Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity
Dissertation (MSc (Plant Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2025.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613724671475712 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Van der Waals, Jacqueline Elise |
| author_browse | Van der Waals, Jacqueline Elise |
| author_facet | Van der Waals, Jacqueline Elise |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSc (Plant Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/103074 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:42.021Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/103074 Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity Van der Waals, Jacqueline Elise angelique.dewet@tuks.co.za Steyn, J. Martin Coutinho, Teresa A. Lebre, Pedro H. De Wet, Angelique UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Potato soil microbiome Elevated temperature Carbon dioxide Potato agroecosystem Agricultural practices Sustainable agriculture Dissertation (MSc (Plant Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2025. Agriculture plays an important role in global food security, but significant challenges, including climate change and land degradation, threaten crop productivity and soil health. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important non-grain food crops worldwide. However, production of the crop faces major obstacles due to changing climatic conditions, particularly because of its sensitivity to heat stress. In addition, intensive agricultural practices have led to soil degradation, further reducing crop yields and negatively influencing soil ecosystem functioning. Central to these challenges is the soil microbiome, which plays a vital role in nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and plant resilience against environmental stressors. However, climate change and intensive agricultural practices lead to disruptions in soil microbial communities, posing a threat to soil biodiversity, agroecosystem stability, and long-term crop productivity. This study aimed to explore the complex interactions between climate change factors (elevated temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels), agricultural practices, and the soil microbiome within potato production systems in South Africa. The effect of elevated temperature and CO2 was observed on microbial taxonomic shifts in the potato soil microbiome. Two growth chamber trials were conducted using four temperature-CO2 treatment combinations reflecting projected climatic conditions for South Africa. While alpha diversity remained stable under elevated temperature and CO2 conditions, significant shifts in beta diversity indicated changes in microbial community composition with CO2 as a primary driver. Notably, elevated temperature favoured thermo-tolerant taxa such as Gemmatimonadota and Bacillota, whereas elevated CO2 favoured genera such as Saccharomonospora and Flavobacterium, known for their roles in nutrient cycling and plant growth promotion. A mini-plot trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of different agricultural practices, namely chemical pest control, integrated pest management (IPM), and organic farming, on potato yield, tuber blemish diseases, soil chemistry, and soil microbial diversity. The IPM and organic treatments significantly increased tuber yield compared to the chemical treatment, particularly in the first season. Soil pH and potassium levels increased under the IPM and organic treatments. Soil microbiome analysis revealed that the IPM and organic treatments promoted higher bacterial diversity, whereas the chemical treatment promoted fungal diversity. When comparing the effects of climate change and agricultural practices, climate-induced shifts in microbial community composition emerged as more pronounced compared to shifts caused by agricultural practices. Elevated CO2 levels were identified as a primary driver of microbial communities, indicating that climate change had a stronger influence on the soil microbiome dynamics than the short-term changes induced by agricultural management practices. However, sustainable agricultural practices may be a potential mitigation strategy for climate change by enhancing soil microbial diversity and promoting ecosystem resilience. Notably, beneficial taxa associated with nutrient cycling and disease suppression were enriched under the IPM and organic treatments, suggesting these practices could be a potential buffer against the negative impacts of climate change. NRF SA-China-Belgium Research, Grant Number: 136182 Microbiology and Plant Pathology MSc (Plant Pathology) Unrestricted Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences SDG-02: Zero Hunger 2025-07-01T13:14:32Z 2025-07-01T13:14:32Z 2025-09 2025-03 Dissertation * S2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/103074 https://10.25403/UPresearchdata.29178758 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Potato soil microbiome Elevated temperature Carbon dioxide Potato agroecosystem Agricultural practices Sustainable agriculture Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity |
| title | Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity |
| title_full | Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity |
| title_short | Exploring the impact of agricultural practices, temperature, and CO2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity |
| title_sort | exploring the impact of agricultural practices temperature and co2 on potato health and soil microbiome biodiversity |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Potato soil microbiome Elevated temperature Carbon dioxide Potato agroecosystem Agricultural practices Sustainable agriculture |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/103074 https://10.25403/UPresearchdata.29178758 |