Quantification of bacterial non-specific acid (phoC) and alkaline (phoD) phosphatase genes in bulk and rhizosphere soil from organically managed soybean fields
New primers were designed to study bacterial phoC gene abundance in soil. Higher abundances of phoC genes compared to phoD across all sites. Higher phosphatase activity (pH 6.5) in rhizosphere soil. Soil labile P was negatively correlated with phosphatase activity and phoC and phoD gene abundance. No relationship between pre-seeding soil test P and plant P uptake or yield.