Research Article
Different New Fertilizers Differentially Modulate Wheat Yield, Rhizosphere Microbiota and Soil Fertility
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
101-119
Received:
21 April 2025
Accepted:
13 May 2025
Published:
14 July 2025
Abstract: The use of alternative fertilizers offers a promising approach to improving soil health and crop productivity, yet their relative effects on rhizosphere microbial communities remain insufficiently understood. This two-year field study on the Huang-Huai Plain, China, assessed the impacts of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF), organic fertilizer (OF), and microbial fertilizer (MF), relative to a conventional synthetic fertilizer (CF), on soil properties, wheat yield, and microbial community composition. Soil chemical parameters, microbial diversity (via 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing), and wheat yield were analyzed. OF significantly enhanced soil organic matter (14.97%), available nitrogen (28.70%), phosphorus (20.59%), potassium (33.06%), and grain yield (17.58%) compared to CF, likely due to sustained nutrient release and stimulation of microbial activity. In contrast, CRF decreased soil organic matter (−19.2%) and phosphorus availability, with only modest yield improvement (3.50%). MF enriched plant-beneficial taxa, including Bacillus and Arthrobacter, and improved yield by 9.39%. Fungal communities showed greater responsiveness to fertilizer type than bacterial communities, with OF and CRF promoting notable increases in fungal diversity. LEfSe analysis revealed treatment-specific microbial biomarkers such as Saccharothrix (OF), Azotobacter (CRF), and Nitrospira (MF), while correlation analysis linked Cyphellophora (OF) and Epicoccum (CRF) to yield enhancement. These findings underscore the potential of organic amendments to simultaneously boost soil fertility, microbial diversity, and crop productivity, outperforming controlled-release and microbial fertilizers. MF demonstrated promise for microbiome-targeted interventions, whereas CRF may pose risks to long-term soil health. This study supports microbiome-informed, organic-inclusive fertilization strategies for sustainable agriculture.
Abstract: The use of alternative fertilizers offers a promising approach to improving soil health and crop productivity, yet their relative effects on rhizosphere microbial communities remain insufficiently understood. This two-year field study on the Huang-Huai Plain, China, assessed the impacts of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF), organic fertilizer (OF...
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Research Article
Using Roma Tomato to Study the Limits of Deficit Irrigation
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
120-125
Received:
4 June 2025
Accepted:
18 June 2025
Published:
21 July 2025
Abstract: A greenhouse study of deficit irrigation was conducted to understand the fraction of optimum evapotranspiration water requirement that limits growth and development of Roma tomato. Seedlings of the crop were germinated and transplanted into 20 cm diameter pots in a mixture of 2: 1 topsoil and perlite. The 200 seedlings were arranged in a randomized complete block replicated five times such that each block contained 40 seedlings. Deficit irrigation treatments included 100% (control), 75%, 50%, and 25% of the amount of control freshwater. Crop growth and development parameters studied include relative growth rate, fresh and dry vegetative biomass accumulation, chlorophyll content, leaf area, stomatal conductance, and number of flower buds and flowers as a consequence of deficit irrigation. Results of the study indicate a two-tier effect of deficit irrigation on the crop with no growth loss at the vegetative growth phase even at 50% irrigation, but a significant reduction in flower bud initiation and flowering even at the 75% irrigation. Based on these results, it is recommended that deficit irrigation up to 50% of optimum evapotranspiration requirement of Roma tomato be adopted as a water conservation strategy at the vegetative growth phase, and a return to the full evapotranspiration water requirement at the onset of flower bud initiation.
Abstract: A greenhouse study of deficit irrigation was conducted to understand the fraction of optimum evapotranspiration water requirement that limits growth and development of Roma tomato. Seedlings of the crop were germinated and transplanted into 20 cm diameter pots in a mixture of 2: 1 topsoil and perlite. The 200 seedlings were arranged in a randomized...
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,
Yang Cao
