Vineyard renewal reduces copper and zinc bioavailability and increases microbial diversity in southern Brazil

The long-term use of vineyards and their renewal causes numerous chemical changes in the bioavailable copper, zinc levels, carbon and microbial properties of the soil. However, there is still a gap in relation to the impacts of vineyard renewal on the bioavailability of Cu and Zn and on the microbial structure of the soil. Thus, the purpose was to evaluate the bioavailability of Cu and Zn, activity, richness and microbial diversity of the soil of renewed vineyards in southern Brazil. Three treatments were established: old cultivation, i.e., a well-established vineyard; renewed vineyard; and reference, a native forest located adjacent to the vineyards. The physical-chemical properties clay level, moisture, pH, organic matter (OM), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) level; the basal respiration (BR), microbial biomass Carbon (MBC), microbial biomass Nitrogen (MBN), hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA), microbial quotient (qMic), and metabolic quotient (qCO2); and microbial richness and Shannon diversity were determined. The organic C level influenced the microbial activity and richness. The change in microbial diversity indexes impacted soil biological activity in two locations. Vineyard renewal promotes the reduction of Cu (− 48.8%) and zinc (− 20%) bioavailability and increases microbial diversity in subtropical soils in southern Brazil. •Vineyard renewal promotes the reduction of copper (− 48.8%) and zinc (− 20%).•Renewed vineyard increase the shannon index of the soil microbiota.•The vineyard increases the levels of copper (+ 5080%) and zinc (+ 230%) in the soil.