Effect of the Different Fertilization Treatments Application on Paddy Soil Enzyme Activities and Bacterial Community Composition

Abstract

The application amount of fertilizer is believed to dramatically influence soil bacteria in paddy fields, and soil bacteria critically affect soil enzyme activities and the growth of rice in paddy fields. Thus, providing a suitable amount of fertilization to ensure rice yields is an important issue in field management. In this study, four treatments were carried out in a paddy field, including control (fertilization methods commonly used by farmers in the past), IT + RF 10, IT + RF 20, and IT + RF 30 (integrated technology and 10%, 20%, and 30% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer, respectively). Soil samples were collected in two periods, the rice booting stage and the harvest period. High-throughput sequencing was used for analysis of soil bacterial diversity and community composition across different fertilizer treatments, and clarified the effects of different fertilizer treatments on soil enzyme activities and bacterial community composition. This study showed that a reduction in chemical fertilizer application has a certain impact on the soil pH, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), soil organic matter (SOM) value, and bacterial community of the rice planting system, and that the IT + RF 10 treatment was the best way to reduce fertilizer application, which can reduce nutrient loss in the paddy soil. The application of organic fertilizer partially replaces chemical fertilizer, which not only effectively stimulates soil enzyme activity, but also enriches bacterial groups that may participate in complex organic matter decomposition and soil nutrient mobilization.