Deciphering the Relationships Between Soil Enzymatic Activities and N- and P-Cycling Functional Genes Under Long-Term...

Area of Science:

• Soil Science
• Microbiology
• Agronomy

Background:

• Long-term fertilization impacts soil biochemistry and microbial functions.
• Mechanisms linking soil enzyme activities and nutrient cycling genes are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate fertilization effects on soil properties, enzyme activities, nutrient cycling genes, and faba bean yield.
• Understand long-term soil-microbe interactions and nutrient cycling regulation.

Main Methods:

• Field experiment with N, NPK, M, and MNPK fertilization over 45 years.
• Analysis of soil properties, enzyme activities (urease, proteases, phosphatases).
• Quantification of N- and P-cycling functional genes using qPCR.

Main Results:

• Organic fertilizers (M, MNPK) improved soil nutrients and increased faba bean yield (75-93%).
• MNPK maximized urease and neutral protease; organic inputs stimulated phosphatase activity.
• Fertilization regimes differentially affected N- and P-cycling genes, with organic inputs upregulating N-fixation and P-uptake genes.

Conclusions:

• Long-term organic fertilization enhances soil fertility and crop yield by modulating enzyme activities and microbial gene expression.
• Distinct yet coordinated relationships exist between soil fertility, enzyme activities, and functional genes.
• Findings support sustainable fertilization strategies for improved agroecosystem function.