Short-Term Phosphorus Fertilization Alters Soil Fungal Community in Long-Term Phosphorus-Deprived Yellow Soil Paddy Fields

Phosphorus (P) in soil is important in the process by which soil microbial communities regulate soil enzyme activity. We aim to explore how short-term P fertilization affects the composition and functionality of the soil fungal community, offering insights into the complex responses of soil fungi to...

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Main Authors: Huan Yang, Yehua Yang, Huaqing Zhu, Han Xiong, Yarong Zhang, Yanling Liu, Xingcheng Huang, Yu Li, Taiming Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/3/280
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Summary:Phosphorus (P) in soil is important in the process by which soil microbial communities regulate soil enzyme activity. We aim to explore how short-term P fertilization affects the composition and functionality of the soil fungal community, offering insights into the complex responses of soil fungi to fertilization. Soil samples from a long-term experiment with no P fertilization were collected for pot experiments. The pot experiment included four treatments: non-P fertilizer (NK), chemical P fertilizer (NPK), 1/2 organic fertilizer + 1/2 chemical fertilizer (MNP), and organic fertilizer (M). High-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze the composition, diversity, and functionality of soil fungal communities. Results showed that short-term P addition significantly increased the soil fungal Shannon and Pielou e indices, with increases of 34.48%~59.00% and 29.79%~53.19%, respectively. <i>Ascomycota</i> and <i>Basidiomycota</i> were the most abundant fungal phyla, whereas <i>Cladosporium</i> and <i>Emericellopsis</i> were the most abundant genera. The main factors affecting soil fungal community composition were total nitrogen (TN) and organic matter (OM). A linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis indicated that <i>Mortierellomycota</i> were significantly enriched under the NPK treatment. A FUNGuild analysis revealed that, compared to the NK treatment, the relative abundance of Animal Pathogen–Endophyte–Lichen Parasite–Plant Pathogen–Wood Saprotroph was reduced by 67.54%, 46.93%, and 44.10% under NPK, MNP, and M treatments, respectively. The relative abundance of Plant Pathogen was less than 1% in the NPK and the MNP treatments. These results indicate that short-term P addition increased soil nutrient levels and soil fungal community diversity. Chemical P fertilizer significantly improved the fungal community structure in yellow paddy soils, enhancing beneficial fungi and suppressing pathogens.
ISSN:2077-0472