Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality

Abstract Background Legume-based rotation modulates soil microbial communities, which are critical to soil health and sustainable agriculture. However, current researches primarily focus on the effects of legume-based rotation on the bacterial community, leaving eukaryotic responses to this rotation...

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Main Authors: Tingwei Meng, Yi Fan, Yiheng Tao, Yi Wu, Shuang Pang, Wei Yang, Xiaoyu Guo, Ximei Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Annals of Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13213-025-01809-7
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author Tingwei Meng
Yi Fan
Yiheng Tao
Yi Wu
Shuang Pang
Wei Yang
Xiaoyu Guo
Ximei Zhang
author_facet Tingwei Meng
Yi Fan
Yiheng Tao
Yi Wu
Shuang Pang
Wei Yang
Xiaoyu Guo
Ximei Zhang
author_sort Tingwei Meng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Legume-based rotation modulates soil microbial communities, which are critical to soil health and sustainable agriculture. However, current researches primarily focus on the effects of legume-based rotation on the bacterial community, leaving eukaryotic responses to this rotation poorly characterized. Methods We analyzed soil eukaryotic communities via 18 S rRNA sequencing in a Mollisol region under maize monoculture versus maize-soybean rotation, integrating soil physicochemical data and network analysis to elucidate rotation-driven eukaryotic assembly patterns. Results Maize-soybean rotation increased fungal and protistan richness by 53.04% and 23.80%, respectively, compared to those in the maize continuous cropping system, while the nematode was not sensitive. Maize-soybean rotation significantly altered fungal and protistan community compositions, increasing the relative abundances of Ascomycota (from 35.79 to 58.51%) and Alveolata (from 13.80 to 18.06%), respectively. Deterministic processes governed these shifts, with soil total carbon driving fungal richness and moisture regulating protistan β-diversity. Reduced environmental filtering under maize-soybean rotation enhanced the richness and network complexity of fungi and protists. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that the maize-soybean rotation improved soil multifunctionality by increasing fungal richness and complicating protistan community structure. Conclusions Our study highlights the pivotal role of fungal diversity and protistan community structure in maintaining soil function under legume-based rotation, providing guidance for agricultural management practice and global sustainable crop production.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1869-2044
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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spelling doaj-art-69e949b130cf4a05a920c72be6fd2fc02025-08-20T04:01:24ZengBMCAnnals of Microbiology1869-20442025-07-0175111510.1186/s13213-025-01809-7Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionalityTingwei Meng0Yi Fan1Yiheng Tao2Yi Wu3Shuang Pang4Wei Yang5Xiaoyu Guo6Ximei Zhang7College of Resource Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesCollege of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural UniversityKey Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesKey Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesKey Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesCollege of Resource Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesAbstract Background Legume-based rotation modulates soil microbial communities, which are critical to soil health and sustainable agriculture. However, current researches primarily focus on the effects of legume-based rotation on the bacterial community, leaving eukaryotic responses to this rotation poorly characterized. Methods We analyzed soil eukaryotic communities via 18 S rRNA sequencing in a Mollisol region under maize monoculture versus maize-soybean rotation, integrating soil physicochemical data and network analysis to elucidate rotation-driven eukaryotic assembly patterns. Results Maize-soybean rotation increased fungal and protistan richness by 53.04% and 23.80%, respectively, compared to those in the maize continuous cropping system, while the nematode was not sensitive. Maize-soybean rotation significantly altered fungal and protistan community compositions, increasing the relative abundances of Ascomycota (from 35.79 to 58.51%) and Alveolata (from 13.80 to 18.06%), respectively. Deterministic processes governed these shifts, with soil total carbon driving fungal richness and moisture regulating protistan β-diversity. Reduced environmental filtering under maize-soybean rotation enhanced the richness and network complexity of fungi and protists. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that the maize-soybean rotation improved soil multifunctionality by increasing fungal richness and complicating protistan community structure. Conclusions Our study highlights the pivotal role of fungal diversity and protistan community structure in maintaining soil function under legume-based rotation, providing guidance for agricultural management practice and global sustainable crop production.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13213-025-01809-7LegumeSoil eukaryotic diversitySoil multifunctionalityEnvironmental selectionMollisol
spellingShingle Tingwei Meng
Yi Fan
Yiheng Tao
Yi Wu
Shuang Pang
Wei Yang
Xiaoyu Guo
Ximei Zhang
Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality
Annals of Microbiology
Legume
Soil eukaryotic diversity
Soil multifunctionality
Environmental selection
Mollisol
title Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality
title_full Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality
title_fullStr Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality
title_full_unstemmed Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality
title_short Legume-based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality
title_sort legume based rotation alters soil eukaryotic community and improves soil multifunctionality
topic Legume
Soil eukaryotic diversity
Soil multifunctionality
Environmental selection
Mollisol
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13213-025-01809-7
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