Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soil

ABSTRACT While irrigation and fertilization are basic cultivation practices in poplar plantations on a global scale, the impact of these practices on the environment is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that water-urea addition and water-compound fertilizer addition differentially impact soi...

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Main Authors: Yimin You, Shitong Li, Xiao Li, Liran Wang, Hongxing Wang, Luping Jiang, Yanhui Peng, Zhongyi Pang, Xiyang Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2025-07-01
Series:mSystems
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Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00501-25
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author Yimin You
Shitong Li
Xiao Li
Liran Wang
Hongxing Wang
Luping Jiang
Yanhui Peng
Zhongyi Pang
Xiyang Zhao
author_facet Yimin You
Shitong Li
Xiao Li
Liran Wang
Hongxing Wang
Luping Jiang
Yanhui Peng
Zhongyi Pang
Xiyang Zhao
author_sort Yimin You
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT While irrigation and fertilization are basic cultivation practices in poplar plantations on a global scale, the impact of these practices on the environment is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that water-urea addition and water-compound fertilizer addition differentially impact soil ecosystems. We report that water-fertilizer addition did not significantly alter taxonomic diversity indices, but it did drive significant shifts in microbial community composition, reflected by changes in the relative abundance of specific taxa and their functional profiles. Water-urea addition reduced Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in non-rhizosphere soils while increasing Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi. In contrast, water-compound fertilizer additions increased Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria dominance in rhizosphere soils. Water-fertilizer addition changed microbial composition and functional gene abundance linked to nitrogen and sulfur cycling. Water-urea treatment enriched denitrification genes and dissimilatory nitrate reduction genes (napABC) in rhizosphere soil, while water-compound fertilizer treatment enhanced nitrification (amoABC, HAO) and denitrification gene abundance in both soils. For sulfur (S) cycling, water-urea treatment favored thiosulfate oxidation genes, whereas water-compound fertilizer treatment increased assimilatory sulfate reduction genes. Multi-omics integration linked these microbial dynamics to metabolic reshaping—water-urea increased lipid and secondary metabolites in rhizosphere soils, while water-compound fertilizer additions elevated amino acid-associated metabolites in non-rhizosphere soils. Crucially, water-compound fertilizer addition reduced the gene abundance for the conversion of N2O to N2 (nosZ) and altered sulfur partitioning, whereas water-urea addition elevated soil NO3− and NH4+ but depleted available K. These results highlight trade-offs between nutrient management and microbial-mediated environmental potential, guiding optimized irrigation-fertilizer strategies for sustainable poplar silviculture.IMPORTANCECombined irrigation and fertilizer application affect microbial community composition, and soil nitrogen and sulfur cycles (by regulating microbial composition and the abundance of genes related to nitrogen and sulfur cycles). Water-urea reduced Proteobacteria, increased Acidobacteria, and enriched denitrification genes, elevating soil NO3−/NH4+. Water-compound fertilizer boosted Proteobacteria and nitrification genes. Water-urea increased rhizosphere lipids/secondary metabolites; compound fertilizer elevated non-rhizosphere amino acids. These trade-offs between nutrient gains and environmental risks guide optimized poplar plantation management.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher American Society for Microbiology
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spelling doaj-art-1dc91301d8ab4f3b9cbc5609fe1c09cf2025-08-20T03:29:57ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSystems2379-50772025-07-0110710.1128/msystems.00501-25Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soilYimin You0Shitong Li1Xiao Li2Liran Wang3Hongxing Wang4Luping Jiang5Yanhui Peng6Zhongyi Pang7Xiyang Zhao8Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tree and Grass Genetics and Breeding, College of Forestry and Grassland Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tree and Grass Genetics and Breeding, College of Forestry and Grassland Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tree and Grass Genetics and Breeding, College of Forestry and Grassland Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tree and Grass Genetics and Breeding, College of Forestry and Grassland Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tree and Grass Genetics and Breeding, College of Forestry and Grassland Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tree and Grass Genetics and Breeding, College of Forestry and Grassland Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, ChinaState-owned Xinmin Mechanical Forest Farm, Xinmin, ChinaState-owned Xinmin Mechanical Forest Farm, Xinmin, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tree and Grass Genetics and Breeding, College of Forestry and Grassland Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, ChinaABSTRACT While irrigation and fertilization are basic cultivation practices in poplar plantations on a global scale, the impact of these practices on the environment is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that water-urea addition and water-compound fertilizer addition differentially impact soil ecosystems. We report that water-fertilizer addition did not significantly alter taxonomic diversity indices, but it did drive significant shifts in microbial community composition, reflected by changes in the relative abundance of specific taxa and their functional profiles. Water-urea addition reduced Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in non-rhizosphere soils while increasing Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi. In contrast, water-compound fertilizer additions increased Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria dominance in rhizosphere soils. Water-fertilizer addition changed microbial composition and functional gene abundance linked to nitrogen and sulfur cycling. Water-urea treatment enriched denitrification genes and dissimilatory nitrate reduction genes (napABC) in rhizosphere soil, while water-compound fertilizer treatment enhanced nitrification (amoABC, HAO) and denitrification gene abundance in both soils. For sulfur (S) cycling, water-urea treatment favored thiosulfate oxidation genes, whereas water-compound fertilizer treatment increased assimilatory sulfate reduction genes. Multi-omics integration linked these microbial dynamics to metabolic reshaping—water-urea increased lipid and secondary metabolites in rhizosphere soils, while water-compound fertilizer additions elevated amino acid-associated metabolites in non-rhizosphere soils. Crucially, water-compound fertilizer addition reduced the gene abundance for the conversion of N2O to N2 (nosZ) and altered sulfur partitioning, whereas water-urea addition elevated soil NO3− and NH4+ but depleted available K. These results highlight trade-offs between nutrient management and microbial-mediated environmental potential, guiding optimized irrigation-fertilizer strategies for sustainable poplar silviculture.IMPORTANCECombined irrigation and fertilizer application affect microbial community composition, and soil nitrogen and sulfur cycles (by regulating microbial composition and the abundance of genes related to nitrogen and sulfur cycles). Water-urea reduced Proteobacteria, increased Acidobacteria, and enriched denitrification genes, elevating soil NO3−/NH4+. Water-compound fertilizer boosted Proteobacteria and nitrification genes. Water-urea increased rhizosphere lipids/secondary metabolites; compound fertilizer elevated non-rhizosphere amino acids. These trade-offs between nutrient gains and environmental risks guide optimized poplar plantation management.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00501-25water and fertilizer additionmicrobiological populationfunctionmetabolismnutrient cycle
spellingShingle Yimin You
Shitong Li
Xiao Li
Liran Wang
Hongxing Wang
Luping Jiang
Yanhui Peng
Zhongyi Pang
Xiyang Zhao
Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soil
mSystems
water and fertilizer addition
microbiological population
function
metabolism
nutrient cycle
title Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soil
title_full Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soil
title_fullStr Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soil
title_full_unstemmed Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soil
title_short Ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar-planting soil
title_sort ecological effects of water and fertilizer addition on poplar planting soil
topic water and fertilizer addition
microbiological population
function
metabolism
nutrient cycle
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00501-25
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