Soil physicochemical conditions
Organic carbon and pH were both higher in low aridity soils compared with high aridity soils. Sterilisation increased ammonium levels in high aridity soils, and potassium for low aridity soils (Figure S14). Nitrate, phosphorus, sulphur and electrical conductivity did not statistically differ across treatments.
At harvest, most soil physicochemical variables showed differences across treatments, except for ammonium, nitrate and electrical conductivity, which did not differ (Figure S14). The greatest differences were increases in phosphorus in sterilised soils, higher potassium in the high aridity soils, higher organic carbon in the low aridity soils, and higher pH in the low aridity soils (Figure S14).