Influences of tobacco straw return with lime on microbial community structure of tobacco-planting soil and tobacco leaf quality

Abstract

Soil amendment is an important strategy to improve soil quality and crop yield. During 2014-2019, we investigated the effects of tobacco straw return with lime on soil nutrients, soil microbial community structure, tobacco leaf yield and quality in southern Anhui, China. A eld experiment was conducted in four treatments: straw removed (CK), straw return (St), straw return with dolomite (St + D), and straw return with lime (St + L). Results showed that after ve years of continuous treatment, the St + L signi cantly increased the soil pH by 16.9%, and the contents of soil alkaline nitrogen (N) and available potassium (K) by 17.2% and 23.0%, respectively, compared with the CK. Moreover, the St + L signi cantly increased tobacco leaf yield (24.0%) and the appearance (9.1%) and sensory (5.9%) quality of ue-cured tobacco leaves. The addition of soil conditioners (straw, dolomite, and lime) resulted in an increase in both the total reads and effective sequences of soil microorganisms. Bacterial diversity was found to be more sensitive to changes in the external environment compared to soil fungi. The application of soil amendments (lime and straw) has been shown to promote the growth of bene cial microorganisms in the soil. Additionally, bacterial species face greater competition and limited availability of resources for survival compared to fungi. Various analytical techniques, such as RDA, correlation analysis, and network analysis, were employed to investigate this nding: soil microorganisms are signi cantly in uenced by the presence of AK, AN and pH contents. These ndings can provide an effective method for improving the quality of ue-cured tobacco leaves and guiding the amelioration of acidic soil in regions where tobacco-rice rotation is practiced.

Analysis of Tobacco Straw Return to the Field to Improve the Chemical, Physical, and Biological Soil Properties and Rice Yield

“…The application of crop residues to soil has been demonstrated to influence the structure of bacterial communities [47]. Straw, which is rich in organic matter and nutrients, not only enhances soil fertility, but also serves as a habitat for soil organisms to colonize [48].…”