Soil improvement promoted micro-ecology of farmlands for ginseng cultivation / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

This study has revealed the change of the soil micro-ecology of farmlands, which used for ginseng cultivation, brought by comprehensive soil improvement. The process of soil improvement was described as follows： soil was sterilized using trichloronitromethane, and then perilla seeds were planted. After growing up, the perillas were turned over into the field and fermented, then organic fertilizer was added. Rotary tillages were carried out during the intervals. Physical and chemical properties of treated soil were measured, as well as microbial diversity, which was illustrated using 16s high through-put sequencing. The survival rate and growth data of ginseng seedlings were recorded. The analysis showed that after improvement, the soil organic matter content was increased and soil bulk density was decreased, compare to the controls, and the fertility in 0-20 cm of soil layer was increased in the treatment. Additionally, the soil microbial diversity was changed greatly. In detail, alpha diversity of the soil decreased after soil improvement while the beta diversity increased. In order to verify the achievement of soil improvement, ginseng seedlings were planted. Compared to the untreated land blocks, the survival rate of ginseng on improved blocks was increased up to 21.4%, and the ginseng physiological index were all better than the controls. Results showed that comprehensive soil improvements including soil sterilization, green manure planting and organic fertilization application effectively improved the soil micro-ecology in farmlands. This study will pave the way for the future standardization of ginseng cultivation on farmlands.