Soil bacterial community structures in relation to different oil palm management practices

We provide soil bacterial 16 S rRNA gene amplicon and geochemical data derived from an oil palm plantation management experiment. The experimental design covered two different intensities of fertilizer application and weeding practices. We sampled the topsoil of 80 plots in total and extracted DNA and RNA. 16 S rRNA gene-derived and transcript-derived amplicons were generated and sequenced to analyse community composition and beta-diversity. One year after establishing the experiment, statistically significant differences of bacterial diversity or community composition between different treatments at entire (DNA-derived) and active (RNA-derived) community level were not detected. The dominant taxa belonged to Acidobacteriota and Actinobacteriota and were more abundant in the active community compared to the entire community. Similarly, the abundant genera Candidatus Solibacter and Haliangium were more abundant at active community level. Furthermore, clustering corresponding to the different sampling site locations was detected. Beta-diversity did not change among the treatments at DNA and RNA level. This dataset is of interest for related studies on the effect of altered management practices on soilborne communities.