# Effects of reductive soil disinfestation on the composition of the soil microbial community in degraded facility cucumber

## TL;DR

Using vegetable straw in soil treatment improves soil health and cucumber yield by changing microbial communities.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that using vegetable straw in RSD can alleviate continuous cropping issues in greenhouse cucumbers.

## Key findings

- RSD treatment increased soil pH, organic matter, and enzyme activities.
- Pepper straw was most effective in promoting cucumber growth and yield.
- Beneficial microbes increased while harmful ones like Fusarium decreased.

## Abstract

Reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) is an environmentally friendly method that can alleviate continuous cropping obstacles. Organic material application is crucial for ensuring RSD success. However, whether RSD treatment involving vegetable straw as organic material can alleviate continuous cropping obstacles in greenhouse cucumber remains unclear. Herein, we added 25 t∙ha−1 of tomato, bitter melon, and pepper straw to soil as organic material for RSD treatment of greenhouse soil, respectively. The results revealed that RSD treatment increased soil pH; organic matter, available nitrogen, and available potassium contents; and sucrase, urease, and catalase activities. Principal coordinate analyses revealed that the bacterial and fungal community compositions were greatly altered and that the fungal and bacterial Chao1 and Shannon indices decreased. The relative abundance of beneficial microorganisms such as Bacillus, Arthrobacter, Streptomyces, and Penicillium increased, whereas that of harmful microorganisms such as Fusarium decreased. RSD treatment promoted cucumber growth and development and significantly increased yield. On the basis of the RSD treatment effects on soil properties and cucumber growth and development, using pepper straw as organic material for RSD treatment was the most effective. A year of field trials revealed that adding vegetable straw as organic material for RSD treatment improved chemical properties and enzyme activities, altered the cucumber soil microbial community, and increased the cucumber yield. However, the long-term effects of RSD treatment on soil properties and microbial communities must be studied further.

Driven by both economic benefits and market demand, intensive facility agriculture, characterized by uninterrupted monocultures, has become a significant aspect of contemporary agricultural practices. Reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) is an effective agricultural practice, and the application of organic material is crucial for achieving RSD success. Our research revealed that the use of vegetable straw as organic material for RSD treatment can effectively alleviate continuous cropping obstacles in greenhouse cucumber cultivation.