Summary Climate change‐related soil salinization increases plant stress and decreases productivity. Soil microorganisms are thought to reduce salt stress through multiple mechanisms, so diverse assemblages could improve plant growth under such conditions. Previous studies have shown that microbiome selection can promote desired plant phenotypes, but with high variability. We hypothesized that microbiome selection would be more consistent in saline soils by increasing potential benefits to the plants. In both salt‐amended and untreated soils, we transferred forward Brassica rapa root microbiomes (from high‐biomass or randomly selected pots) across six planting generations while assessing bacterial (16S rRNA) and fungal (ITS) composition in detail. Uniquely, we included an add‐back control (re‐adding initial frozen soil microbiome) as a within‐generation reference for microbiome and plant phenotype selection. We observed inconsistent effects of microbiome selection on plant biomass across generations, but microbial composition consistently diverged from the add‐back control. Although salt amendment strongly impacted microbial composition, it did not increase the predictability of microbiome effects on plant phenotype, but it did increase the rate at which microbiome selection plateaued. These data highlight a disconnect in the trajectories of microbiomes and plant phenotypes during microbiome selection, emphasizing the role of standard controls to explain microbiome selection outcomes.

Soil amendments with varying carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratios [grass clippings, wheat (Triticum aestivum), straw, sawdust] were pre-plant incorporated into 12 × 15-ft field plots at ≈4 tons/acre in fall and then planted to perennial strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) the following spring and grown 4 years. These amendments were intended to alter soil biological activity as measured by a suite of soil tests referred to as “soil health indicators” which, in turn, were hypothesized to affect strawberry plant growth and yield. In addition, plots were either tilled deeply or shallowly to determine if intensity of tillage affected soil health indicators. After the first and second years, amendments were reapplied between rows and soil and plant variables continued to be monitored. Soil respiration was consistently higher in plots with higher C:N amendments, with up to a 189% increase in respiration in sawdust-amended plots over unamended plots. The respiration rate was highest in sawdust-amended shallow-tilled plots; however, in most cases, tillage depth had no effect on other soil or plant variables. Potentially mineralizable N was higher in sawdust-amended plots in May both years, but not throughout the rest of the season. Soil moisture and pH were 21% and 2% higher, respectively, between the rows of strawberries than within the rows by September of the planting year, and remained that way throughout the next year. Neither the C:N ratio of the soil nor the foliar nutrient concentration of strawberry leaves was affected by the C:N ratio of the amendments. Most significantly, plant density and yield were depressed up to 42% and 26%, respectively, by planting into straw-amended soil, but planting into other amendments did not have this effect. After the second fruiting year (the third growing season), only straw was incorporated into half of the plots after harvest to mimic winter straw mulch incorporation, and yield was measured again the following spring. However, incorporation of straw between rows after plants were established did not affect yield. This study corroborates the general recommendation to avoid new strawberry plantings in locations that were recently planted to strawberry, as old fields likely harbor pathogens and contain undecomposed straw residue from previous years’ mulching that could depress yield. Despite differences in soil health indicators between amendment and tillage treatments, yield differences were not correlated with them. These observations suggest that alternative soil health indicators may be better suited for perennial strawberry.

Microbial experimental systems provide a platform to observe how networks of groups emerge to impact plant development. We applied selection pressure for microbiome enhancement of Brassica rapa biomass to examine adaptive bacterial group dynamics under soil nitrogen limitation. In the 9th and final generation of the experiment, selection pressure enhanced B. rapa seed yield and nitrogen use efficiency compared to our control treatment, with no effect between the random selection and control treatments. Aboveground biomass increased for both the high biomass selection and random selection plants. Soil bacterial diversity declined under high B. rapa biomass selection, suggesting a possible ecological filtering mechanism to remove bacterial taxa. Distinct sub-groups of interactions emerged among bacterial phyla such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes in response to selection. Extended Local Similarity Analysis and NetShift indicated greater connectivity of the bacterial community, with more edges, shorter path lengths, and altered modularity through the course of selection for enhanced plant biomass. In contrast, bacterial communities under random selection and no selection showed less complex interaction profiles of bacterial taxa. These results suggest that group-level bacterial interactions could be modified to collectively shift microbiome functions impacting the growth of the host plant under soil nitrogen limitation.

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Because of public concern about exposing children to pesticides, legislation restricting its use on school playing fields has increased. One way to manage weeds without chemical herbicides is overseeding or the practice of repetitively seeding with a rapidly germinating turfgrass species. Overseeding for broadleaf weed control was tested on eight fields in Central New York (CNY) for three seasons and 40 fields across the northeastern United States for two seasons. Half of each field was treated each season by overseeding Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass) three to five times each season for a total of 731 kg seed/ha (15 lb per 1000 ft2). Changes in the percent broadleaf weeds, grass, bare ground, soil moisture, Dark Green Color Index (DGCI) of grass cover, depth to soil compaction, and shear strength were measured after each treatment. The percent broadleaf weeds decreased and the percent grass cover increased due to overseeding in the Northeast fields, but not in CNY fields. Depth to compaction, percent soil moisture, and shear strength varied over time in the Northeast fields, and the percent bare ground, DGCI, and soil moisture varied over time in CNY fields. DGCI in the Northeast and soil compaction in CNY were affected by the interaction of overseeding × time. Although overseeding can be a beneficial weed management tool and affect other turf and soil traits in an integrated turf management program, monitoring environmental conditions and supporting field maintenance routines are critical weed management strategies for maintaining healthy turfgrass.