Effects of Soil Sterilization on Growth of Angelica sinensis Plant and Soil Microbial Populations in a Continuous Mono-cropping Soil

Abstract

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (family Apiaceae) is a perennial herb that has been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The soil sickness has become one of the major constrains in A. sinensis cultivation. A pot experiment was done to evaluate the role of biological nature in A. sinensis soil sickness. The pot experiment include three treatments (i) contol, which represent as the soil in pot taken from spring wheat stands, (ii) AA, which represent as the soil in pot taken from A. sinensis stands, (iii) S-AA, which represent as the soil in pot was sterilized by steam at 121℃ for 4 h taken from A. sinensis stands.Results showed that the plant height, dry weight of aboveground part and roots, root yield and quality, and the activities of SOD and POD in leaves were significantly higher in sterilized replant soil than in non-sterilized replant soil treatment, while the activity of CAT and content of MDA in leaves were declined, which indicated that soil sterilization improved plant haleness and increased the activities of active oxygen scavenging enzymes. The results also demonstrated that soil sterilization can change the number of culturable microbial populations and the species diversity of bacterial functional group. Higher Shannon-Wiener index was found in rhizosphere soils under sterilized soil cropping than that under non-sterilized soil cropping. This suggests that the biological factor played a causal role in the development of A. sinensis soil sickness and sterilization of continuous cropping soil could change the composition and structure of soil microbial community, which further promote plant growth and alleviate A. sinensis soil sickness.

Insights into the mechanism of the effects of rhizosphere microorganisms on the quality of authentic Angelica sinensis under different soil microenvironments

“…In the present study, A. sinensis from sterilized replant soil demonstrated higher plant performance and enhanced activities of active oxygen scavenging enzymes. Such effects may be driven by the increased number and diversity of culturable microbial populations and functional bacterial groups [ 39 ]. While soil sterilization could relieve the soil succession cropping failure, it eliminated indigenous microbes, including a few pathogens, and limited the potential beneficial effects of soil microbes to host plants [ 40 ].…”

Insights Into the Mechanism of Rhizosphere Microorganisms Effecting on Quality Formation of Authentic Angelica Sinensis Under Different Soil Microenvironments

“…Speculation had it that soil sterilization could change the physical structure and microbiological properties of soil, which resulted in increased nutrient release, and inhibition of soil pathogens, thus promote plant growth. For example, A. sinensis from sterilized replant soil exhibited higher plant performance and enhanced activities of active oxygen scavenging enzymes, which might cause by the increased number and diversity of culturable microbial populations and bacterial functional groups [39]. While soil sterilization could relieve the soil succession cropping failure, it not only removed indigenous microbes, including some pathogens, but could also destroy the possible beneficial effects of soil microbes to host plants [40].…”

Insights into the deriving of rhizosphere microenvironments and its effects on the growth of authentic Angelica sinensis seedlings under continuous monoculture

“…The rhizosphere cultivable microbial community, fungal and bacterial diversity, and core bacterial community were signi cantly affected by continuous cultivation of A. sinensis seedlings (An et al, 2020). Imbalanced ammonia-oxidizing bacterial populations may lead to reduced growth of A. sinensis (Zhang et al, 2016). It is well known that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are also bene cial microorganisms that are widely distributed around plant roots and can form mycorrhizal symbiosis with more than 90% of terrestrial vascular plants (Smith et al, 1997).…”