Liming combined with an optimum quantity of inorganic fertilizer, as a soil amendment in intensive agriculture, is a viable agricultural practice in terms of improving soil nutrient status and productivity, as well as mitigating soil degradation. The chief benefits of this strategy are fundamentally dependent on soil microbial function. However, we have limited knowledge about lime’s effects on soil microbiomes and their functions, nor on its comprehensive influence on soil nutrient status and the productivity of sugarcane plantations. This study compares the impacts of lime application (1-year lime (L1), 2-year lime (L2), and no lime (CK) on microbial communities, their functions, soil nutrient status, and crop yield in a sugarcane cropping system. We employed Illumina sequencing and functional analysis (PICRUSt and FUNGuild) to decipher microbial communities and functions. In comparison with CK, lime application (L1 and L2) mitigated soil acidity, increased the level of base cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+), and improved soil nutrient status (especially through N and P) as well as soil microbial functions associated with nutrient cycling and that are beneficial to plants, thereby improving plant agronomic parameters and yield. Liming (L1 and L2) increased species richness and stimulated an abundance of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi compared to CK. In comparison with CK, the two functional categories related to metabolism (amino acid and carbohydrate) increased in the L1 field, whereas cofactors and vitamin metabolites increased in the L2 field. Turning to fungi, compared to CK, liming enriched symbiotrophs (endophytes, ectomycorrhizae, and arbuscular mycorrhizae) and led to a reduction of saprotrophs (Zygomycota and wood saprotrophs) and pathotrophs. The observed benefits of liming were, in turn, ultimately reflected in improved sugarcane agronomic performance, such as increased stalk height and weight in the sugarcane planting system. However, the increase in the above-mentioned parameters was more prominent in the L2 field compared to the L1 field, suggesting consecutive liming could be a practical approach in terms of sustainable production of sugarcane.
Continuous planting has a negative impact on sugarcane plant growth and reduces global sugarcane crop production, including in China. The response of soil bacteria, fungal, and arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) fungal communities to continuous sugarcane cultivation has not been thoroughly documented. Using MiSeq sequencing technology, we analyzed soil samples from sugarcane fields with 1, 10, and 30 years of continuous cropping to see how monoculture time affected sugarcane yield, its rhizosphere soil characteristics and microbiota. The results showed that continuous sugarcane planting reduced sugarcane quality and yield. Continuous sugarcane planting for 30 years resulted in soil acidification, as well as C/N, alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen, organic matter, and total sulfur content significantly lower than in newly planted fields. Continuous sugarcane planting affected soil bacterial, fungal, and AM fungal communities, according to PCoA and ANOSIM analysis. Redundancy analysis (RDA) results showed that bacterial, fungal, and AM fungal community composition were strongly associated with soil properties and attributes, e.g., soil AN, OM, and TS were critical environmental factors in transforming the bacterial community. The LEfSe analysis revealed bacterial families (e.g., Gaiellaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Micromonosporaceae, Nitrosomonadaceae, and Methyloligellaceae) were more prevalent in the newly planted field than in continuously cultivated fields (10 and 30 years), whereas Sphingomonadaceae, Coleofasciculaceae, and Oxyphotobacteria were depleted. Concerning fungal families, the newly planted field was more dominated than the continuously planted field (30 years) with Mrakiaceae and Ceratocystidaceae, whereas Piskurozymaceae, Trimorphomycetaceae, Lachnocladiaceae, and Stigmatodisc were significantly enriched in the continuously planted fields (10 and 30 years). Regarding AMF families, Diversisporaceae was considerably depleted in continuously planted fields (10 and 30 years) compared to the newly planted field. These changes in microbial composition may ultimately lead to a decrease in sugarcane yield and quality in the monoculture system, which provides a theoretical basis for the obstruction mechanism of the continuous sugarcane planting system. However, continuous planting obstacles remain uncertain and further need to be coupled with root exudates, soil metabolomics, proteomics, nematodes, and other exploratory methods.
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