Abstract
The global demand for cotton makes sustainable cotton production an important issue that can be improved by a better understanding of the influence of soil microbes on cotton growth. We collected cotton field soils at the seedling and flowering/boll-setting (FBS) stages in order to obtain soil properties and cotton growth indices. Bacterial and fungal community compositions were assessed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer genes, respectively, after which the differences in microbial functions and their influencing factors at different growth stages were analyzed. Both the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities were found to be significantly different between the seedling and FBS stages. Microbes in the seedling stage had significantly higher richness and biomass than those in the FBS stage. Compared with the seedling stage, the stability of the soil bacterial communities was decreased. The cotton growth indices at both the seedling and FBS stages were associated with compositional shifts in the bacterial community and but not the fungal community. The abundance of specific soil microbial taxa (e.g., Pseudarthrobacter, Thiobacillus, Cephalotrichum, Chaetomium, and Fusarium) were correlated with cotton growth indices at the seedling stage, being mainly regulated by soil salinity and nitrate content. Our results highlight the importance of soil microbial communities in mediating cotton growth and will be useful in providing better strategies for the improvement of cotton agriculture.
Highlights
More than 30% of the irrigated lands in arid and semi-arid areas are affected by soil salinity [1], severely restricting sustainable economic development in arid areas
Significant differences in the Shannon index were found in the soil bacterial communities between the seedling and FBS stages (t-test, p < 0.05, Figure 2c), but there was no significant difference in the Shannon index of soil fungal communities (t-test, p > 0.05, Figure 2d)
The microbial biomass, diversity, and community structure changed over time, resulting in decreasing microbial biomass and richness in the FBS stage compared to the seedling stage
Summary
More than 30% of the irrigated lands in arid and semi-arid areas are affected by soil salinity [1], severely restricting sustainable economic development in arid areas. Cotton growth in high-salinity environments is a major challenge as its seedlings are very sensitive to salt stress [3,4], and this stage determines their establishment and subsequent later growth [5,6] Addressing this is an important aspect of achieving the sustainable utilization of saline alkali land. Microbial diversity in agricultural soils varies with environmental gradients and nutrient availability [11,12], while differences in crop species’ nutrient uptake and environmental stress adaptations lead to heterogeneity in bacterial growth and abundance [13]. These factors can result in an inhomogeneous distribution of soil microbial communities throughout the crop growth period in an agricultural field [14]. An improved understanding of these dynamics during cotton growth could greatly contribute to promoting nutrient cycling and enhancing nutrient utilization efficiency
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
