The planting of licorice increased soil microbial diversity and affected the growth and development of apple trees

Changes to bacterial communities and soil metabolites in an apple orchard as a legacy effect of different intercropping plants and soil management practices

“…The licorice is a perennial legume species plant, whereas pepper is an annual plant species in the family Solanaceae. A highly developed root system that produces specific soil metabolic compounds may be associated with the enrichment of highly diverse microbes (Li et al, 2022 ). Moreover, the intercropping plants may be a source of various nutrients and carbon compounds including vitamins, nucleic acids, and amino acids, which may help recruit diverse microbes (Liu et al, 2013 ; Qiao et al, 2014 ).…”

“…The watering and fertilizer were supplied by drip irrigation depending on the demand of apple plants. The average annual rainfall and temperature at the sample collection sites were 200.2 mm and 8.5°C, respectively (Li et al, 2022 ). To increase the profitability of the orchard, pepper and licorice were cultivated between some of the rows of apple trees, whereas natural grass was grown between the remaining rows of apple trees.…”

“…Natural grass, clover, ryegrass, Vulpia myuros , and alfalfa are the most commonly used plants for intercropping in orchards (Wang et al, 2014 ; Coller et al, 2019 ; Sun et al, 2022 ). To increase profits, some orchard managers also grow commercial crops (e.g., chili and licorice) between rows of fruit trees (Li et al, 2022 ). Previous studies revealed that interplanting with V. myuros can suppress the growth of other weeds, improve the physicochemical properties of orchards, and provide nutrients for fruit trees (Brown and Rice, 2010 ).…”

“…Licorice is a deep-rooted perennial leguminous plant with high resistance to drought and cold. It has been wildly used as the intercropping plant in arid and semi-arid regions in northwestern China (Li et al, 2022 ). Intercropping with licorice or other non-legume species has become the most prevalent soil management practice in apple orchards.…”

Effects of hairy vetch cultivation on soil quality and productivity in Chinese orchards: a meta-analysis

“…Grass cultivation can also increase the content of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the topsoil and the abundance of microbial communities in orchards, contributing to the improvement of the soil environment (Zheng et al, 2021). The increase in the number of microorganisms promotes the decomposition of grass residues and secretions, and the interpenetration of grassroots helps to solve the problems of soil compaction and fertility decline (Li et al, 2022b). A large number of studies have shown that grass cultivation in orchards management plays an important role in improving orchard soil nutrient content (Wang et al, 2021), fruit quality (Wei et al, 2021b), soil enzyme activity (Luo et al, 2021) and soil microbial content (Wan & He, 2021).…”