Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Soil Microbial Dynamics in Regenerative Agriculture Systems
Academic Video Service
  • View Times: 4
  • |
  • Update Date: 08 Oct 2026
  • regenerative agriculture
  • reduced tillage
  • diversified rotation
  • cover cropping
  • soil microbial dynamics
  • western Canadian prairies
  • soil health
  • pest suppression
  • yield sustainability
Video Introduction

This video is adapted from https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14051075

Regenerative agriculture (RA) is expanding across the Western Canadian Prairies, but its microbial foundations under climatic constraint remain insufficiently integrated. This review synthesizes evidence from long-term Prairie field experiments, regional and global datasets to evaluate how regenerative management reshapes soil biological processes and agronomic performance across systems. RA practices including no-till, diversified rotations, cover cropping, and organic amendments consistently enhance microbial biomass (up to 40–86%), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal abundance (32–60%), and microbial diversity (≈50%), alongside increases in soil organic carbon (up to 15.6 kg C ha−1 yr−1), aggregate stability (up to 38%), and water retention (up to 30–34%). These biologically mediated improvements are linked to enhanced nutrient cycling and crop nitrogen uptake (13–47%), as well as increased microbial enzymatic activity and functional gene abundance. Agronomically, these changes translate into yield gains ranging from 10% to 147% under long-term no-till and 14–38% under diversified rotations, with additional system-level benefits including reductions in synthetic nitrogen inputs (up to 73%) and herbicide use (up to 42%). While agronomic benefits vary across temporal scales and environmental conditions, this synthesis identifies microbial communities as key mediators of interactions among climate, plant, and soil systems, underpinning improvements in soil health, pest suppression, and yield stability in semi-arid, climate-variable Prairie agroecosystems. Continued long-term, system-level research is needed to refine regionally adapted regenerative transitions and to clarify how microbial processes mediate resilience under future climate uncertainty.

Full Transcript
${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
Submit
Cancel
There is no comment~
${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
Submit
Cancel
${ selectedItem.replyTextCharacter }/${ selectedItem.replyMaxCharacter }
Submit
Cancel
Confirm
Are you sure to Delete?
Yes No
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
Islam, M.N.; Nishu, S.D. Soil Microbial Dynamics in Regenerative Agriculture Systems. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/video/1911 (accessed on 09 October 2026).
Islam MN, Nishu SD. Soil Microbial Dynamics in Regenerative Agriculture Systems. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/video/1911. Accessed October 09, 2026.
Islam, M Nazrul, Susmita Das Nishu. "Soil Microbial Dynamics in Regenerative Agriculture Systems" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/video/1911 (accessed October 09, 2026).
Islam, M.N., & Nishu, S.D. (2026, October 08). Soil Microbial Dynamics in Regenerative Agriculture Systems. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/video/1911
Islam, M Nazrul and Susmita Das Nishu. "Soil Microbial Dynamics in Regenerative Agriculture Systems." Encyclopedia. Web. 08 October, 2026.
Academic Video Service