Community structure of methanogenic archaea in paddy field soil under double cropping (rice–wheat)

Community structure of methanogenic archaea in paddy field soil under double cropping (rice [Oryza sativa L.] and wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]) was studied by the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) method. Soil samples under flooded and upland conditions were collected 7 and 6 times, respectively, from two paddy fields throughout a year, and two primer sets, 0357F-GC/0691R and newly designed 1106F-GC/1378R, were used for DGGE analysis. The 25 and 29 different bands were observed on the DGGE gels with the primers 0357F-GC/0691R and 1106F-GC/1378R, respectively. DGGE band patterns of the methanogenic archaeal community were stable throughout a year including the cultivation periods of rice under flooded conditions and of wheat under upland conditions. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis suggested that the difference in the soil type (sampling region) largely influenced the community structures of methanogenic archaea in paddy field soil, while the effects of sampling period and different fertilizer treatments on them were small. Most of the sequences obtained from the DGGE bands were closely related to Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinaceae, Methanosaetaceae and Rice cluster-I.