03471naa a2200385 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006002400360007410000160011024501180012626000090024450013190025352010650157265300160263765300260265365300190267965300220269870000180272070000220273870000120276070000140277270000180278670000140280470000150281870000170283370000210285070000200287170000160289170000220290770000130292970000180294270000200296077301050298010639422023-03-21       2023    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a2662-13557 a10.1038/s43016-022-00671-z2DOI1 aNEAL, A. L.  aArable soil nitrogen dynamics reflect organic inputs via the extended composite phenotype.h[electronic resource]  c2023  aArticle history: Received 04 February 2022; Accepted 14 November 2022; Published 23 December 2022. -- Corresponding author: Neal, A.L.; Net Zero and Resilient Farming, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, United Kingdom; email:andy.neal@rothamsted.ac.uk  -- Supplementary information - https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1038%2Fs43016-022-00671-z/MediaObjects/43016_2022_671_MOESM1_ESM.pdf -- FUNDING: This research was supported by UK Research and Innovation?s (UKRI) Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC)-funded Soil to Nutrition strategic programme (BBS/E/C/000I0310 for A.L.N., X.Z., D.H., I.M.C. and J.W.C., and BBS/E/C/000I0320 for T.T. and L.M.C.). The Broadbalk Wheat Experiment is part of the Rothamsted Long-term Experiments National Capability supported by BBSRC (BBS/E/C/000J0300 for M.L.G.) and the Lawes Agricultural Trust. H.A.B. was supported by funding from the Soils Training and Research Studentships programme provided by UKRI?s BBSRC and Natural Environment Research Council. L.-J.G. and R.K. were supported by the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation, a collaboration between UKRI's Science and Technology Facilities Council and IBM Research Europe. -- CHECK UPDATES:  http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1038/s43016-022-00671-z&domain=pdf  aABSTRACT.- Achieving food security requires resilient agricultural systems with improved nutrient-use efficiency, optimized water and nutrient storage in soils, and reduced gaseous emissions. Success relies on understanding coupled nitrogen and carbon metabolism in soils, their associated influences on soil structure and the processes controlling nitrogen transformations at scales relevant to microbial activity. Here we show that the influence of organic matter on arable soil nitrogen transformations can be decoded by integrating metagenomic data with soil structural parameters. Our approach provides a mechanistic explanation of why organic matter is effective in reducing nitrous oxide losses while supporting system resilience. The relationship between organic carbon, soil-connected porosity and flow rates at scales relevant to microbes suggests that important increases in nutrient-use efficiency could be achieved at lower organic carbon stocks than currently envisaged. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.  aAgriculture  aEnvironmental impacts  aGreenhouse Gas  aSoil Microbiology1 aBARRAT, H. A.1 aBACQ-LEBREUIL, A.1 aQIN, Y.1 aZHANG, X.1 aTAKAHASHI, T.1 aRUBIO, V.1 aHUGHES, D.1 aCLARK, I. M.1 aCÁRDENAS, L. M.1 aGARDINER, L. J.1 aKRISHNA, R.1 aGLENDINING, M. L.1 aRITZ, K.1 aMOONEY, S. J.1 aCRAWFORD, J. W.  tNature Food, 2023, Volume 4, Issue 1, Pages 51 - 60. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00671-z