Abstract

Sugarcane intercropping with soybean [Glycine max (Linn.) Merr.], mung bean [Vigna radiata (Linn.) Wilczek] and peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.) as well as a sugarcane monoculture were conducted to study the impacts of intercropping on soil biological characteristics and bacterial diversity. The results showed that soil cultivable microorganisms, the activities of soil enzymes and microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were all significantly improved by intercropping with soybean and mung bean. Additionally, soil bacterial diversity and richness in sugarcane fields were also significantly enhanced by intercropping with soybean and mung bean. In addition, soil bacterial community structures in sugarcane fields can be altered by intercropping with different legumes. Proteobacteria, a high-nutrient-tolerant bacterial assemblage, became the dominant bacteria in the sugarcane-soybean and sugarcane-mung bean intercropped soils. Twenty four, 28, 26 and 27 dominant soil bacterial genera were found after the sugarcane-soybean, sugarcane-mung bean, sugarcane-peanut and sugarcane monoculture treatments, respectively. Sugarcane-mung bean intercropping being the most promising system for regaining and improving soil fertility and soil heath and facilitate agriculture intensification of sugarcane.

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