Data: Impact of aged turkey manure on soil‒plant health: uncovering shifts in microbial diversity and antibiotic resistance genes (dataset)

Abstract

This study examines how aged turkey manure affects soil physicochemical properties, microbial diversity, and the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the soil‒plant system. The soil properties changed significantly, with reduced organic matter, carbon, and humus contents, alongside a lower C/N ratio, indicating increased nitrogen mineralization and enhanced microbial diversity. Manure-amended soil presented greater microbial diversity, particularly in terms of leaf endophytes, whereas root endophytes presented greater microbial diversity in the controls. Diversity indices, including the Shannon-Weaver (H') index and evenness (E), were greater in the manure-treated samples than in the control samples, although the differences were not statistically significant, whereas substrate richness (S) increased significantly in the leaf endophyte samples. ARGs were detected exclusively in manure-amended samples. The β-lactam resistance gene blaTEM was detected in aged manure, soil, and leaf endophytes. Tetracycline resistance genes (tetA, tetc, and tetM) persisted in the soil over time, whereas the resistance genes of the MLS (linA) and fluoroquinolone (aac(6')-Ib-cr) strains were transient and appeared only early in the experiment. ARGs, including β-lactam, tetracycline, and fluoroquinolone resistance genes, are absent in root endophytes but are present in leaf endophytes, raising food safety concerns. This research highlights the complex effects of manure application on soil health, microbial diversity, and ARG spread, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices in agricultural soil amendments to balance productivity and environmental health.