Potential of Rumex japonicus Houtt. in alkaline soil management

Soil alkalization is a major abiotic factor that has a detrimental impact on soil health and crop productivity. To restore and enhance the use of alkaline soils, it is critical to search for alkaline-tolerant plant species with economic value. In this study, we investigated the potential of Rumex japonicus Houtt. as a commercial medicinal crop in alkaline soil. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to compare the morphological traits of R. japonicus planted in alkaline and neutral soils. Specifically, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the content of four main medicinal ingredients, while polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was utilized to assess the soil microbial community diversity. Additionally, we analyzed the variations in soil physiochemical properties at different plant growth stages. Results showed that R. japonicus maintained robust morphological development under alkaline conditions, with no significant reduction in overall biomass compared to neutral soil. Furthermore, natural alkaline soil conditions significantly induced the accumulation of targeted secondary metabolites, increasing physcion content by 58.21% (S7 stage). The cultivation of R. japonicus improved soil fertility, enhanced soil enzyme activity, and induced distinct shifts in dominant soil microbial community profiles. These results indicate that R. japonicus has the potential to be grown as a commercial crop in alkaline soil. This study findings provide theoretical support for the selection of plant species for future utilization and restoration of alkaline soil.