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Background <p>Potassium fertilizers differ in their accompanying anions, which may alter crop performance and rhizosphere processes beyond potassium nutrition alone. This study examined how contrasting sulfate–chloride proportions in potassium supply affect Italian lettuce growth, nutritional quality, soil chemical status, and microbial community organization under equivalent total nutrient input.</p> Results <p>Potassium source composition produced distinct responses across plant, soil, and microbial traits. A mixed sulfate–chloride supply provided the most balanced improvement in biomass formation, root development, and quality-related metabolism, whereas sulfate-only fertilization favored selected nitrogen-assimilation and protein-related indicators. Shifts in anion supply modified soil sulfur, chloride, salinity, and nitrate-related conditions, thereby creating differentiated edaphic niches. Bacterial and fungal assemblages responded unevenly to these changes: bacterial communities showed stronger treatment-specific turnover and a greater prevalence of transient specialists, while fungal communities contained more persistent and broadly distributed taxa. Multivariate and network analyses further indicated that nutrient availability, salinity-related factors, and selected keystone genera jointly shaped community structure and potential functional stability.</p> Conclusions <p>The sulfate–chloride balance in potassium fertilization acts as an integrated regulator of lettuce productivity, produce quality, soil nutrient status, and rhizosphere microbial assembly. Optimizing this balance can improve fertilizer management while supporting crop performance and soil ecological functioning.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Effects of different potassium sulfate to potassium chloride ratios on lettuce growth, nutritional quality, and rhizosphere microbial community

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月4日

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  • Kejian Fu,
  • Yucui Sun,
  • Darun Yang,
  • Yingying Li,
  • Heng Li,
  • Wei Jiang,
  • Xiongtao Ji

摘要

Background

Potassium fertilizers differ in their accompanying anions, which may alter crop performance and rhizosphere processes beyond potassium nutrition alone. This study examined how contrasting sulfate–chloride proportions in potassium supply affect Italian lettuce growth, nutritional quality, soil chemical status, and microbial community organization under equivalent total nutrient input.

Results

Potassium source composition produced distinct responses across plant, soil, and microbial traits. A mixed sulfate–chloride supply provided the most balanced improvement in biomass formation, root development, and quality-related metabolism, whereas sulfate-only fertilization favored selected nitrogen-assimilation and protein-related indicators. Shifts in anion supply modified soil sulfur, chloride, salinity, and nitrate-related conditions, thereby creating differentiated edaphic niches. Bacterial and fungal assemblages responded unevenly to these changes: bacterial communities showed stronger treatment-specific turnover and a greater prevalence of transient specialists, while fungal communities contained more persistent and broadly distributed taxa. Multivariate and network analyses further indicated that nutrient availability, salinity-related factors, and selected keystone genera jointly shaped community structure and potential functional stability.

Conclusions

The sulfate–chloride balance in potassium fertilization acts as an integrated regulator of lettuce productivity, produce quality, soil nutrient status, and rhizosphere microbial assembly. Optimizing this balance can improve fertilizer management while supporting crop performance and soil ecological functioning.

Graphical Abstract