The bacterial community in the paddy field agroecosystem has a pivotal role in the growth adaptability strategy of rice. Here, we studied the bacterial community structure composition of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil samples from super rice in high-yield (920.99 kg/mu) and low-yield (785.30 kg/mu) fields of Japonica Chu 54 using both culturomics and amplicon-based metagenomics approaches. Using amplicon sequencing, a total of 54 phyla and 1167 genera of high-yield field bacteria were detected, while the low-yield field bacteria were distributed in 49 phyla and 865 genera. In addition, compared with low-yielding fields, there were significant differences in the composition and abundance of the same members in high-yielding fields. The node microorganisms in high-yield and low-yield fields were Anaeromyxobacterium and HSB_OF53-F07, respectively. Culturomics analysis unveiled a diverse array of bacterial taxa, encompassing four phyla, 113 genera, and 331 species, including 33 new undescribed lineages. The culturomics and high-throughput sequencing results indicate a widely adapted and highly abundant group of Exiguobacterium, which has broad prospects for application due to its extensive survival characteristics and plant growth-promoting functions. In summary, we analyze the bacterial community structure composition of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil samples from super rice in high-yield and low-yield fields of Japonica Chu 54 using culturomics and amplicon sequencing techniques to better develop positive promotion strategies that adapt to its unique ecological environment.

Using the water footprint (WF) approach to evaluate the water-use efficiency in agricultural production is crucial for assessing the sustainable use of water resources and mitigating water scarcity and pollution. This study calculated the blue, grey, green and total water footprints of spring maize production in Northeast China in 2019 and 2020 and compared the water footprint values at the provincial and municipal scales. In addition, this study analyzed the spatial variation and drivers of the water footprint. The results show that the average water footprints of spring maize production in Northeast China in 2019 and 2020 were 1.78 m³kg⁻¹ and 2.00 m³kg⁻¹, out of which the grey water footprint contributed the most, accounting for 55.19% and 49.85% of the total water footprint, respectively, while the blue water footprint contributed the least, accounting for only 17.44% and 18.68% of the total water footprint. At the provincial level, the water footprint of spring maize production in Northeast China was spatially clustered, with the lowest total water footprint in Heilongjiang Province and the highest total water footprint in Jilin Province. The spatial distribution difference of the spring maize unit yield was the fundamental factor explaining the difference in the water footprint. The precipitation, surface water resources, average temperature, effective irrigated area and the proportion of effective irrigated area also had impacts on the water footprint. This study provides a scientific basis for optimizing the distribution of spring maize production in Northeast China, formulating appropriate sustainable water resource management plans, improving water-use efficiency and realizing sustainable water resource management in Northeast China.

Continuous cropping is the main form of cultivation in Chinese agriculture. The bacterial community plays an important role in maintaining the healthy growth of plants. However, there are few reports on the composition and dynamics of the bacterial community structure under continuous cropping of Lonicera japonica Thunb. High-throughput sequencing was used to monitor the variation in the soil bacterial community structure of different monocropping years of Lonicera japonica Thunb., as well as the correlation between soil characteristics and bacterial community. Meanwhile, antagonistic bacteria for Fusarium oxysporum pathogens were isolated and functionally verified by culture-dependent techniques and pot experiments. Bacterial community diversity and structure changed significantly with the increase in the years of Lonicera japonica Thunb. succession. However, some beneficial bacteria, such as Bacillus and Nitrosospira, were gradually depleted. The complexity of the bacteria co-occurrence networks decreased with increasing years of cropping. FAPROTAX-based functional prediction showed that the abundance of genes related to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur metabolism and chitinlysis were reduced with the extended crop succession. Furthermore, the three Bacillus strains that were strongly antagonistic toward Fusarium oxysporum and the pot experiment demonstrated they significantly promoted Lonicera japonica Thunb. growth. Our research provides theoretical support for the development of microbial fertilizers that are beneficial to plants.