Liu et al. (2026) Drip Irrigation and Fertilization Strategies Shape Soil Bacterial Community and Nutrient Utilization in Summer Peanut

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Identification

• Journal: Plants
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-27
• Authors: Juan Liu, Yilong Luo, Jingjing Zhang, Haijiao Liu, Yanan Cui, Kun Hu, Nianyuan Jiao, Yangrui Ou, Risheng Xu, Tengfei Ma, Yafei Chen, Bing Liu, Mengwei Zhang, Xinyou Zhang
• DOI: 10.3390/plants15192949

Research Groups

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study investigated how different proportions of basal and topdressing fertilizers affect the soil microbe-plant system in peanuts under integrated drip irrigation. It found that a strategy of 50% basal and 50% water-soluble topdressing fertilizer (F4) significantly improved soil nutrient availability, enzyme activity, bacterial diversity, nutrient uptake, and fertilizer use efficiency, leading to higher yields and enhanced soil microecological stability.

Objective

• To systematically explore how the proportion of basal fertilizer (applied before sowing) and topdressing (applied through drip irrigation during growth) affects the "soil microbe plant" system under integrated drip irrigation and water–fertilizer management.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field plots (implied by fertilizer application rates per hectare).
• Temporal Scale: Entire growth stage of peanuts.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
• Data sources: Experimental field data from four distinct fertilization strategies (no fertilizer, full basal, full water-soluble drip, 50% basal + 50% water-soluble drip), measuring soil nutrient availability, enzyme activity, bacterial community composition, and plant nutrient uptake.

Main Results

• Drip irrigation and topdressing strategies significantly improved soil-available nutrients and enzyme activity in the later stages of peanut growth.
• The F4 treatment (50% basal fertilizer + 50% water-soluble fertilizer applied via drip irrigation) demonstrated the most significant advantages.
• F4 significantly improved bacterial diversity and community functional redundancy, while maintaining a stable presence of multifunctional beneficial bacterial genera.
• F4 significantly increased nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium uptake by plants and enhanced fertilizer use efficiency.
• Partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) indicated that fertilization strategies primarily drive yield increases indirectly by regulating microbial communities and enzyme activity.
• Under equal total nutrient input (N–P2O5–K2O = 343.9–123.0–120.0 kg·hm−2), the F4 strategy, which evenly matched nutrient supply with peanut demand, was identified as the optimal strategy for integrated water and fertilizer management in summer peanuts, ensuring high yield, efficiency, and enhanced soil microecological stability.

Contributions

• This study systematically clarifies the effects of varying basal and topdressing fertilizer proportions on the complex "soil microbe plant" system under integrated drip irrigation.
• It identifies an optimal fertilization strategy (50% basal + 50% water-soluble topdressing) that not only maximizes peanut yield and fertilizer use efficiency but also enhances soil microecological stability by synchronizing nutrient supply with plant demand.
• It provides mechanistic insights through PLS-SEM, demonstrating the indirect role of microbial communities and enzyme activity in mediating yield responses to fertilization strategies.

Funding

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Liu2026Drip,
  author = {Liu, Juan and Luo, Yilong and Zhang, Jingjing and Liu, Haijiao and Cui, Yanan and Hu, Kun and Jiao, Nianyuan and Ou, Yangrui and Xu, Risheng and Ma, Tengfei and Chen, Yafei and Liu, Bing and Zhang, Mengwei and Zhang, Xinyou},
  title = {Drip Irrigation and Fertilization Strategies Shape Soil Bacterial Community and Nutrient Utilization in Summer Peanut},
  journal = {Plants},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/plants15192949},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15192949}
}