Effects of Different Wheat Varieties on Soil Bacterial and Fungal Communities

Abstract

The diversity and stability of soil microbial communities are indispensable components for maintaining the functions and services of agricultural ecosystems and play crucial roles in wheat production. However, the effects of different wheat varieties on soil microbial diversity, network complexity, stability, and assembly mechanisms remain largely unexplored. To bridge this research gap, we conducted field experiments in Chuzhou, China, to study the yield and soil microbial community composition of six different wheat varieties. The soil bacterial and fungal communities were investigated using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA and ITS gene regions. Our findings indicated that, compared to common wheat, high-yielding and disease-resistant (HD) wheat increased both bacterial and fungal α-diversity by regulating soil nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, significantly affecting community structure (Adonis, p < 0.001). HD wheat significantly altered the co-occurrence network patterns of soil microbial communities. Network analyses revealed that HD wheat increased the complexity of fungal networks while exhibiting the opposite trend for bacterial networks. However, both the bacterial and fungal networks demonstrated increased stability. Furthermore, HD wheat may increase microbial migration rates, influencing assembly processes by promoting stochastic processes in bacterial and fungal communities. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the ecological functions and driving factors of soil microbes, offering information for the development of ecological management strategies to achieve sustainable wheat cultivation and improve soil quality. Furthermore, HD wheat significantly modified the co-occurrence network patterns of the soil microbial communities. Network analysis revealed increased fungal network complexity in HD wheat, whereas bacterial networks showed the opposite trend. However, both the bacterial and fungal networks exhibited enhanced stability. Additionally, HD wheat likely increased microbial migration rates, influencing assembly processes by promoting stochastic processes in both bacterial and fungal communities. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the ecological functions and driving factors of soil microbes, providing information for the development of ecological management strategies to achieve sustainable wheat cultivation and improve soil quality.