Changes in Soil Bacterial and Nematode Communities during Long-term Continuous Cotton Cropping in Arid Region

Clarifying the effects of continuous cotton cropping (CC) on soil biological communities is essential for maintaining agricultural productivity. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to determine the changes and interactions of microbial and nematode communities in the soils under different CC durations in Northwest China. Nematode communities were more sensitive to environmental changes than bacterial communities during CC. Moreover, different CC durations not only had different effects on bacterial composition and diversity. The structure and diversity of the soil nematode community, especially Panagrolaimus and Acrobeles, could significantly affect the structure of the soil bacterial community. The combination of highthroughput sequencing and function prediction provides new insights for understanding the relations of soil nematodes, bacteria, and their living environment.

Read the full article, published by Zoological Studies, here

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