Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42549904›Full record

ArticleApplied and environmental microbiology2026

Soilless farming system design impacts the diversity and composition of microbiota.

Auja Bywater, Aline Novaski Seffrin, Jordan E Bisanz, Francesco Di Gioia, Jasna Kovac

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Applied and environmental microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Auja BywaterDepartment of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-5137-2870
Aline Novaski SeffrinDepartment of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
Jordan E BisanzOne Health Microbiome Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8649-1706
Francesco Di GioiaDepartment of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3509-3190
Jasna KovacDepartment of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9465-4552

Funding

Dorothy Foer Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Microbiomes in Food Safety EndowmentLester Earl and Veronica Casida Career Development Endowment EndowmentNational Institute of Food and Agriculture 2026-67011-46246National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Appropriation Project PEN04853 and Accession 7005519National Institute of Food and Agriculture Multistate project 4666Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture C940001528
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), including soilless farming systems, is expanding to improve food security and resource efficiency. However, little is known about how different soilless farming system designs influence microbial populations that may be relevant to plant health and food safety. This study investigated the effects of soilless system type on microbial load and bacterial community composition in nutrient solution and on bok choy leaves over two growing cycles. Soilless systems, including deep water culture (DWC), Kratky (KR), nutrient film technique (NFT), ebb and flow (EF), and drip irrigation (DI), were evaluated. Significant differences in aerobic plate count (APC) in nutrient solution were observed among system types, with the DI system exhibiting the highest counts across both cycles. Increased nutrient solution pH was negatively associated with APC, whereas temperature did not significantly affect microbial concentrations. APC on bok choy leaves at harvesting was not significantly different by system type. Bacterial community composition in nutrient solution significantly varied by system type, temperature, growing cycles, and sampling day. Microbial alpha diversity also varied significantly by system type. Core microbiota analysis identified

Indexed as

AgricultureBacteriaEcological Systems, ClosedMicrobiotaPlant LeavesAcidovoraxaerobic plate countcontrolled environment agriculturehydroponicsmicrobial loadmicrobiomenutrient solutionsoilless systems

Identifiers

PMID42549904
PMCPMC13599518

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.