Novel-processed organic fertilizers improve rice yield, soil fertility, and increase microbial community diversity in double-cropping paddy fields
摘要
Relative to chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers are well recognized for their soil-improving benefits and other advantages. However, the impact of organic manures, produced by different production techniques, on the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities in paddy fields is not fully understood. To address this knowledge gap, experimental field plots were established in conventional double-cropping rice paddy fields in the Pearl River Delta, China. Five treatments were applied in addition to a no-fertilizer control (CK). These treatments were: two traditional organic fertilizers, namely fresh organic fertilizer (FOF) and successively composted organic fertilizer (SOF); two novel-processed organic fertilizers, including chemically composted organic fertilizer (COF) and chemically composted organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer (COIF); and chemical fertilizer (CF). Soil samples at different rice growth stages were collected and genomic DNA was extracted for high-throughput amplicon sequencing. The results showed that the novel-processed organic fertilizer COF significantly increased rice yield in comparison with the chemical fertilizer. Compared with chemical fertilizers and conventional organic fertilizers, COF effectively ameliorated the physicochemical properties of paddy soil and improved soil fertility, as evidenced by increased soil pH, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus contents. With COF and COIF applications, the alpha diversity of the bacterial communities increased. COF application increased the connectivity of the co-occurrence network of the bacterial communities, and COIF simultaneously increased the connectivity of the co-occurrence networks of bacteria and fungi. Rice growth stage had a significant impact on the diversity and composition of microbial communities in double-cropping rice fields with the application of novel-processed organic fertilizers; dissolved organic carbon content, soil pH, and soil moisture were key factors affecting the microbial community. Overall, these findings deepen our understanding of the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities in response to novel organic fertilizers and of the key driving factors for the associated microbes in rice fields, and contribute to more effective fertilization management and conservation strategies.