Abstract
Soil microorganisms play an important role in the ecosystem, and have a certain relationship with the continuous cropping obstacles, which are common with sweet potato. However, there are few reports on the effects of continuous cropping of sweet potato on the microbial community structure in the rhizospheric soil. Here, we investigated the effects of continuous cropping of sweet potato on the fungal community structure in rhizospheric soil, in order to provide theoretical basis for prevention and control of continuous cropping obstacles. This study used X18 and Y138 varieties as experimental materials. Soil samples were collected during the early period of planting and harvest in two consecutive years, and fungi were analyzed using Illumina Miseq. Results showed that the fungi diversity and richness in rhizospheric soil of X18 and Y138 were significantly increased after continuous cropping; the most dominant fungi phylum was Ascomycota, which decreased significantly after continuous cropping. In addition, the content of beneficial fungi such as Chaetomium was reduced, while that of harmful fungi such as Verticillium, Fusarium, and Colletotrichum were increased. The composition of X18 and Y138 fungal community in the same sampling period after continuous cropping was similar, although that of the same sweet potato variety significantly differed with the sampling period. Overall, our results indicate that continuous cropping alters the fungal community structure of the sweet potato rhizospheric soil, such that the content of beneficial fungi decrease, while that of harmful fungi increase, thereby increasing soil-borne diseases and reducing the yield and quality of sweet potato. Furthermore, these effects are different for different sweet potato varieties. Thus, during actual production, attention should be paid to maintain the stability of sweet potato rhizospheric soil micro-ecology through rotation or application of microbial fertilizers and soil amendments to alleviate continuous cropping obstacles.
Highlights
Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is an important global food, feed, and industrial raw material
The results showed that the key beneficial fungi decreased dramatically, and a number of pathogenic fungi increased significantly, which significantly contributed to the continuous cropping obstacle in case outdoor strawberry
The results showed that continuous cropping caused changes in the fungal community structure of sweet potato rhizospheric soil
Summary
Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is an important global food, feed, and industrial raw material. It is a high-yield and high-efficiency crop that is drought-tolerant and resistant to ridges, exhibiting strong adaptability. With the adjustment of Continuous Cropping of Sweet Potato planting structures in China and the implementation of underground water pressure mining and other policies in North China, the planting area of sweet potato has increased yearly, and large-scale intensive production has accelerated. Continuous cropping obstacles are common with sweet potato. Studies have shown that the continuous cropping of sweet potato can cause a 20–30% reduction in yield, as well as severe plant death or even lack of production (Zhou and Ma, 2003; Jia et al, 2010). Due to the limited arable land in China, the area used for continuous cropping of sweet potato or multiple cropping is getting larger, and the continuous cropping obstacle could become a bottleneck problem, restricting the sustainable development of the sweet potato industry in China
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