Biodiv Sci ›› 2016, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (8): 907-915.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2016100

• Original Papers: Animal Diversity • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of soil biota influenced by long-term organic and chemical fertilizers on rice growth and resistance to insects

Linhui Jiang1, Ling Luo1, Zhenggao Xiao1, Daming Li2, Xiaoyun Chen1, Manqiang Liu1,*(), Feng Hu1   

  1. 1 Soil Ecology Laboratory, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095
    2 Jiangxi Institute of Red Soil, Nanchang 331717
  • Received:2016-04-08 Accepted:2016-05-19 Online:2016-08-20 Published:2016-09-02
  • Contact: Liu Manqiang

Abstract:

Fertilization plays an important role in soil quality, food supply and security. Although promoting soil biological development is considered as one of the most critical components that organic fertilizers exert on soil compared with chemical fertilization, less attention has been paid to the fertilization-derived influence on crop growth and insect-resistance via soil biota. Understanding the role of soil biota in crop growth and resistance to insects would not only help explain the biological mechanisms of the fertilization effects on soil functions, but also help identify integrative management techniques for soils and crops. Soil suspension was extracted from long-term organically fertilized soils and chemically fertilized soils. Then, the soil suspension was sterilized or non-sterilized to investigate the soil biota’s effects on rice growth and insect-resistance through a soil-free cultured method. Results showed that soil biota and fertilization significantly affected soil nutrient status (P < 0.01). Soil biota decreased soil ammonium content, rice biomass, shoot nitrogen content and the biomass of Nilaparvata lugens, but increased soil nitrate content, rice root-shoot ratio and the contents of root nitrogen, soluble sugar and phenolics (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, soil biota from organically fertilized soils promoted the synthesis of shoot soluble sugar and shoot phenolics. With the addition of Nilaparvata lugens, soil biota significantly reduced rice nitrogen uptake and promoted phenolic synthesis (P < 0.05). Collectively, soil biota, especially from organically fertilized soils, promoted rice resistance traits by altering the nutrient allocation of rice between aboveground and belowground, and by increasing the root-shoot ratio and the synthesis of phenols.

http://jtp.cnki.net/bilingual/detail/html/SWDY201608006

Key words: soil biota, fertilization, aboveground-belowground, herbivory, nutrient allocation, insect-resistance