Soil food web structure coordinated by soil omnivores sustains soil multifunctionality in moderate vermicompost amended fields

Abstract

Biodiversity can enhance soil multifunctionality through strengthening biotic interactions in soil food webs, but largely unknown in agroecosystems. We therefore predicted that vermicompost, serving as an organic amendment and soil health conditioner, could enhance trophic interactions among bacteria, fungi and nematodes and mediate synergies and trade-offs among soil functions, especially when substituting synthetic fertilizer was applied to soils. Soil multifunctionality was assessed from plant growth and product quality, carbon and nutrient cycling, water and climate regulation in an intensive cropping system. Pepper, tomato and spinach were cultivated in rotation annually, with substituting vermicompost as a nutrient replacement for synthetic fertilizer for 5 years. Results showed that substituting a moderate dose of vermicompost for synthetic fertilizer offered the highest soil multifunctionality by enhancing synergies among multiple functions. The vermicompost-stimulated multifunctionality was primarily attributed to the cascading effects of the complex food web structure induced by omnivorous nematode. These effects were regulated by the physicochemical environment of the vermicompost-amended soil. Notably, the multifunctional benefits degraded when higher rates of vermicompost were applied, suggesting that over-use of vermicompost combined with an inadequate amount of synthetic fertilizer could simplify soil food web structure and decrease soil functions, mainly due to the nutrient limitation and increasing harmful substances as indicated by C:N stoichiometry, heavy metals and antibiotic resistance genes. In intensive agricultural systems, finding an optimal balance of organic amendments and synthetic fertilizer that supports complex soil food web interactions is therefore crucial for promoting multiple soil functions and particularly sustaining the production of high-quality food crops.