Diakhaté S. auteur aut IRD Gueye M. auteur aut IRD Chevallier Tiphaine auteur aut IRD Diallo N. H. auteur aut IRD Assigbetsé Komi auteur aut IRD Abadie J. auteur aut IRD Diouf M. auteur aut IRD Masse Dominique auteur aut IRD Sembène M. auteur aut IRD Ndour Y. B. auteur aut IRD Dick R. P. auteur aut IRD Chapuis Lardy Lydie auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access A few species of shrubs grow with dryland row crops in farmers' fields throughout the Sahel and can significantly increase crop yield. The presence of shrub roots and litter inputs should have implications for soil nutrient pool sizes but there is limited information on the interactions of these shrubs with microbial communities involved in biogeochemical processes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the microbial composition and functional capacity of soil from the rooting zone of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) grown in the presence or absence of the shrub Piliostigma reticulatum in Senegal. Soil samples were collected from a long-term field study where millet was cultivated alone or intercropped with P. reticulatum with annual incorporation of coppiced shrub residues. Higher nutrient contents and distinct differences in microbial communities (DGGE profiles) were found between soils from beneath the canopy compared to soil outside the influence of shrubs. The catabolic response profile (MicroResp (TM)) showed that the soil microbial community at both shrub and non-shrub sampling locations, metabolized a wide range of substrates. Trehalose that can work as a signaling molecule was more rapidly degraded in the rooting zone of millet growing in the presence of P. reticulatum over millet alone. Urease, arylsulfatase and dehydrogenase activities in the millet root zone soil were higher when inter cropped with P. reticulatum which indicates enhanced potential of biogeochemical processes to proceed in the presence of this shrub. It is concluded that the native shrub P. reticulatum promotes a more diverse and active microbial community in the rooting zone of millet and further indicates greater potential to perform decomposition and mineralize nutrients. specialized Sub-Saharan Africa Piliostigma reticulatum Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. Soil enzyme activity MicroResp (TM) 16S-and ITS-DGGE profiling SENEGAL AFRIQUE SUBSAHARIENNE 074 068 082 076 129 71-79 2016 0140-1963 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010066931 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.01.010 0140-1963 [F B010066931] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010066931 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2016/06/010066931.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2016-06-29 2017-08-23 fdi:010066931 fre