Ridge‐furrow and film‐mulching sowing practices enhance enzyme activity and alter fungi communities
Chunguo Huang, Wenping Yang, Yinglong Chen, Xiaoli Han, Shahbaz Khan, Zhiqiang Gao, Zhenping Yang
Abstract
Abstract The activities of soil resident enzymes and fungal communities are critical for soil health and ecosystem functionality. However, their dynamics in response to variations in sowing techniques are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of wide‐ridge and narrow‐furrow (WR&NF), film‐mulching ridge (FMR), and conventional drilling (CD) practices on the activities of soil‐residing enzymes and fungal communities in a dryland wheat field on the Loess Plateau. Photometrically, unbuffered, and colorimetric methods were employed to determine the activities of alkaline phosphatases, urease, and sucrase enzymes, respectively. Soil fungal diversity and community composition was measured via the Illumina Miseq 2500 sequencing method. The results revealed that WR&NF and FMR practices significantly enhanced the soil activities of alkaline phosphatases, urease, and sucrase, while improving soil fungal communities including Chytridiomycota phylum and Phoma (Ascomycota), Olpidium (Chytridiomycota), and Trichosporon (Basidiomycota) genera. Both the enzymatic activities and fungal community compositions of the soils under study varied from rhizosphere to non‐rhizosphere, as well as at different soil depths. Remarkably, several soil fungal genera, including Cystofilobasidium (Basidiomycota), Triparticalcar (Chytridiomycota), and Guehomyces (Basidiomycota) were more abundant in the subsoil than topsoil. In general, we observed that ridge‐furrow and film‐mulching practices enhanced the enzyme activities and improved fungal communities of soils. Therefore, the wide‐ridge and narrow‐furrow sowing technique is recommended as an environmentally compatible practice to benefit the arid wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) fields of the Loess Plateau.