Table 1.
Ecological indices for samples analyzed with morphological and DNA metabarcoding analysis at the time of cover crop maturity (Time 1) and spinach harvest (Time 2). The standard error values are included for every calculated average. Values not represented by the same letter are significantly different (ANOVA, p < 0.05; Student’s t test, p < 0.05).
| Cover Crop Maturity (Time 1) | Spinach Harvest (Time 2) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl Millet | Cowpea | Cowpea + Pearl Millet | Control | Fallow Plot | Pearl Millet | Cowpea | Cowpea + Pearl Millet | Control | Fallow Plot | |
| Richness (Morphology) | 17 ± 1.15 (a) | 18 ± 2.52 (a) | 20 ± 4.04 (a) | 12 ± 0 (a) | 17 ± 5.69 (a) | 10 ± 1.53 (a) | 11 ± 1.73 (a) | 15 ± 4.58 (a) | 15 ± 3 (a) | 15 ± 2.08 (a) |
| Richness (DNA Metabarcoding) | 106 ± 5.72 (a) | 106 ± 12.36 (a) | 116 ± 21.75 (a) | 88 ± 23.42 (a) | 81 ± 15.58 (a) | 123 ± 24.85 (a) | 102 ± 5.35 (a) | 125 ± 19.82 (a) | 110 ± 23.23 (a) | 114 ± 7.48 (a) |
| Shannon–Wiener Diversity Index (SWI) (Morphology) | 2.37 ± 0.12 (a) | 2.39 ± 0.068 (a) | 2.48 ± 0.19 (a) | 2.12 ± 0 (a) | 2.33 ± 0.21 (a) | 1.96 ± 0.14 (a) | 1.98 ± 0.17 (a) | 2.29 ± 0.61 (a) | 2.07 ± 0.061 (a) | 2.04 ± 0.11 (a) |
| Shannon–Wiener Diversity Index (SWI) (DNA Metabarcoding) | 2.59 ± 0.019 (a) | 2.57 ± 0.26 (a) | 2.87 ± 0.16 (a) | 2.57 ± 0.58 (a) | 2.08 ± 0.72 (a) | 2.76 ± 0.78 (a) | 2.75 ± 0.51 (a) | 2.49 ± 0.50 (a) | 2.53 ± 0.21 (a) | 2.53 ± 0.44 (a) |
| Bonger’s Maturity Index (MI) (Morphology) | 1.82 ± 0.13 (bc) | 1.71 ± 0.12 (c) | 1.71 ± 0.088 (c) | 2.14 ± 0 (a) | 1.99 ± 0.19 (ab) | 1.77 ± 0.16 (a) | 1.71 ± 0.29 (a) | 1.82 ± 0.41 (a) | 1.41 ± 0.015 (a) | 1.81 ± 0.066 (a) |
| Bonger’s Maturity Index (MI) (Metabarcoding) | 1.79 + 0.50 (a) | 1.27 + 0.33 (a) | 1.19 + 0.04 (a) | 1.51 ± 0.14 (a) | 1.51 + 0.31 (a) | 1.27 + 0.14 (a) | 1.53 + 0.31 (a) | 1.51 + 0.14 (a) | 1.48 + 0.29 (a) | 1.41 + 0.24 (a) |