Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy Fields
Integrated rice–crayfish (<i>Oryza sativa</i>–<i>Procambarus clarkii</i>) co-culture (RC) systems have gained prominence due to their economic benefits and ecological sustainability; however, the interactions between soil properties and microbial communities in such systems r...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| author | Dingyu Duan Dingxuan He Liangjie Zhao Chenxi Tan Donghui Yang Wende Yan Guangjun Wang Xiaoyong Chen |
| author_facet | Dingyu Duan Dingxuan He Liangjie Zhao Chenxi Tan Donghui Yang Wende Yan Guangjun Wang Xiaoyong Chen |
| author_sort | Dingyu Duan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Integrated rice–crayfish (<i>Oryza sativa</i>–<i>Procambarus clarkii</i>) co-culture (RC) systems have gained prominence due to their economic benefits and ecological sustainability; however, the interactions between soil properties and microbial communities in such systems remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of the RC systems on soil physicochemical characteristics and microbial dynamics in paddy fields of southern Henan Province, China, over the 2023 growing season and subsequent fallow period. Using a randomized complete design, rice monoculture (RM, as the control) and RC treatments were compared across replicated plots. Soil and water samples were collected post-harvest and pre-transplanting to assess soil properties, extracellular enzyme activity, and microbial community structure. Results showed that RC significantly enhanced soil moisture by up to 30.2%, increased soil porosity by 9.6%, and nearly tripled soil organic carbon compared to RM. The RC system consistently elevated nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) throughout both the rice growth and fallow stages, indicating improved nutrient availability and retention. Elevated extracellular enzyme activities linked to carbon, N, and P cycling were observed under RC, with enzymatic stoichiometry revealing increased microbial nutrient limitation intensity and a shift toward P limitation. Microbial community composition was significantly altered under RC, showing increased biomass, a higher fungi-to-bacteria ratio, and greater relative abundance of Gram-positive bacteria, reflecting enhanced soil biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Further analyses using the Mantel test and Random Forest identified extracellular enzyme activities, PLFAs, soil moisture, and bulk density as major factors shaping microbial communities. Redundancy analysis (RDA) confirmed that total potassium (TK), vector length (VL), soil pH, and total nitrogen (TN) were the strongest environmental predictors of microbial variation, jointly explaining 74.57% of the total variation. Our findings indicated that RC improves soil physicochemical conditions and microbial function, thereby supporting sustainable nutrient cycling and offering a promising, environmentally sound strategy for enhancing productivity and soil health in rice-based agro-ecosystems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ace4289f73ea40d8a66f0e64470e0b9f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-ace4289f73ea40d8a66f0e64470e0b9f2025-08-20T03:36:27ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011415232010.3390/plants14152320Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy FieldsDingyu Duan0Dingxuan He1Liangjie Zhao2Chenxi Tan3Donghui Yang4Wende Yan5Guangjun Wang6Xiaoyong Chen7College of Ecology and Environmental, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy, Xinyang Agriculture and Forestry University, Xinyang 464000, ChinaCollege of Fisheries, Xinyang Agriculture and Forestry University, Xinyang 464000, ChinaCollege of Fisheries, Xinyang Agriculture and Forestry University, Xinyang 464000, ChinaCollege of Fisheries, Xinyang Agriculture and Forestry University, Xinyang 464000, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environmental, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environmental, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaCollege of Arts and Sciences, Governors State University, University Park, IL 60484, USAIntegrated rice–crayfish (<i>Oryza sativa</i>–<i>Procambarus clarkii</i>) co-culture (RC) systems have gained prominence due to their economic benefits and ecological sustainability; however, the interactions between soil properties and microbial communities in such systems remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of the RC systems on soil physicochemical characteristics and microbial dynamics in paddy fields of southern Henan Province, China, over the 2023 growing season and subsequent fallow period. Using a randomized complete design, rice monoculture (RM, as the control) and RC treatments were compared across replicated plots. Soil and water samples were collected post-harvest and pre-transplanting to assess soil properties, extracellular enzyme activity, and microbial community structure. Results showed that RC significantly enhanced soil moisture by up to 30.2%, increased soil porosity by 9.6%, and nearly tripled soil organic carbon compared to RM. The RC system consistently elevated nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) throughout both the rice growth and fallow stages, indicating improved nutrient availability and retention. Elevated extracellular enzyme activities linked to carbon, N, and P cycling were observed under RC, with enzymatic stoichiometry revealing increased microbial nutrient limitation intensity and a shift toward P limitation. Microbial community composition was significantly altered under RC, showing increased biomass, a higher fungi-to-bacteria ratio, and greater relative abundance of Gram-positive bacteria, reflecting enhanced soil biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Further analyses using the Mantel test and Random Forest identified extracellular enzyme activities, PLFAs, soil moisture, and bulk density as major factors shaping microbial communities. Redundancy analysis (RDA) confirmed that total potassium (TK), vector length (VL), soil pH, and total nitrogen (TN) were the strongest environmental predictors of microbial variation, jointly explaining 74.57% of the total variation. Our findings indicated that RC improves soil physicochemical conditions and microbial function, thereby supporting sustainable nutrient cycling and offering a promising, environmentally sound strategy for enhancing productivity and soil health in rice-based agro-ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2320integrated rice–crayfish systemsoil propertiesmicrobial communitiesnutrient cyclingpaddy fieldssustainable agriculture |
| spellingShingle | Dingyu Duan Dingxuan He Liangjie Zhao Chenxi Tan Donghui Yang Wende Yan Guangjun Wang Xiaoyong Chen Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy Fields Plants integrated rice–crayfish system soil properties microbial communities nutrient cycling paddy fields sustainable agriculture |
| title | Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy Fields |
| title_full | Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy Fields |
| title_fullStr | Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy Fields |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy Fields |
| title_short | Influence of Rice–Crayfish Co-Culture Systems on Soil Properties and Microbial Communities in Paddy Fields |
| title_sort | influence of rice crayfish co culture systems on soil properties and microbial communities in paddy fields |
| topic | integrated rice–crayfish system soil properties microbial communities nutrient cycling paddy fields sustainable agriculture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2320 |
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