Abstract
Decreases in soil microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) have been frequently observed under biochar amendment; however, the potential driving factors are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate whether changes in qCO2 under biochar amendment could be closely linked with the alterations in soil carbon and nitrogen quality, microbial community composition and enzyme activity in both bulk and rhizosphere soils.
Both bulk and rhizosphere soils were collected from a field experiment after a 2-year biochar application (at 0, 20, and 40 t ha−1) in an acid rice paddy in subtropical China. Changes in qCO2, the sizes of soil labile and recalcitrant carbon and nitrogen, enzyme activities, and bacterial community composition were investigated. Biochar amendment induced a lower qCO2 in the bulk soil but had little effect on qCO2 in the rhizosphere compared with the non-amended control. The sizes of soil labile carbon and nitrogen pools significantly declined in the bulk soil whereas increased in the rhizosphere under biochar. Biochar amendment at 40 t ha−1 significantly changed bacterial community composition and increased their co-occurrence network complexity. In addition, biochar enhanced substrate induced respiration and the activities of β-glucosidase, phenol oxidase and peroxidase in both bulk and rhizosphere soils. The qCO2 in the bulk soil rather than in the rhizosphere had significant correlations with soil pH, soil labile and recalcitrant carbon pools, bacterial community composition, and enzyme activities. Structural equation modeling suggested that biochar decreased qCO2 in the bulk soil mainly by increasing soil pH, C/N ratio, microbial substrate utilization and enzyme activities. This study suggests that biochar amendment in rice paddy induced a lower qCO2 in the bulk soil rather than in the rhizosphere. Soil organic carbon lability, and carbon-degrading enzyme activities and changes in bacterial community composition were key drivers of qCO2 in the bulk soil.
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The data and material are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant number of 41977083, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province under grant number LZ22C160001, and Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province under grant number 2021C02035-03.
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Song, Y., Yuan, G., Wu, Q. et al. Change in Microbial Metabolic Quotient Under Biochar Amendment Was Associated with Soil Organic Carbon Quality, Microbial Community Composition, and Enzyme Activity in Bulk and Rhizosphere Soils in an Acid Rice Paddy. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 3149–3162 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01363-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01363-8