Continuous Rice Cultivation Increases Celery Yield by Enhancing Plant Beneficial Bacteria in Rice-Celery Rotations.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Microbiology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Sustainable crop management is crucial due to increasing global food demand.
• Crop rotation is a long-standing sustainable practice with minimal environmental impact.
• Limited understanding exists on microbial diversity shifts and functions during crop rotation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of crop rotation on microbial diversity and functions.
• To identify microbially mediated mechanisms enhancing plant production.
• To explore the potential of novel microbial strains in sustainable agriculture.

Main Methods:

• Conducted field surveys of rice-celery crop rotations.
• Performed greenhouse experiments to validate findings.
• Utilized metadata analysis across various crops to assess consistency.

Main Results:

• Crop rotation significantly increased crop yield.
• Plant-beneficial bacteria, including a novel strain Acinetobacter bohemicus HfQ1, were enriched.
• Enhanced microbial functions included increased ammonia oxidation, siderophore production, and indole-3-acetic acid synthesis.

Conclusions:

• Crop rotation promotes beneficial bacteria and enhances crucial plant-growth functions.
• Findings support the development of innovative crop rotation models for sustainable agriculture.
• The identified Acinetobacter strain shows potential as a biofertilizer, reducing reliance on chemical inputs.