Comparison of plant–soil feedback experimental approaches for testing soil biotic interactions among ecosystems

What is it about?

Recently there has been substantial debate about the correctness of different methods to perform greenhouse experiments that study how soil biota effect plant growth. Specifically the disagreement has focused on whether it is ok or not to mix soils to create experimental treatments or subjects. We performed a series of greenhouse experiments to directly compare whether the practice of mixing or not mixing soil would lead to a different conclusion. Our study was the first to directly compare these approaches, and showed that we always reached the same conclusion regardless of which experimental approach we used. We then discuss that the choice to mix or not mix soil should not be based on arguments that one method is always correct and the other is not, but rather on how each approach is correctly aligned with specific research questions and goals, which often differ among studies.

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