Soil health and microbial network analysis in a wheat-maize cropping system under different wheat yields
Xinzhan SUN1, Tengteng LI1, Jiangzhou ZHANG2,1()
. State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Key Laboratory of Plant–Soil Interactions (Ministry of Education), College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China . Key Laboratory of Agricultural Ecological Security and Green Development, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resources, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Healthy soil is crucial for sustainable agriculture with soil microbiomes being key to soil health. However, comprehensive assessments of soil health and microbial community structures under different wheat yields have not been made. Therefore, soil samples were collected from wheat fields with differing yields at depths of 0–15 and 15–30 cm. The yields were categorized as low (Y1, 3.75 t·ha−1), medium (Y2, 6.00 t·ha−1), high (Y3, 8.25 t·ha−1), and maximum (Y4, 10.1 t·ha−1), and soil health and microbial communities determined. The results showed that both yield category and soil depth significantly influenced SOC, TN, mineral nitrogen, AP and AK, enzyme activity, and soil bacterial communities. The soil health index in Y4 (0.51–0.87) was significantly higher than in Y3 (0.39–0.63), Y2 (0.27–0.45), and Y1 (0.21–0.52) at both 0–15 and 15–30 cm (expect Y1). Significant correlation was only found between soil health index at 0–15 cm and wheat yield, not at 15–30 cm. The bacterial and fungal network structure in Y4 was more complex and densely connected. Actinobacteria, Thaumarchaeota, and Ascomycota were identified as key drivers of soil health. Based on these results, the regulation of microbes has the potential to improve soil health and crop yields.
Online First Date: 16 October 2024Issue Date: 12 November 2024
Cite this article:
Xinzhan SUN,Tengteng LI,Jiangzhou ZHANG. Soil health and microbial network analysis in a wheat-maize cropping system under different wheat yields[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. ,
2024, 11(4): 615-625.
Tab.1 Soil chemical properties and enzyme activity in four wheat yield categories at soil depths of 0–15 and 15–30 cm
Source of variation
Bacterial community
Fungal community
F
R2
P
F
R2
P
Yield categories (Y)
6.46
0.43
0.001
4.77
0.43
0.001
Soil depths (D)
9.67
0.16
0.001
1.47
0.03
0.094
Y × D
1.24
0.08
0.167
0.88
0.08
0.742
Tab.2 Permutational multivariate analysis of the effects of yield categories and soil depths on bacterial and fungal communities
Fig.1 Relative abundances of soil bacteria (a) and fungi (b) at phylum level in the wheat yield categories at soil depths of 0–15 and 15–30 cm. Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4 indicate the yields of 3.75, 6.00, 8.25, and 10.1 t·ha−1, respectively. * indicates the relative abundances of microbial phyla between yield categories.
Fig.2 Soil health index in four wheat yield categories at soil depths of 0–15 and 15–30 cm. Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4 indicate the yields of 3.75, 6.00, 8.25, and 10.1 t·ha−1, respectively. ** indicates significant differences (P < 0.05) in Y1 between 0–15 and 15–30 cm.
Fig.3 Regression analysis between soil health index and wheat yield. The shaded areas are the 95% confidence bands.
Fig.4 Co-occurrence network structure of the bacterial (a) and fungal (b) communities at the OTU level differed between the four wheat yield categories. Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4 indicate the yields of 3.75, 6.00, 8.25, and 10.1 t·ha−1, respectively.
Fig.5 Random forest regression modeling indicates the mean predictor importance (as MSE, mean square error) of microbial phyla driving the soil health in four wheat yield categories. *, P < 0.05, **, P < 0.01.
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