The effects of straw incorporation with plastic film mulch on soil properties and bacterial community structure on the loess plateau

Abstract

The application of plastic film mulch and the return and incorporation of crop straw into topsoil as independent treatments affect soil physicochemical properties, including nutrient balance/cycling. It remains unclear whether combining straw incorporation and plastic film mulch significantly affects soil physicochemical properties and bacterial communities. We conducted a two‐factor (plastic film mulch application and maize straw incorporation) randomized block design experiment with four treatments: no plastic film mulch or straw incorporation (C), plastic film mulch (M), straw incorporation without mulch (CS) and straw incorporation with mulch (MS). Soil was sampled at the end of the growing cycle after 3 years of treatment. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and nitrate‐nitrogen (NO3−‐N) concentrations significantly improved after straw incorporation. Plastic film mulch had a significant negative effect on soil bacterial richness, whereas straw incorporation had no effect. Straw incorporation had a significant positive effect on bacterial diversity, whereas plastic film mulch had no effect. The MS and M treatments had significantly more Proteobacteria than the C and CS treatments. Formation of the soil bacterial community structure was driven by soil TN, NO3−‐N and SOC in the treatments with straw incorporation, and soil ammonium‐nitrogen (NH4+‐N) in the treatments without straw incorporation. In conclusion, plastic film mulch coupled with straw incorporation can significantly change the taxonomical and functional composition of soil bacterial communities and enhance soil bacterial diversity by affecting carbon and nitrogen cycling in cropland soils of farmland, especially in arid and semiarid regions. Highlights SOC, TN and NO3−–N concentrations significantly improved after straw incorporation Straw incorporation had a greater effect on bacterial communities than plastic film mulch Soil bacterial community structure was driven by soil TN, NO3−–N and SOC after straw incorporation Soil bacterial community structure was driven by soil NH4+‐N without straw incorporation.

Plastic film mulching with ridge planting alters soil chemical and biological properties to increase potato yields in semiarid Northwest China

“…Soil mulching is a widely used method in crop cultivation and offers many advantages [13]. For example, mulching improves soil moisture retention, facilitates early crop growth and development, changes soil physical and chemical properties, and reduces weeds, all of which contribute to higher crop yields [14][15][16][17][18].…”

“…Plastic film mulch is a common soil mulch, which is widely used in arid and semiarid areas of China and has become an important technology in agricultural production [2,16,17]. Mulching can significantly improve soil structure, increase soil water retention capacity, and promote crop growth and yield [2,13,15]. Zhou et al [19] showed that plastic film mulching significantly increased both the aboveground and belowground biomass of maize.…”

Drought Sensitivity of Sugarcane Cultivars Shapes Rhizosphere Bacterial Community Patterns in Response to Water Stress

“…Molecular ecological network analysis (MENA) 6 was used to demonstrate the relationship between the rhizosphere bacterial communities of the two sugarcane cultivars and environmental factors ( Li Y. et al, 2019 ). Networks were constructed for the root-associated area and the soil communities based on the relative abundances of OTUs, resulting in two networks.…”

Effect of long-term fertilizer type with film mulching on maize yield, soil aggregation and bacteria on the Loess Plateau of China

“…Studies have revealed that changes in the soil environment can significantly affect soil bacterial communities (Kaiser et al ., 2016;Li et al ., 2019;Huang et al ., 2019;Wang et al ., 2019). The RDA analysis showed that changes in the soil bacterial community structure were driven by SOC, C: N ratio, TN, pH, and MWD ( Figure 6), as reported elsewhere (Li et al ., 2019;Kaiseret al ., 2016).…”

“…Studies have revealed that changes in the soil environment can significantly affect soil bacterial communities (Kaiser et al ., 2016;Li et al ., 2019;Huang et al ., 2019;Wang et al ., 2019). The RDA analysis showed that changes in the soil bacterial community structure were driven by SOC, C: N ratio, TN, pH, and MWD ( Figure 6), as reported elsewhere (Li et al ., 2019;Kaiseret al ., 2016). Soil microorganisms drive the metabolism of carbon in the soil (Fierer et al ., 2009, Wallenstein, 2012, and SOC is a key property affecting the soil bacterial community structure (Liet al ., 2019).…”