Paddy-upland rotation combined with manure application: An optimal strategy for enhancing soil multifunctionality

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Soil Science
• Ecology

Background:

• Soil multifunctionality is crucial for agricultural productivity and sustainability.
• Optimizing agricultural practices to enhance soil multifunctionality is essential due to increasing global food demand.
• The combined effects of crop rotation and fertilization on soil multifunctionality are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different crop rotations (paddy-upland vs. dryland) combined with fertilization (chemical fertilizer vs. manure) on soil multifunctionality.
• To analyze the effects on soil microbial community structure and microbial networks.
• To identify the optimal combination of practices for maximizing soil multifunctionality and crop yield.

Main Methods:

• A two-year field experiment was conducted comparing rice-wheat (paddy-upland) and maize-wheat (dryland) rotations.
• Treatments included chemical fertilizer and pig manure application.
• Soil multifunctionality, microbial community structure, and network properties were assessed.

Main Results:

• Paddy-upland rotation combined with manure application demonstrated the most significant enhancement of soil multifunctionality (216.25% increase).
• This combination also led to a substantial crop yield increase (222.71%).
• Paddy-upland rotation and fertilization positively influenced soil bacterial network complexity and robustness.

Conclusions:

• The combination of paddy-upland rotation and manure application is an optimal strategy for improving soil multifunctionality and crop yield.
• Soil microbial network properties are key predictors of soil multifunctionality.
• This research offers insights for sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil health through integrated management practices.