Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest China
BackgroundIntensive agricultural production leads to the reduction of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) reserves, and organic material mulching (OMM) can improve microbial community structure and promote C and N accumulation. The multi-cropping system based on legumes can provide abundant organic mul...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1602633/full |
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| author | Ke Ren Wenfeng Song Zehui Wei Lixia Song Ming Liu Yuling Zhou Yuzhuo Zhen Xinyao Wu Kaiyuan Gu Khanom Simarani Longchang Wang |
| author_facet | Ke Ren Wenfeng Song Zehui Wei Lixia Song Ming Liu Yuling Zhou Yuzhuo Zhen Xinyao Wu Kaiyuan Gu Khanom Simarani Longchang Wang |
| author_sort | Ke Ren |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundIntensive agricultural production leads to the reduction of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) reserves, and organic material mulching (OMM) can improve microbial community structure and promote C and N accumulation. The multi-cropping system based on legumes can provide abundant organic mulching material and improve soil quality, but the mechanism by which OMM provides ecological benefits via C and N cycling in this system is still unclear.MethodsIn this study, a field experiment of organic mulch under the triple-cropping system of faba bean (Vicia faba L.)-corn (Zea mays L.)-sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) was performed. Four treatments were set up: without organic material mulching (CK), straw mulching (S), milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) mulching (M), and straw and milk vetch mulching (SM). The dynamic changes in soil aggregates, C and N contents, enzyme activities, microbial communities and faba bean productivity under organic mulching were studied for 2 years (from October 2020 to May 2022).ResultsThe results demonstrated that supplementation of OMM (S, M, and SM) significantly improved the stability of soil aggregates, the nutrient (C and N) contents, and the activities of acquiring enzymes compared to CK. OMM promoted the establishment of key microbial communities dominated by Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota. Predicted functional profiles based on PICRUSt and FUNGuild analyses suggest possible upregulation of up-regulated genetic information processing, metabolism, and organismal systems functional pathways. Additionally, the enhancement of soil C and N cycling efficiency may be associated with an increase in the proportion of saprotrophs and symbiotrophs. Both the random forest model (RFM) and partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) demonstrated that OMM increased faba bean productivity by improving soil microbial diversity and the efficiency of C cycling.ConclusionThis study highlighted that OMM could promote C and N cycling by regulating core microbial groups, thereby improving the faba bean productivity in dryland of purple soil hilly region of southwest China. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c9eeac3d4cfb4a059f2834c8c0fee639 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c9eeac3d4cfb4a059f2834c8c0fee6392025-08-20T03:50:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-07-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.16026331602633Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest ChinaKe Ren0Wenfeng Song1Zehui Wei2Lixia Song3Ming Liu4Yuling Zhou5Yuzhuo Zhen6Xinyao Wu7Kaiyuan Gu8Khanom Simarani9Longchang Wang10College of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaDivision of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaDivision of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology Southwest University Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, ChinaBackgroundIntensive agricultural production leads to the reduction of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) reserves, and organic material mulching (OMM) can improve microbial community structure and promote C and N accumulation. The multi-cropping system based on legumes can provide abundant organic mulching material and improve soil quality, but the mechanism by which OMM provides ecological benefits via C and N cycling in this system is still unclear.MethodsIn this study, a field experiment of organic mulch under the triple-cropping system of faba bean (Vicia faba L.)-corn (Zea mays L.)-sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) was performed. Four treatments were set up: without organic material mulching (CK), straw mulching (S), milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) mulching (M), and straw and milk vetch mulching (SM). The dynamic changes in soil aggregates, C and N contents, enzyme activities, microbial communities and faba bean productivity under organic mulching were studied for 2 years (from October 2020 to May 2022).ResultsThe results demonstrated that supplementation of OMM (S, M, and SM) significantly improved the stability of soil aggregates, the nutrient (C and N) contents, and the activities of acquiring enzymes compared to CK. OMM promoted the establishment of key microbial communities dominated by Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota. Predicted functional profiles based on PICRUSt and FUNGuild analyses suggest possible upregulation of up-regulated genetic information processing, metabolism, and organismal systems functional pathways. Additionally, the enhancement of soil C and N cycling efficiency may be associated with an increase in the proportion of saprotrophs and symbiotrophs. Both the random forest model (RFM) and partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) demonstrated that OMM increased faba bean productivity by improving soil microbial diversity and the efficiency of C cycling.ConclusionThis study highlighted that OMM could promote C and N cycling by regulating core microbial groups, thereby improving the faba bean productivity in dryland of purple soil hilly region of southwest China.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1602633/fullstraw mulchmilk vetchsoil carbon cyclemolecular ecological networksfaba bean productivity |
| spellingShingle | Ke Ren Wenfeng Song Zehui Wei Lixia Song Ming Liu Yuling Zhou Yuzhuo Zhen Xinyao Wu Kaiyuan Gu Khanom Simarani Longchang Wang Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest China Frontiers in Microbiology straw mulch milk vetch soil carbon cycle molecular ecological networks faba bean productivity |
| title | Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest China |
| title_full | Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest China |
| title_fullStr | Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest China |
| title_short | Organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple-cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest China |
| title_sort | organic material mulching regulated core microbial groups to promote soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and improve faba bean productivity under a triple cropping system in purple soil hilly region of southwest china |
| topic | straw mulch milk vetch soil carbon cycle molecular ecological networks faba bean productivity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1602633/full |
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