ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Symbiotic Interactions
This article is part of the Research TopicHarnessing Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria for Plant Abiotic Stress ToleranceView all articles
Rhizosphere Soil Fertility and Microbial Community Characteristics of Arundo donax cv. Lvzhou No.1 in Coastal Saline-Alkali Soils
Provisionally accepted
Yuan Luo
Lin ZhangYaojin WangWeizhen HuangYiting LuSimeng SongJieyi ZhuHengyu ZhouDewei SuDan ZhengLin Luo
Hatungimana MediatriceZhanxi Lin*
Dongmei Lin*- Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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Saline-alkali soils, prevalent in ecologically fragile regions globally, are characterized by elevated salinity and alkalinity, which contribute to soil degradation, diminished crop productivity, and ecosystem imbalance. Nonetheless, these soils possess significant potential as land reserves, particularly in coastal regions. This study was conducted on Pingtan Island, Fujian Province, China, to investigate the ameliorative effects of Arundo donax cv. Lvzhou No.1 on coastal saline-alkali soils. Three treatments were established: CK, R1, and R5. By integrating soil chemical analyses with high-throughput sequencing, this study systematically evaluates the impact of A. donax cv. Lvzhou No.1 cultivation on both soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure. The results indicated that the cultivation of A. donax cv. Lvzhou No.1 effectively alleviated saline-alkali stress, as evidenced by a reduction in soil pH and salinity, with more pronounced effects observed under long-term cultivation. Concurrently, soil fertility showed significant improvement, particularly in terms of organic matter (OM) and total nitrogen (TN), which increased by 91.00% and 70.00%, respectively. These physicochemical enhancements were accompanied by a substantial increase in microbial diversity. The fungal community was predominantly dominated by Ascomycota, while the bacterial community was primarily composed of Proteobacteria. Functional predictions indicated a significant increase in the abundance of saprophytic genera (Acremonium, Fusarium), which are closely associated with organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Meanwhile, bacterial metabolic functions, such as fatty acid synthesis and TCA cycle, were also significantly enhanced. Collectively, these factors worked in concert to promote organic matter degradation and nutrient release, thereby enhancing soil fertility and the functionality of the microbial community. Canonical correspondence analysis further confirmed that OM, TN, Available nitrogen (AN) and available phosphorus (AP) are the key environmental drivers shaping microbial community structure. In conclusion, A. donax cv. Lvzhou No.1 significantly improves coastal saline-alkali soils by enhancing their physicochemical properties and optimizing microbial community composition, with more pronounced effects observed under long-term cultivation. These findings provide a scientific basis and practical reference for ecological restoration, land reclamation, and the cultivation of energy plants on coastal saline-alkali lands, potentially promoting soil health recovery and agricultural productivity in coastal regions.
Keywords: Arundo donax, microbial community, Microbial Diversity, Saline-alkali soils, soil fertility
Received: 05 Dec 2025; Accepted: 02 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Luo, Zhang, Wang, Huang, Lu, Song, Zhu, Zhou, Su, Zheng, Luo, Mediatrice, Lin and Lin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Zhanxi Lin
Dongmei Lin
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