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Soil phosphorus availability and stoichiometry determine microbial activity and functional diversity of fluvo-aquic soils under long-term fertilization regimes

  • Soils, Sec 5 • Soil and Landscape Ecology • Research Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The interaction between soil microbial and nutrient characteristics is still under debate, and the long-term fertilization experiment provides a good research platform.

Methods

The microbial activity (reflected by the soil respiration rate and extracellular enzyme activities) and functional diversity (based on the Biolog EcoPlate method) of a fluvo-aquic soil fertilized with organic manure and/or chemical fertilizers for 36 years were examined. The treatments included a control without fertilization (CK), inorganic N fertilizer (N), NP fertilizers (NP), and NPK fertilizers (NPK), and organic manure (M), organic manure + inorganic N fertilizer (MN), organic manure + inorganic NP fertilizers (MNP), and organic manure + inorganic NPK fertilizers (MNPK) treated soils.

Results

Microbial respiration rate of the organic manure-treated soil was 64.39% higher than that of the untreated soils. The β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, β-xylosidase, and β-cellobiosidase activities of organic manure-treated soils were 80.44%, 152.25%, 35.23%, and 126.03% higher than those of untreated soils, respectively. Additionally, the average well color development (AWCD) value of organic manure-treated soils was 23.82% higher than that of untreated soils. M treatment exhibited the highest microbial diversity and microbial utilization capacity of carbon sources; however, organic + inorganic fertilizers tended to reduce soil functional diversity compared to that of M treatment. Long-term nutrient deficiencies negatively affected the microbial utilization capacity of carbon sources, as indicated by the low AWCD value, Shannon richness, and Simpson indices of CK soils. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that P availability and P-related stoichiometric ratio played more important roles in determining microbial activity and functional diversity than C, N, and K in fluvo-aquic soils.

Conclusion

This study suggested that organic manure had greatest promoting effect on soil metabolic activity, and NPK balanced fertilization had higher microbial activity than NPK unbalanced fertilization. Generally, P availability and stoichiometry are pivotal in determining microbial activity and functional diversity.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 41771273, 41701257, and 41601237] and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant number 2020T130387].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China

    Wei He, Wenhua Ye, Mingjie Sun, Yaping Li, Manman Chen, Guoqing Hu, Quangang Yang, Hong Pan, Yanhong Lou, Hui Wang & Yuping Zhuge

  2. Xuzhou Institute of Agricultural Sciences of the Xuhuai District of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou, 221131, China

    Meng Wei

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  1. Wei He
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  2. Wenhua Ye
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  3. Mingjie Sun
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  4. Yaping Li
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  5. Manman Chen
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  6. Meng Wei
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  7. Guoqing Hu
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  10. Yanhong Lou
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  11. Hui Wang
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Correspondence to Hui Wang or Yuping Zhuge.

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He, W., Ye, W., Sun, M. et al. Soil phosphorus availability and stoichiometry determine microbial activity and functional diversity of fluvo-aquic soils under long-term fertilization regimes. J Soils Sediments 22, 1214–1227 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-03120-9

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