TY  - JOUR
AU  - Kaleri, Abdul Rasheed
AU  - Ma, Jiahua
AU  - Abro, Saeed Akhtar
AU  - Faqir, Yahya
AU  - Nabi, Farhan
AU  - Hakeem, Abdul
AU  - Ahmed, Awais
AU  - Ahmed, Siraj
AU  - Jakhar, Ali Murad
AU  - Shah, Sayed Mustajab
AU  - Tan, Chengjia
AU  - Qing, Yuxin
AU  - Raspor, Martin
PY  - 2021
UR  - https://radar.ibiss.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4373
AB  - Dung beetles have been used to enhance soil health and crop growth and yields, but their effects on
soil enzymology and microbial diversity are seldom reported. The present work reports on beneficial
effects of dung beetles on soil enzyme activity, bacterial diversity and growth and antioxidant content
of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis). The soil amended with cow dung only (CD), or
with dung broken down by dung beetles (DB), was compared with untreated control (CO). Soil
bacterial diversity was determined through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and enzymological tests were
used for soil enzyme activity. Dung beetles significantly increased acid phosphatase, urease,
cellulase, catalase and β-glucosidase activities in the soil compared with CD or control. Bacterial
alpha-diversity significantly increased in DB when compared with CD or control. Microbial carbon
(C) and nitrogen (N) were significantly higher in DB than in CD and in CD than control. The DB and
CD treatments also significantly enhanced plant growth and the content of antioxidants (total
flavonoids, polyphenols and vitamin C) and phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), trans-zeatin
riboside (ZR) and gibberellic acid (GA3) compared with control, while a significant reduction was
noted in abscisic acid (ABA) in DB compared with CD or control plants. Correlation analysis
confirmed that the enzyme activities are pH dependent, as pH was significantly lowered by DB
compared with CD or control. Our results suggest that use of dung beetles in conventional practices
could be an effective strategy to improve soil nutrient availability and microbial activity and
antioxidant content of Chinese cabbage.
PB  - Springer
T2  - Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
T1  - Dung Beetle Improves soil Bacterial Diversity and Enzyme Activity and Enhances Growth and  Antioxidant Content of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis)
IS  - 4
VL  - 21
DO  - 10.1007/s42729-021-00614-w
SP  - 3387
EP  - 3401
ER  - 

@article{
author = "Kaleri, Abdul Rasheed and Ma, Jiahua and Abro, Saeed Akhtar and Faqir, Yahya and Nabi, Farhan and Hakeem, Abdul and Ahmed, Awais and Ahmed, Siraj and Jakhar, Ali Murad and Shah, Sayed Mustajab and Tan, Chengjia and Qing, Yuxin and Raspor, Martin",
year = "2021",
abstract = "Dung beetles have been used to enhance soil health and crop growth and yields, but their effects on
soil enzymology and microbial diversity are seldom reported. The present work reports on beneficial
effects of dung beetles on soil enzyme activity, bacterial diversity and growth and antioxidant content
of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis). The soil amended with cow dung only (CD), or
with dung broken down by dung beetles (DB), was compared with untreated control (CO). Soil
bacterial diversity was determined through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and enzymological tests were
used for soil enzyme activity. Dung beetles significantly increased acid phosphatase, urease,
cellulase, catalase and β-glucosidase activities in the soil compared with CD or control. Bacterial
alpha-diversity significantly increased in DB when compared with CD or control. Microbial carbon
(C) and nitrogen (N) were significantly higher in DB than in CD and in CD than control. The DB and
CD treatments also significantly enhanced plant growth and the content of antioxidants (total
flavonoids, polyphenols and vitamin C) and phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), trans-zeatin
riboside (ZR) and gibberellic acid (GA3) compared with control, while a significant reduction was
noted in abscisic acid (ABA) in DB compared with CD or control plants. Correlation analysis
confirmed that the enzyme activities are pH dependent, as pH was significantly lowered by DB
compared with CD or control. Our results suggest that use of dung beetles in conventional practices
could be an effective strategy to improve soil nutrient availability and microbial activity and
antioxidant content of Chinese cabbage.",
publisher = "Springer",
journal = "Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition",
title = "Dung Beetle Improves soil Bacterial Diversity and Enzyme Activity and Enhances Growth and  Antioxidant Content of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis)",
number = "4",
volume = "21",
doi = "10.1007/s42729-021-00614-w",
pages = "3387-3401"
}

Kaleri, A. R., Ma, J., Abro, S. A., Faqir, Y., Nabi, F., Hakeem, A., Ahmed, A., Ahmed, S., Jakhar, A. M., Shah, S. M., Tan, C., Qing, Y.,& Raspor, M.. (2021). Dung Beetle Improves soil Bacterial Diversity and Enzyme Activity and Enhances Growth and  Antioxidant Content of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis). in Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
Springer., 21(4), 3387-3401.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-021-00614-w

Kaleri AR, Ma J, Abro SA, Faqir Y, Nabi F, Hakeem A, Ahmed A, Ahmed S, Jakhar AM, Shah SM, Tan C, Qing Y, Raspor M. Dung Beetle Improves soil Bacterial Diversity and Enzyme Activity and Enhances Growth and  Antioxidant Content of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis). in Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. 2021;21(4):3387-3401.
doi:10.1007/s42729-021-00614-w .

Kaleri, Abdul Rasheed, Ma, Jiahua, Abro, Saeed Akhtar, Faqir, Yahya, Nabi, Farhan, Hakeem, Abdul, Ahmed, Awais, Ahmed, Siraj, Jakhar, Ali Murad, Shah, Sayed Mustajab, Tan, Chengjia, Qing, Yuxin, Raspor, Martin, "Dung Beetle Improves soil Bacterial Diversity and Enzyme Activity and Enhances Growth and  Antioxidant Content of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis)" in Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 21, no. 4 (2021):3387-3401,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-021-00614-w . .