Continuous watermelon cropping impairs plant growth by modifying soil biochemistry and rhizosphere microbial communities.

ABSTRACT: Continuous watermelon cropping leads to increases in soil-borne diseases, which negatively affect plant growth. We investigated the impact of continuous watermelon cropping on soil biochemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial biomass, occurrence of Fusarium wilt, diversity and structure of bacterial and fungal communities, as well as the relationship among these factors with plant growth. The results showed significant decreases in soil pH, OM, AN, AP, and AK contents (p < 0.05), while UA, APA, and DA were reduced, along with declines in MBC and MBN in the rhizosphere soil of continuous watermelon cropping (p < 0.05). The population of FON and Fusarium wilt incidence increased significantly after continuous cropping (p < 0.05). High-throughput seq

SUBMITTER: Lv H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12457303 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature