Effects of different cultivation strategies on soil nutrients and bacterial diversity in kiwifruit orchards

Abstract

The basic principle underlying organic orchards is increased soil nutrient content, particularly organic matter content and increases soil bacterial activity and diversity. A standard organic management strategy significantly improved [p <0.05) soil alkaline phos-phatase, urease, and sucrase activities and soil organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen contents. The soils of two orchards mainly contained 32 bacterial phyla, which were dominated by Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Gemmatimonadetes. Correlational analysis showed that the bacterial community was mainly influenced by catalase, sucrase, and soil organic matter. Catalase, urease, sucrase, and alkaline phosphatase activities and soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and nitrate-nitrogen contents promoted soil bacterial content. A comprehensive analysis showed that organic orchard management improved soil nutrients and enzyme activities and changed the soil bacterial diversity compared with those of conventionally managed soil.