Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth Regulators

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) enhance crop stress resistance but their roles in microbial-mediated phosphorus cycling within intercropping systems are unclear. Thus, We conducted a two-year field study using corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L. <i>cv.</i> Denghai 605) and soybean (<i...

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Главные авторы: Chunhua Gao, Weilin Kong, Fengtao Zhao, Feiyan Ju, Ping Liu, Zongxin Li, Kaichang Liu, Haijun Zhao
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Язык:английский
Опубликовано: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Серии:Agronomy
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author Chunhua Gao
Weilin Kong
Fengtao Zhao
Feiyan Ju
Ping Liu
Zongxin Li
Kaichang Liu
Haijun Zhao
author_facet Chunhua Gao
Weilin Kong
Fengtao Zhao
Feiyan Ju
Ping Liu
Zongxin Li
Kaichang Liu
Haijun Zhao
author_sort Chunhua Gao
collection DOAJ
description Plant growth regulators (PGRs) enhance crop stress resistance but their roles in microbial-mediated phosphorus cycling within intercropping systems are unclear. Thus, We conducted a two-year field study using corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L. <i>cv.</i> Denghai 605) and soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L. <i>cv.</i> Hedou 22) in fluvisols and luvisols soil according to World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) standard. Under a 4-row corn and 6-row soybean strip intercropping system, three treatments were applied: a water control (CK), and two plant growth regulators—T1 (EC: ethephon [300 mg/L] + cycocel [2 g/L]) and T2 (ED: ethephon [300 mg/L] + 2-Diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate [10 mg/L]). Foliar applications were administered at the V7 stage (seventh leaf) of intercropped corn plants to assess how foliar-applied PGRs (T1/T2) modulated the soil phosphorus availability, microbial communities, and functional genes in maize intercropping systems. PGRs increased the soil organic phosphorus and available phosphorus contents, and alkaline phosphatase activity, but not total phosphorus. PGRs declined the α-diversity in fluvisols soil but increased the α-diversity in luvisols soil. The major taxa changed from Actinobacteria (CK) to Proteobacteria (T1) and Saccharibacteria (T2) in fluvisols soil, and from Actinobacteria/Gemmatimonadetes (CK) to Saccharibacteria (T1) and Acidobacteria (T2) in luvisols soil. Functional gene dynamics indicated soil-specific regulation, where fluvisols soil harbored more <i>phoD</i> (organic phosphorus mineralization) and <i>relA</i> (polyphosphate degradation) genes, whereas <i>phnP gene</i> dominated in luvisols soil. T1 stimulated organic phosphorus mineralization and inorganic phosphorus solubilization in fluvisols soil, upregulating regulation genes, and T2 enhanced polyphosphate synthesis and transport gene expression in luvisols soil. Proteobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Chloroflexi were positively correlated with organic phosphorus mineralization and polyphosphate cycling genes, whereas Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia correlated with available potassium (AP), total phosphorus (TP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Thus, PGRs activated soil phosphorus by restructuring soil type-dependent microbial functional networks, connecting PGRs-induced shifts with microbial phosphorus cycling mechanisms. These findings facilitate the targeted use of PGRs to optimize microbial-driven phosphorus efficiency in strategies for sustainable phosphorus management in diverse agricultural soils.
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spelling doaj-art-be95efaaa10641859cd6293a708c27482025-07-25T13:10:19ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-07-01157174810.3390/agronomy15071748Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth RegulatorsChunhua Gao0Weilin Kong1Fengtao Zhao2Feiyan Ju3Ping Liu4Zongxin Li5Kaichang Liu6Haijun Zhao7Institute of Industrial Crops, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaInstitute of Industrial Crops, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaInstitute of Industrial Crops, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaShandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaShandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaInstitute of Industrial Crops, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, ChinaPlant growth regulators (PGRs) enhance crop stress resistance but their roles in microbial-mediated phosphorus cycling within intercropping systems are unclear. Thus, We conducted a two-year field study using corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L. <i>cv.</i> Denghai 605) and soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L. <i>cv.</i> Hedou 22) in fluvisols and luvisols soil according to World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) standard. Under a 4-row corn and 6-row soybean strip intercropping system, three treatments were applied: a water control (CK), and two plant growth regulators—T1 (EC: ethephon [300 mg/L] + cycocel [2 g/L]) and T2 (ED: ethephon [300 mg/L] + 2-Diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate [10 mg/L]). Foliar applications were administered at the V7 stage (seventh leaf) of intercropped corn plants to assess how foliar-applied PGRs (T1/T2) modulated the soil phosphorus availability, microbial communities, and functional genes in maize intercropping systems. PGRs increased the soil organic phosphorus and available phosphorus contents, and alkaline phosphatase activity, but not total phosphorus. PGRs declined the α-diversity in fluvisols soil but increased the α-diversity in luvisols soil. The major taxa changed from Actinobacteria (CK) to Proteobacteria (T1) and Saccharibacteria (T2) in fluvisols soil, and from Actinobacteria/Gemmatimonadetes (CK) to Saccharibacteria (T1) and Acidobacteria (T2) in luvisols soil. Functional gene dynamics indicated soil-specific regulation, where fluvisols soil harbored more <i>phoD</i> (organic phosphorus mineralization) and <i>relA</i> (polyphosphate degradation) genes, whereas <i>phnP gene</i> dominated in luvisols soil. T1 stimulated organic phosphorus mineralization and inorganic phosphorus solubilization in fluvisols soil, upregulating regulation genes, and T2 enhanced polyphosphate synthesis and transport gene expression in luvisols soil. Proteobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Chloroflexi were positively correlated with organic phosphorus mineralization and polyphosphate cycling genes, whereas Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia correlated with available potassium (AP), total phosphorus (TP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Thus, PGRs activated soil phosphorus by restructuring soil type-dependent microbial functional networks, connecting PGRs-induced shifts with microbial phosphorus cycling mechanisms. These findings facilitate the targeted use of PGRs to optimize microbial-driven phosphorus efficiency in strategies for sustainable phosphorus management in diverse agricultural soils.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1748plant growth regulatorsmaize–soybean intercropping systemphosphorus cyclingmetagenomics
spellingShingle Chunhua Gao
Weilin Kong
Fengtao Zhao
Feiyan Ju
Ping Liu
Zongxin Li
Kaichang Liu
Haijun Zhao
Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth Regulators
Agronomy
plant growth regulators
maize–soybean intercropping system
phosphorus cycling
metagenomics
title Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth Regulators
title_full Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth Regulators
title_fullStr Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth Regulators
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth Regulators
title_short Enhancing Soil Phosphorus Availability in Intercropping Systems: Roles of Plant Growth Regulators
title_sort enhancing soil phosphorus availability in intercropping systems roles of plant growth regulators
topic plant growth regulators
maize–soybean intercropping system
phosphorus cycling
metagenomics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1748
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