Analysis of Soil Microbial Communities Formed by Different Upland Fields in Gyeongnam Province

The present study investigated variations in soil microbial communities by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and the chemical properties at 24 sites of upland soils in Gyeongnam Province. The electrical conductivity of the soil under potato cultivation was significantly higher than those of the red pepper and soybean soils (p < 0.05). The gram-negative bacteria community in potato soil was significantly lower than those in the garlic and soybean soils (p < 0.05). The communities of actinomycetes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the red pepper soil were significantly higher than those in the potato soil (p < 0.05). In addition, the cy17:0 to 16:1ω7c ratio was significantly lower in red pepper, soybean, and garlic soils compared with potato soil, indicating that microbial stress decreased. Consequently, differences in soil microbial community were highly associated with cultivated crop species, and this might be resulted from the difference in soil chemical properties.