Soil deterioration, yield decline and soil microbial activity reduction caused by banana (Musa × paradisiaca L.) monoculture is threatening the sustainability of banana production in China. Therefore, it is necessary to study the benefits of rotation on soil quality. This study aimed to assess the effects of rotation and tillage on soil properties in a banana plantation for 25 yr. Treatments consisted of three rotation methods (banana-pineapple, BA; banana-cowpea, BP; banana-rice, BR) and banana monoculture (CK) combined with two tillage intensities (no-tillage, NT; conventional tillage, CT). Soil samples were taken at depth of 0-40 cm in 2019-2020. In comparison with CK, BA and BR increased soil moisture, pH, total organic C and available P, but decreased soil bulk density. Microbial biomass C and N at booting stage were 46.1% and 39.2% higher in BA and BR than those in CK. Urease, dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase obtained a mean of 34.1% increase in BP and 23.8% increase in BR compared with BA. Higher total N, NO₃-N, available K and macro aggregate were showed in NT compared with CT, whereas porosity was 24.8% lower in NT than in CT. CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ emissions were in average around between one third and two fifth lower in no-tillage compared with conventional tillage. In general, rotations combined with no-tillage led to a positive effect on soil quality, as evidenced by increase of soil moisture, total N, microbial biomass C and urease and accompanying increase in banana yield. In order to sustain higher productivity, application of rotation and no-tillage is of considerable importance.

Soil quality degradation caused by intensification is threatening the sustainability of banana (Musa acuminata Colla) production in South China. Hence comprehensive information about the benefits of conservation management on soil quality is urgently needed. This study aimed to assess the effects of tillage and residue on soil biological properties in a banana plantation for 25 yr. Treatments consisted of three tillage methods (conventional tillage, CT; reduced tillage, RT; no tillage, NT) combined with three residue levels (0, NR; 50%, HR; 100%, TR). Soil samples were taken in 2018-2019 from 0-40 cm depth. Soil moisture, pH, total organic C and total N in NT were 28.8%, 22.4%, 39.9% and 34.3% higher than in CT. However, NT decreased available P by 16.7% compared with CT. HR had higher NH_4-N and available K and lower bulk density compared with NR. Microbial biomass C and N were on average 39.2% higher in TR than those in NR. Urease, dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase obtained a mean increase of 34.3% in RT compared to CT. Invertase and catalase were on average 32.9% greater when residue was applied than no residue input plots. CO₂ and N₂O emissions decreased around 37.6% in different tillage treatments, but increased from 39.9% to 62.6% in all residue input plots. In general, soil biological properties are sensitive characters to changes caused by tillage and residue, and consequently they are well-established as soil physicochemical indicators for soil quality evaluation in conservation tillage systems.

The application of livestock manure can introduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) into soil–vegetable systems, potentially shaping the antibiotic resistance profiles of plants. This study investigated the effects of manure containing chlortetracycline (CTC) on antibiotic resistance in pakchoi grown in three distinct soil types (black soil, fluvo-aquic soil, and red soil). The results demonstrated that CTC-manure application significantly increased the relative abundance of CTC-resistant endophytic bacteria (CREB), with the magnitude of the increase following the order: black soil (235.43%) > fluvo-aquic soil (64.5%) > red soil (10.68%). Furthermore, the presence of CTC promoted the proliferation of Acinetobacter and increased the abundance of potential pathogens (such as Klebsiella, Rhodococcus, and Corynebacterium), thereby elevating the risk of antibiotic resistance transmission. Metabolomic analysis revealed that CTC induced the most substantial metabolic alterations in pakchoi grown in red soil. Correlation analysis indicated that the CREB community structure was primarily shaped by soil properties, including total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and organic matter, and was significantly correlated with indigenous soil ARB (Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Stenotrophomonas). This study elucidates the mechanisms underlying manure-driven antibiotic resistance dissemination in vegetable production systems and offers a theoretical foundation for developing agricultural practices to mitigate associated risks.