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Microorganisms
Volume 14
Issue 6
10.3390/microorganisms14061372
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)-Compost Amendment Increases Diversity, Functional Activities, and Network Connectivity of a Vineyard Soil Microbiota

by
Massimiliano Cardinale
1,*,†,
Fabio Minervini
2,†,
Francesco Maria Calabrese
2,
Margherita Chiarini
2,
Matteo Bernardi
2,
Maria Calasso
2,
Mohammad Yaghoubi Khanghahi
3,
Piergiorgio Romano
1,
Gianni Zorzi
4,
Maria De Angelis
2 and
Laura Rustioni
1
1
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
2
Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126 Bari, Italy
3
Department of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
4
Heracle S.r.l., 30020 Eraclea, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Microorganisms 2026, 14(6), 1372; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14061372 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 13 May 2026 / Revised: 16 June 2026 / Accepted: 16 June 2026 / Published: 21 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Topic Recent Advances in Soil Health Management)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture increasingly relies on organic amendments that integrate circular economy principles. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)-derived compost (MSW-compost) represents a promising candidate as soil amendment in viticulture, yet its impact on soil microbiota remains poorly investigated. This study assessed the effects of MSW-compost application on the bacterial microbiota of a Mediterranean vineyard soil over a twelve-month period, comparing two application methods (surface mulching and tillage incorporation). Soil DNA was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, complemented by functional prediction (Picrust2) and the Tea Bag Index to assess soil decomposition activity. MSW-compost significantly increased alpha-diversity and affected beta-diversity (p = 0.001) of the microbiota, regardless of the application method, with significant effects persisting throughout the entire observation period despite a clearly diminishing trend. Devosia emerged as the hub taxon of the co-occurrence network and was increased by compost addition. MSW-compost application mode remarkably affected the microbial network, with mulched treatment leading to a more complex, denser, and more interconnected network. While a similar number of taxa were increased or decreased, functional prediction revealed a notable enrichment of metabolic pathways, both synthetic and degradative, in the MSW-compost amended samples; this finding was supported by the enhanced red tea decomposition data (p = 0.007). Our results indicate that MSW-compost acts as a beneficial soil amendment, simultaneously enhancing microbial diversity and soil decomposition activity. This study provides novel evidence supporting the use of MSW-compost as a sustainable tool for improving soil microbiological quality in productive vineyards.
Keywords: municipal solid waste (MSW)-compost; vineyard soil management; circular economy; sustainable agriculture; soil microbiota; Devosia; functional prediction; Tea Bag Index (TBI) municipal solid waste (MSW)-compost; vineyard soil management; circular economy; sustainable agriculture; soil microbiota; Devosia; functional prediction; Tea Bag Index (TBI)

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cardinale, M.; Minervini, F.; Calabrese, F.M.; Chiarini, M.; Bernardi, M.; Calasso, M.; Khanghahi, M.Y.; Romano, P.; Zorzi, G.; De Angelis, M.; et al. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)-Compost Amendment Increases Diversity, Functional Activities, and Network Connectivity of a Vineyard Soil Microbiota. Microorganisms 2026, 14, 1372. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14061372

AMA Style

Cardinale M, Minervini F, Calabrese FM, Chiarini M, Bernardi M, Calasso M, Khanghahi MY, Romano P, Zorzi G, De Angelis M, et al. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)-Compost Amendment Increases Diversity, Functional Activities, and Network Connectivity of a Vineyard Soil Microbiota. Microorganisms. 2026; 14(6):1372. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14061372

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cardinale, Massimiliano, Fabio Minervini, Francesco Maria Calabrese, Margherita Chiarini, Matteo Bernardi, Maria Calasso, Mohammad Yaghoubi Khanghahi, Piergiorgio Romano, Gianni Zorzi, Maria De Angelis, and et al. 2026. "Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)-Compost Amendment Increases Diversity, Functional Activities, and Network Connectivity of a Vineyard Soil Microbiota" Microorganisms 14, no. 6: 1372. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14061372

APA Style

Cardinale, M., Minervini, F., Calabrese, F. M., Chiarini, M., Bernardi, M., Calasso, M., Khanghahi, M. Y., Romano, P., Zorzi, G., De Angelis, M., & Rustioni, L. (2026). Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)-Compost Amendment Increases Diversity, Functional Activities, and Network Connectivity of a Vineyard Soil Microbiota. Microorganisms, 14(6), 1372. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14061372

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