Vegetable Productivity, Soil Physicochemical and Biochemical Properties, and Microbiome in Response to Organic Substitution in an Intensive Greenhouse Production System

Xing Liu, Haohui Xu, Yanan Cheng, Ying Zhang, Yonggang Li, Fei Wang, Changwei Shen and Bihua Chen ()
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Xing Liu: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Haohui Xu: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Yanan Cheng: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Ying Zhang: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Yonggang Li: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Fei Wang: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Changwei Shen: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China
Bihua Chen: School of Horticulture Landscape Architecture, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 14, 1-27

Abstract: Partial substitution of mineral N fertilizer with manure (organic substitution) is considered as an effective way to reduce N input in intensive agroecosystems. Here, based on a 3-year field experiment, we assessed the influence of different organic substitution ratios (15%, 30%, 45%, and 60%, composted chicken manure applied) on vegetable productivity and soil physicochemical and biochemical properties as well as microbiome (metagenomic sequencing) in an intensive greenhouse production system (cucumber-tomato rotation). Organic substitution ratio in 30% got a balance between stable vegetable productivity and maximum N reduction. However, higher substitution ratios decreased annual vegetable yield by 23.29–32.81%. Organic substitution (15–45%) improved soil fertility (12.18–19.94% increase in soil total organic carbon content) and such improvement was not obtained by higher substitution ratio. Soil mean enzyme activity was stable to organic substitution despite the activities of some selected enzymes changed (catalase, urease, sucrase, and alkaline phosphatase). Organic substitution changed the species and functional structures rather than diversity of soil microbiome, and enriched the genes related to soil denitrification (including nirK , nirS , and nosZ ). Besides, the 30% of organic substitution obviously enhanced soil microbial network complexity and this enhancement was mainly associated with altered soil pH. At the level tested herein, organic substitution ratio in 30% was suitable for greenhouse vegetable production locally. Long-term influence of different organic substitution ratios on vegetable productivity and soil properties in intensive greenhouse system needs to be monitored.

Keywords: greenhouse vegetable production; metagenomic sequencing; organic substitution; soil nitrogen cycling; soil microbiome (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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