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Background and aims <p>The long-term monoculture of tea plants leads to the accumulation of soil pathogens, disruption of the ecological balance of soil microbial communities. Intercropping systems, have been shown to enhance soil ecological stability. However, there is still a lack of research on the effects of the tea plant/<i>Ophiopogon japonicus</i> intercropping system on soil nutrient cycling and key microbial communities.</p> Methods <p>A three-year field experiment was conducted to compare two treatments, monoculture and intercropping. Growth parameters such as tea plant height, canopy width, and bud number were investigated. High-throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the impact of the intercropping system on soil microbial community structure and function.</p> Results <p>The intercropping system significantly promotes tea plant growth, with plant height, bud number, and fresh weight increasing by an average of 10.87%, 24.26%, and 23.53%, respectively. Soil organic matter content increased by an average of 23.83%. Simultaneously, the diversity and symbiotic relationships of soil microbial communities continue to strengthen, with significant enrichment observed in Proteobacteria, and Basidiomycota. Random forest modeling further indicated that intercropping enhanced the abundance of microbial taxa involved in organic matter decomposition, such as <i>Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Archaeorhizomyces</i>, consistent with significant increases in cellulase and polyphenol oxidase activities (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, the intercropping system significantly reduced the relative abundance of pathogenic fungi such as <i>Cladosporium</i> and <i>Curvularia</i>.</p> Conclusion <p>In tea cultivation practices, intercropping tea plants with <i>O. japonicus</i> can improve the soil micro-ecology of mountain tea plantations, restore soil vitality, and promote tea plant growth.</p>

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Enhancing tea plant growth and soil microbial ecology through intercropping tea plants with Ophiopogon japonicus

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年3月12日

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  • Shuaibo Shao,
  • Zhongwei Li,
  • Xiaoxiao Ma,
  • Jingru Cui,
  • Yanqi Zhu,
  • Yuanping Li,
  • Linkun Wu,
  • Christopher Rensing,
  • Pumo Cai,
  • Jianming Zhang,
  • Qisong Li

摘要

Background and aims

The long-term monoculture of tea plants leads to the accumulation of soil pathogens, disruption of the ecological balance of soil microbial communities. Intercropping systems, have been shown to enhance soil ecological stability. However, there is still a lack of research on the effects of the tea plant/Ophiopogon japonicus intercropping system on soil nutrient cycling and key microbial communities.

Methods

A three-year field experiment was conducted to compare two treatments, monoculture and intercropping. Growth parameters such as tea plant height, canopy width, and bud number were investigated. High-throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the impact of the intercropping system on soil microbial community structure and function.

Results

The intercropping system significantly promotes tea plant growth, with plant height, bud number, and fresh weight increasing by an average of 10.87%, 24.26%, and 23.53%, respectively. Soil organic matter content increased by an average of 23.83%. Simultaneously, the diversity and symbiotic relationships of soil microbial communities continue to strengthen, with significant enrichment observed in Proteobacteria, and Basidiomycota. Random forest modeling further indicated that intercropping enhanced the abundance of microbial taxa involved in organic matter decomposition, such as Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Archaeorhizomyces, consistent with significant increases in cellulase and polyphenol oxidase activities (P < 0.05). Additionally, the intercropping system significantly reduced the relative abundance of pathogenic fungi such as Cladosporium and Curvularia.

Conclusion

In tea cultivation practices, intercropping tea plants with O. japonicus can improve the soil micro-ecology of mountain tea plantations, restore soil vitality, and promote tea plant growth.