Aims

The use of water-absorbing polymers (WAP) in soils for mitigating water stress is well known. However, the influence of WAP on the soil microbiota and hence, plant growth in soils. The objective of this study is to quantify the combined influence of water absorbing polymer (WAP) amendment and vegetation on the bacterial community of an agricultural soil when subjected to drought conditions.

Methods

In this study, two WAPs along with the plant species Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean) were considered to study its impact on the soil bacterial community under controlled environment conditions (greenhouse). The soil bacterial community was assessed using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing at three stages of bean growth. Additionally, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was performed to identify soil constituents and their correlation with bacterial changes.

Results

Results demonstrated significant alterations in bacterial community composition and diversity with WAP application. Notably, the combined effects of WAP and plant species under drought resulted in a synergistic interaction between plant development and treatment. Enrichment of Proteobacteria, Gemmntinonadetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Bacteroidetes was observed, while Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Planctomycetes showed a decreasing trend. Furthermore, WAP amendment in the presence of plants led to increased nitrogen (5.8%), phosphorus (1.9%), and potassium (7.35) (NPK) concentrations in the soil.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the significant positive impact of WAP as a soil amendment on the bacterial community and improved nutrient availability (carbon cycle, nitrogen cycling and fixation, phosphorus availability) in the soil matrix, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

中文翻译：

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检查吸水聚合物和干旱胁迫植物联合影响下的土壤细菌群落

目标

在土壤中使用吸水聚合物（WAP）来缓解水分胁迫是众所周知的。然而，WAP 对土壤微生物群以及土壤中植物生长的影响。本研究的目的是量化在干旱条件下吸水聚合物（WAP）改良剂和植被对农业土壤细菌群落的综合影响。

方法

在这项研究中，考虑了两种 WAP 以及植物物种菜豆（菜豆），以研究其在受控环境条件（温室）下对土壤细菌群落的影响。使用 16 S rRNA 基因测序对豆类生长的三个阶段的土壤细菌群落进行评估。此外，还进行了能量色散 X 射线 (EDX) 分析，以确定土壤成分及其与细菌变化的相关性。

结果

结果表明，WAP 应用使细菌群落组成和多样性发生了显着变化。值得注意的是，WAP 和植物物种在干旱条件下的综合作用导致了植物发育和处理之间的协同相互作用。变形菌门、芽孢菌门、疣微菌门和拟杆菌门富集，而放线菌门、绿屈菌门和浮霉菌门呈减少趋势。此外，在植物存在的情况下，WAP 改良导致土壤中氮 (5.8%)、磷 (1.9%) 和钾 (7.35) (NPK) 浓度增加。

结论

这些发现强调了 WAP 作为土壤改良剂对细菌群落和改善土壤基质中养分可用性（碳循环、氮循环和固定、磷可用性）的显着积极影响，从而促进可持续农业实践。