Microbial communities are important influencing factors in soil biogeochemical cycling. Differences in stand age can affect microbial communities and functions by altering soil biochemical characteristics. Studying the changes in soil microbial communities and functions at different ages of Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis can provide a theoretical basis for the scientific management of plantations. Therefore, we collected soil samples from different soil depths from 7- (7a), 13- (13a), 24- (24a), 33- (33a), and 53-year (53a) C. japonica var. sinensis plantations, to assess the differences in soil biochemical characteristics, soil bacterial and fungal communities, soil enzyme activity, and soil respiration rate. Results showed that as the stand age increases, the ACE and Shannon indices of fungal communities showed an initial increase followed by a decrease, whereas the Chao 1 index showed an increasing trend. The ACE and Shannon indices of bacterial communities did not change with stand age, but the Chao1 index decreased with an increase in stand age. In addition, the fungal ACE and Chao1 indices and bacterial Shannon index were higher at the 0–15 cm depth than at the 15–30 cm depth. Soil microbial community composition varied with stand age and soil depth, including Proteobacteria and Unclassified_k_Fungi relative abundances, and their functional groups' (nitrogen cycling-related bacteria, saprophytic fungi, pathogens, and ectomycorrhizal fungi) relative abundances. In addition, stand age will indirectly affect soil microbial function by influencing soil biochemical characteristics and microbial communities at the 0–15 cm depth, whereas at the 15–30 cm depth, there is no direct or indirect impact on the above indicators. In summary, significant variations exist in soil microbial communities and their functions across stand ages, and these differences will further vary between soil depths. Our research contributes to a better understanding of the impact of different ages of afforestation on soil biogeochemical cycling, providing valuable microbial information for the sustainable management of C. japonica var. sinensis forests in the future.
Microplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging concern for soil health and crop productivity, yet its impacts remain poorly understood. This study addresses the critical issue by investigating the effects of MP contamination in agricultural soils through both field and pot experiments. Field analysis identified polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene in soil and plant roots, with MPs primarily concentrated in the upper soil layers. In controlled pot experiments, Brassica juncea (mustard) and Lycopersicum solanaceae (tomato) were exposed to varying concentrations of PET, polystyrene (PS) and nylon (NL). The results demonstrated dose-dependent effects on soil properties, including significant reductions in pH and available nitrogen levels at 5 % and 10 % MP concentrations (p < 0.05). PS at 5 % notably suppressed the leaf area index, while 10 % NL reduced root length and chlorophyll content. PET was particularly detrimental to root growth in both species. Among the polymers, NL (10 %) emerged as the most hazardous, with a high Potential Hazard Index score and a hazard category IV. The findings underscore the potential risks of MP pollution in the terrestrial environment, highlighting its adverse effects on soil health and plant growth. Future research should focus on enzyme activity and biochemical responses to provide deeper insights. Additionally, exploring phytoremediation techniques could offer innovative solutions to mitigate MP contamination in soils.
Over-irrigation and over-fertilization waste a lot of water and fertilizer nutrients, increasing cost and environmental pollution in semi-arid areas. Soil conditioner has multiple beneficial effects in agricultural production, but the effects of soil conditioner addition combined with water and fertilizer reduction on crop growth and yield are still unclear. In this study, the effects and mechanisms of conventional irrigation (6.23 × 103 m3/ha) and fertilization (N: 225 kg/ha; P2O5: 350 kg/ha; K2O: 400 kg/ha) (CK), 30 % water reduction combined with conditioner addition (RI), 30 % fertilizer reduction combined with conditioner addition (RF), and 30 % water reduction combined with 30 % fertilizer reduction and conditioner addition (RIF) on the soil nutrient transformation and potato yield were explored from the perspectives of soil microbial community and metabolome. The results showed that RI, RF, and RIF treatments all reduced soil total organic carbon (TOC) content, increased soil NO3−-N content, and changed the composition of soil bacterial community and rhizosphere soil metabolites. Specifically, RI and RIF treatments significantly reduced the Shannon index and Chao1 index of soil bacterial community and the quantity of metabolite types in rhizosphere soil. However, RF treatment increased the quantity of metabolite types in rhizosphere soil, especially the metabolites involved in the Alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism, Starch and sucrose metabolism and Biotin metabolism pathways. In addition, RI and RF treatments increased the phosphorus accumulation in plants while maintaining the yield compared with CK. The redundancy analysis and Mantel test found that soil TOC and NO3−-N content significantly affected soil differential bacterial genera, and the differential bacterial genera and differential abundant metabolites (DAMs) in rhizosphere regulated potato yield by affecting plant nutrient uptake and dry matter yield. The structural equation model and path effect analysis found that plant nutrient uptake was the main factor influencing potato yield. Soil NO3−-N content and differential bacterial genera directly affected plant nutrient uptake, and soil TOC and starch and sucrose metabolism indirectly affected plant nutrient uptake. This study will provide a technical reference for increasing potato yield, reducing potato planting costs, and achieving sustainable agricultural development.
Phosphorus is one of the most important limiting nutrients for the ecological restoration of spoil material (SM). Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can improve the bioavailability of phosphorus in SM. Sticky glutinous rice paste (SGRP) is an eco-friendly water-retaining polymer commonly used for the ecological restoration of arid regions. However, the effect of SGRP and PSB on the phosphorus biotransformation and ecological restoration of SM is unknown. In this study, a PSB named Stenotrophomonas ML4 was isolated from SM and the role of SGRP and ML4 in promoting the ecological restoration of SM under drought conditions was investigated. Soil microcosm experiment showed that adding SGRP increased the soil moisture content and agglomeration, promoted ML4 colonization and secretion of extracellular polymers (EPS). The co-application of 25 % SGRP and 10 % ML4 increased the available phosphorus, and the activities of alkaline phosphatase, sucrase, and urease. In addition, the bacterial diversity and the abundance of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and signal transduction were also enhanced by SGRP and ML4. The pot experiment further verified that the combination of SGRP and ML4 promoted superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities of vetiver by 180.92 %, 69.04 %, 83.76 %, respectively, and increased the fresh weight of vetiver by 191.86 %. Our results showed that SGRP and ML4 could promote the dissolution of phosphorus and plant growth, which may be an effective way for in-situ ecological restoration of SM.
Gaseous nitrogen (NH3 and N2O) emissions are an important pathway for nitrogen (N) loss from agricultural lands, and reducing gaseous N emissions is an effective way to improve N use efficiency and mitigate environmental degradation. Here, a two-year experiment with two straw return methods (F: straw mulching and X: straw rotary tillage) and four N application rates (N1:250 kg N ha−1, N2: 225 kg N ha−1, N3: 200 kg N ha−1, and N4: 175 kg N ha−1) was conducted to investigate the effects of different straw return methods and N application rates on gaseous N emissions from maize fields in the black soil region of northeast China. The traditional N application (250 kg N ha−1) rate combined with straw removal was used as a control treatment (CK). The average results of the two-year trial showed that compared with the CK treatment, when the N rate was at least 200 kg N ha−1, straw returning combined with N fertilizer significantly increased the mean maize yield by 3.58 %, reduced gaseous N emissions by 16.63 % and the mean proportion of gaseous N emissions (PGN) by 7.38 %, and increased the mean apparent N recovery efficiency (NAR) by 50.29 %. Yield reduction occurred when N application was below 200 kg N ha−1, with the FN4 and XN4 treatments showing average reductions of 3.91 % and 4.74 %, respectively, over the two years compared with the CK treatment. At the same level of N application, maize yield was increased by 2.53 %, 1.57 %, and 1.40 % in FN1, FN2, and FN3 treatments, respectively; gaseous N emissions were reduced by 10.09 %, 11.45 %, and 14.05 %, respectively, and NAR was increased by 26.63 %, 16.54 %, and 9.36 %, respectively, compared with the XN1, XN2, and XN3 treatments. Compared with the X mode, the F mode increased yields, reduced gaseous N emissions and PGN, and increased NAR. The comprehensive assessment results of a fuzzy matter-element-entropy weight model showed that straw mulching returning with 20 % N reduction (FN3 treatment) was the most suitable field management measure for the area, realizing the compatibility of emission reduction, stable yield, and increased efficiency.