified compared to soil, which may be due to the incomplete establishment of the cover crops. Nevertheless, cover crop treatments indicate some influence on berry microbiota composition, particularly in treatments featuring grasses and legumes. Identifying cover crop mixture-sensitive operational taxonomic units (cmsOTUs) further highlights the specific microbial taxa influenced by different cover crop species mixtures. Analysis of co-occurrence patterns within microbial communities reveals distinct networks for soil and berry microbiota, with cover crop-sensitive OTUs agglomerating according to cover crop mixtures in soil. Conversely, the berry microbiota network exhibits fewer distinct modules, suggesting a broader impact of cover crop mixtures on microbial communities. By elucidating the impacts of cover crop species mixtures on microbial communities, this research contributes to the development of sustainable vineyard management practices aimed at enhancing soil health and grapevine physiology.