Conservation tillage enhanced the stability of fungal community network

Abstract:

[Objective] This study analyzed the fungal community composition and the pathogenic fungal network characteristics in the fields with different tillage measures, aiming to provide a scientific basis for understanding the role of microorganisms in maintaining and improving agroecosystem stability. [Methods] We employed high-throughput sequencing to investigate the composition and diversity of fungal communities and the network of fungal pathogens in the rhizosphere and bulk soils under the moldboard plow tillage (MP) and conservation tillage (reduced tillage: RT; no-tillage: NT). [Results] Compared with NT, MP and RT significantly increased the total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and available potassium (AK) in both the rhizosphere and bulk soils. The rhizosphere effect on the changes of fungal communities was greater than the effect of tillage measure. The Shannon index of the fungi in the rhizosphere soil under RT treatment was higher than that under MP and NT treatments. NT and RT decreased the relative abundance of Fusarium and Alternaria in the rhizosphere soils. In addition, RT reduced the network complexity of pathogenic fungi, weakened the interactions between the pathogenic fungi and their associated taxa, and enhanced the network stability. [Conclusion] These findings indicate RT as an optimal practice can increase soil nutrients, stabilize microbial network structure, and alleviate the potential transmission of pathogens, which provides a new perspective for tillage application in Northeast China.