Characteristics of the microbial communities regulate soil multi-functionality under different cover crop amendments in Ultisol

The use of cover crops is a promising strategy for influencing the soil microbial consortium,which is essential for the delivery of multiple soil functions(i.e.,soil multifunctionality).Nonetheless,relatively little is known about the role of the soil microbial consortium in mediating soil multifunctionality under different cover crop amendments in dryland Ultisols.Here,we assessed the multifunctionality of soils subjected to four cover crop amendments(control,non-amended treatment;RD,radish monoculture;HV,hairy vetch monoculture;and RDHV,radish-hairy vetch mixture),and we investigated the contributions of soil microbial richness,network complexity,and ecological clusters to soil multifunctionality.Our results demonstrated that cover crops whose chemical composition differed from that of the main plant crop promoted higher multifunctionality,and the radish-hairy vetch mixture rendered the highest enhancement.We obtained evidence that changes in soil microbial richness and network complexity triggered by the cover crops were associated with higher soil multifunctionality.Specifically,specialized microbes in a key ecological cluster(ecological cluster 2)of the soil microbial network were particularly important for maintaining soil multifunctionality.Our results highlight the importance of cover crop-induced variations in functionally important taxa for promoting the soil multifunctionality of dryland Ultisols.

Co-incorporation of rice straw and leguminous green manure can increase soil available nitrogen(N)and reduce carbon and N losses:An incubation study

Returning rice straw and leguminous green manure alone or in combination to soil is effective in improving soil fertility in South China.Despite the popularity of this practice,our understanding o f the underlying processes for straw and manure combined application is relatively poor.In this study,rice straw(carbon(C)/nitrogen(N)ratio of 63),green manure(hairy vetch,C/N ratio of 14),and their mixtures(C/N ratio of 25 and 35)were added into a paddy soil,and their effects on soil N availability and C or N loss under waterlogged conditions were evaluated in a 100-d incubation experiment.All plant residue treatments significantly enhanced C〇2 and CH4 emissions,but decreased N2O emission.Dissolved organic C(DOC)and N(DON)and microbial biomass C in soil and water-soluble organic C and N and mineral N in the upper aqueous layer above soil were also enhanced by all the plant residue treatments except the rice straw treatment,and soil microbial biomass N and mineral N were lower in the rice straw treatment than in the other treatments.Changes in plant residue C/N ratio,DOC/DON ratio,and cellulose content significantly affected greenhouse gas emissions and active C and N concentrations in soil.Additionally,the treatment with green manure alone yielded the largest C and N losses,and incorporation of the plant residue mixture with a C/N ratio of 35 caused the largest net global warming potential(nGWP)among the amended treatments.In conclusion,the co-incorporation of rice straw and green manure can alleviate the limitation resulting from only applying rice straw(N immobilization)or the sole application of leguminous green manure(high C and N losses),and the residue mixture with a C/N ratio of 25 is a better option because of lower nGWP.

How silicon fertilizer improves nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient availability in paddy soil?

In order to reveal the mechanism of silicon(Si)fertilizer in improving nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)nutrient availability in paddy soil,we designed a series of soil culture experiments by combining application of varying Si fertilizer concentrations with fixed N and P fertilizer concentrations.Following the recommendations of fertilizer manufacturers and local farmers,we applied Si in concentrations of 0,5.2,10.4,15.6,and 20.8μg/kg.At each concentration of added Si,the availability of soil N and P nutrients,soil microbial activity,numbers of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and P-decomposing bacteria which means that the organic P is decomposed into inorganic nutrients which can be absorbed and utilized by plants,and urease and phosphatase activity first increased,and then decreased,as Si was added to the soil.These indicators reached their highest levels with a Si application rate of 15.6μg/kg,showing values respectively 19.78%,105.09%,8.34%,73.12%,130.36%,28.12%,and 20.15%higher than those of the controls.Appropriate Si application(10.4 to 15.6µg/kg)could significantly increase the richness of the soil microbial community involved in cycling of N and P nutrients in the soil.When the Si application rate was 15.6μg/kg,parameters for characterizing microbial abundance such as sequence numbers,operational taxonomic unit(OTU)number,and correlation indices of microbial community richness such as Chao1 index,the adaptive coherence estimator(ACE)index,Shannon index,and Simpson index all reached maximum values,with amounts increased by 14.46%,10.01%,23.80%,30.54%,0.18%,and 2.64%,respectively,compared with the control group.There is also a good correlation between N and P mineralization and addition of Si fertilizer.The correlation coefficients between the ratio of available P/total P(AP/TP)and the number of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria,AP/TP and acid phosphatase activity(AcPA),AP/TP and the Shannon index,the ratio of available N/total amount of N(AN/TN)and the number of ammoniated bacteria,and AN/TN and AcPA were 0.9290,0.9508,0.9202,0.9140,and 0.9366,respectively.In summary,these results revealed that enhancement of soil microbial community structure diversity and soil microbial activity by appropriate application of Si is the key ecological mechanism by which application of Si fertilizer improves N and P nutrient availability.