Abstract:

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the "vegetable-vegetable" (eggplant-late flowering cabbage, VVR) and "rice-vegetable" (rice-late flowering cabbage, RVR) crop rotation patterns on the soil microecology of fields cultivating Zengcheng late flowering cabbage (a national geographical indication product). Using late flowering cabbage, eggplant, and rice as test materials, a field experiment was conducted to determine soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial community structure under different rotation patterns. A systematic assessment of soil microecological differences was performed. Compared with the VVR pattern, the RVR pattern increased soil pH by 0.38-0.76 units, but reduced electrical conductivity, organic matter, and available nutrient contents by 7.3%-59.5%. RVR significantly enhanced sucrase and catalase activities (by 0.5- to 1.4-fold), and maintained higher and more stable bacterial alpha-diversity, with Chao1 and Shannon indices exceeding those of VVR by 13.4%-27.6%. Redundancy analysis indicated that pH, polyphenol oxidase, and acid phosphatase were key environmental factors driving soil microbial community variation, significantly affecting the relative abundance of several key microbial phyla, including Nitrospirota. Although the VVR facilitates nutrient accumulation, it carries a risk of soil acidification. In contrast, the RVR effectively maintains soil microecological stability through synergistic regulation of soil pH and key enzyme activities. This study provides theoretical support for optimizing soil health management in areas producing geographical indication agricultural products.

Key words: late flowering cabbage, crop rotation systems, soil physicochemical properties, soil enzyme activity, soil microorganisms