Effects of Artificial Soil Aeration Volume and Frequency on Soil Enzyme Activity and Microbial Abundance when Cultivating Greenhouse Tomato

Abstract

Core Ideas Rhizosphere soil enzymes activity showed an initial increase followed by a decrease. Soil aeration can enhance the activities of three rhizosphere soil enzymes. Aeration frequency and volume can significantly affect rhizosphere enzyme activities. Aeration can enhance the activities of non‐rhizosphere soil enzymes. Soil aeration can increase tomato yield. Artificial soil aeration can enhance soil enzyme activity, improve soil nutrient cycling, and increase crop growth and yield. We studied the response of soil microorganisms and soil enzyme activity to two levels of burial depths of subsurface tubing in combination with four levels of aeration volume and three frequency levels of supplemental soil aeration. The aeration volumes (V) were 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 times (CK, V1, V2, and V3, respectively) the estimated porosity of the plot rhizosphere. Burial depths (D) of subsurface tubing were 15 and 40 cm (D15 and D40). Aeration frequencies (F) levels were none and at 2‐ and 4‐d intervals (CK, F2, and F4). The results demonstrated that aeration frequency and volume positively affected soil urease, phosphatase, and catalase activity and soil microbial abundance. The impact of aeration treatment on rhizosphere soil enzyme activity was greater than its impact on non‐rhizosphere activity. When the drip irrigation tube depth was 15 cm, V2 volume with 2‐d aeration intervals led to an increase in the mean yield of first picking fruit of 75.1% compared with the unaerated control. When V3 volume with 2‐d aeration intervals was performed with a 40‐cm irrigation tube, the mean yields of the first picking fruit increased by 135.5% compared with the unaerated control. These results suggest that artificial soil aeration can improve the plant root zone environment, increase microbial abundance and soil enzyme activity, and promote nutrient uptake, thus promoting plant growth and fruit output.