Response of rice and bacterial communities to the incorporation of rice straw in areas mined for heavy rare earth elements

Abstract

Experiments were conducted in pots to study the effects of 2.5% rice straw and 1% rice straw ash on rice growth and bacterial community abundance in areas mined for heavy rare earth elements. The results showed that the incorporation of rice straw improved the pH value of soil, reduced the α-diversity of the soil bacterial community, improved the abundance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes; reduced the abundance of Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae, etc.; reduced the abundance of Candidatus Solibacter, Syntrophobacter, Haliangium, Candidatus Koribacter; and increased the abundance of Ideonella, Anaeromyxobacter, Roseomonas, Clostridium sensu stricto 10, and Geobacter. The decrease in the abundance of beneficial bacteria, Acidobacteria and Nitrospirae, inhibited the growth of the rice; reduced the dry weight of the rice roots, the shoots, and the grains, and increased the concentration of rare earth elements in the rice. Returning 1% rice straw ash to the field had little effect on the diversity and richness of the bacterial community in areas mined for heavy rare earth elements. Also the returned rice straw had little effect on the rice growth, the dry weight of the roots, the shoots, the grains, and the concentration of rare earth elements in these parts of the rice.