Response of Soil Microorganisms and Phenolic to Pseudostelariae heterophylla Cultivation in Different Soil Types

Abstract

Pseudostellaria heterophylla of the Caryophyllaceae family is an important medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine, but it encounters continuous cropping obstacle during cultivation. This study aimed to study the differences in the response of Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation to soil microorganisms and phenolic substances in different types of soil (Loamy soil and Clayey soil). The analysis of soil metabolites using HPLC-ESI-Q/TOF-MS and HPLC-DAD techniques revealed that the content of various phenolic components in the rhizosphere soil increased significantly after Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation. Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation in yellow soil could increase the abundance of Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Thermoplasmatota, while in brown soil, the abundance of Ascomycota significantly decreased. In addition, Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation could increase the α-diversity of bacteria and fungi in yellow soil, while reducing the α-diversity of archaea, and the impact on diversity in brown soil was relatively small. Correlation analysis showed that phenolic compounds were more likely to regulate the genera Bradyrhizobium, Calcarisporiella, Boothiomyces and Methanocella. Pseudostellaria heterophylla may regulate rhizosphere microbial diversity and community structure by secreting phenolic. However, in different types of soil environments, the response mechanism of soil microorganisms to Pseudostellaria heterophylla planting might vary. Our study provides new insights that the variability in the response of different soil types to Pseudostelariae heterophylla cultivation should be taken into account when developing strategies for reducing continuous cropping obstacles in medicinal plants.