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Published:
May 2, 2026DOI:
10.4314/mejs.v18i1.9Keywords:
Article Details
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Main Article Content
Effect of Soil Liming on Microbial Diversity, Distribution, and Composition
Gebreselema Gebreyohannes
Abstract
Soil acidity is a major constraint to agricultural productivity in Northwest Ethiopia, where acidic soils limit nutrient availability and reduce crop yields. Liming, a widely adopted practice to neutralize soil acidity, improves soil pH and alters physicochemical properties such as nutrient solubility and organic matter dynamics. These changes influence microbial communities that are central to nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and ecosystem health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of liming on microbial diversity, distribution, and composition in the Debark area of the North Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Two farmland sites, Miligebsa and Yekrar, were selected for a cross-sectional study. Five soil samples (200 g each) were randomly collected from 12 m × 12 m plots before and after liming, composited into 1 kg samples, and serially diluted for culturing. Bacteria were isolated on nutrient agar with cycloheximide, and fungi on PDA with chloramphenicol and streptomycin. Bacterial isolates were identified using microscopy, colony morphology, and biochemical tests. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Liming significantly increased soil pH from ~5.7 to ~7.4, while moisture content remained stable. Bacterial counts rose significantly (p < 0.05) at both sites, from ~90 to ~136 CFU/mL, whereas fungal counts declined (p < 0.05), from 15.70 to 4.10 CFU/mL at Yekrar and from 12.10 to 6.00 CFU/mL at Miligebsa. Pseudomonas spp. dominated before liming but was replaced by Bacillus spp. afterwards, while Aspergillus spp. remained the dominant fungi, though its abundance decreased. Statistical analyses confirmed significant shifts in microbial communities, with a transition from fungal to bacterial dominance. Liming proved to be an effective soil reclamation strategy, raising pH, enhancing bacterial abundance, reducing fungal populations, and improving nutrient cycling and soil fertility. These findings highlight soil pH as a key regulator of microbial structure and demonstrate liming’s role as a low-cost, practical approach for restoring degraded acidic soils and supporting sustainable agriculture in smallholder systems of Northwest Ethiopia. Future research should monitor long-term impacts of liming, optimize application strategies, and integrate liming with complementary soil management practices. Functional and crop-specific analyses, socioeconomic assessments, regional expansion, and stronger extension-policy linkages are essential to advance sustainable soil management and ensure widespread adoption among smallholder farmers.
