ISSN 1000-6346
CN 11-2326/S
中华人民共和国农业农村部 主管
中国农业科学院蔬菜花卉研究所 主办
CN 11-2326/S
中华人民共和国农业农村部 主管
中国农业科学院蔬菜花卉研究所 主办
During ‘The 14th Five-year Plan’ period, China’s facility agriculture has advanced toward green, low-carbon, and high-efficiency development. The research and application of renewable energy utilization and novel greenhouse materials have become critical factors influencing facility production energy consumption and overall greenhouse performance enhancement. In terms of renewable energy utilization, a series of research achievements in clean energy sources, such as solar, biomass, geothermal, and wind energy, have been achieved and applied. Technical systems featuring multi-energy coupling, energy storage for peak shaving, and cascade utilization have gradually taken shape, improving the efficiency and stability of greenhouse energy supply. In terms of greenhouse material development, transparent covering materials are evolving toward spectral regulation, light energy conversion, and multifunctional integration. Phase-change materials (PCMs) for thermal storage have improved heat storage and thermal insulation performance through composite modification and encapsulation, while prefabricated, lightweight, and flexible composite walls achieve synergy between thermal insulation and heat storage, strengthening the capacity for greenhouse thermal environment regulation. Overall, China has preliminarily established an energy-saving technology framework integrating multi-energy synergy, composite functional materials, and intelligent control. However, challenges remain, including insufficient regional adaptability, limited system integration, inadequate validation of long-term material performance, and relatively high costs for industrial application. Future efforts should focus on strengthening the deep integration of energy, materials, intelligent energy control, and crop growth, promoting the upgrade of key technologies from individual breakthroughs to systematic integration and engineering applications, thereby providing support for the green, low-carbon, and high-quality development of facility agriculture.
Hebei Province, as a major vegetable producing and marketing province in China, serves as a crucial cornerstone in ensuring the stable supply of vegetables to the Beijing-Tianjin region. Open-field vegetables dominate Hebei Province’s vegetable production, accounting for over 70% of both the planting area and total output. Four primary production areas have taken shape: the cool Bashang Plateau region, the coastal area of eastern Hebei, the peri-urban zone around Beijing and Tianjin, and the central and southern Hebei plains, with efficient production models and cropping patterns. Major cultivars such as Chinese cabbage, head cabbage, and chili pepper boast strong market competitiveness, with sales networks covering the domestic market. Driven by the continuous advancement of the ‘Clean Vegetables into Beijing’ initiative, steady progress has been made in both the brand building of open-field vegetables and the promotion of green production technologies, and the foundation of product quality and safety has been continuously consolidated. Currently, the open-field vegetable industry in Hebei faces multiple challenges, including limited access to information for market entities, suboptimal levels of organization and industrialization, inequitable distribution of value-added benefits, and insufficient mechanization in key production stages. To promote the comprehensive upgrading and high-quality development of the open-field vegetable industry, this paper proposes countermeasures including establishing a big data platform, cultivating large-scale operational entities, promoting vertical integration of the industrial chain along with the shortening of distribution chains, and shoring up weak links in mechanization across key production stages.
Shandong is a major garlic-producing province in China, with both its garlic cultivation area and
export volume ranking among the highest nationwide. However, the industry faces several constraints, including delayed cultivar renewal, declining farmland quality, a low level of agricultural mechanization, limited capacity for deep processing, and insufficient digital development. To promote the high-quality development of the garlic industry in Shandong Province, coordinated and targeted measures should be taken in key areas. These include strengthening the breeding and propagation of improved cultivars, improving and remediating farmland soils, promoting the integration of agricultural machinery with agronomic practices, expanding capacity for deep processing, and enhancing digital infrastructure and information services.
To overcome the obstacles hindering the upgrading of distinctive agricultural industries, this study systematically examines the evolutionary trajectory and current status of the broccoli industry in Linhai City, Zhejiang Province. The sector faces multiple constraints—including varietal deficiencies, mechanization shortfalls in transplanting and harvesting, limited deep-processing capacity, underutilized stem-and-leaf residues, weak brand valuation, organizational fragmentation, talent shortages, and policy gaps—among which the mechanization gap proves the most formidable bottleneck. In response, this paper proposes a multipronged upgrade framework that encompasses: promoting mechanization-adapted varietal innovation; establishing an R&D consortium to tackle mechanization constraints; extending the value-added processing chain; optimizing waste recycling systems; implementing brand-enhancement strategies; building closely aligned benefit-sharing mechanisms; strengthening local talent cultivation; and refining policy instruments. Collectively, these strategies are intended to steer the industry toward a greener, more mechanized, and higher-value development path, thereby offering practical insights for improving the quality and efficiency of regional specialty agriculture, fostering high-quality agricultural growth, and supporting rural revitalization.
Root-knot nematode (RKN) disease is a major soil-borne disease in vegetable production, causing significant economic losses every year. The application of microbial agents is an important measure for the green prevention and control of this disease. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in the development and application of related products, which have been widely used both domestically and internationally due to their environmental friendliness, diverse modes of action, and long-lasting efficacy. To date, various commercial microbial agents (biofertilizers) based on fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes have been registered for the control of RKN. In vegetable production, combining suitable microbial agent types and formulations with supporting techniques has significantly enhanced the green control effect against RKN. In the future, further strengthening research on the exploration of superior microbial resources, the development of composite microbial agents, and the synergistic application technologies of these agents will promote their use in controlling RKN disease in vegetables, providing robust support for the sustainable development of the vegetable industry.
Soil-borne diseases represent a major constraint to the sustainable development of the tomato industry. Traditional chemical control methods have drawbacks such as inducing pathogen resistance and causing environmental pollution. As core component of the soil ecosystem, rhizosphere microorganisms demonstrate significant advantages in the prevention and control of soil-borne diseases. This review summarizes the composition of tomato rhizosphere microbial communities and their relationship with host plants, elucidating the mechanisms and application effects of rhizosphere microbes in controlling major soil-borne diseases such as bacterial wilt and early blight. These effects are achieved through pathways including secretion of antimicrobial substances, competition for nutrients and ecological niches, induction of systemic resistance, and modulation of the soil microbial environment. In addition, the characteristics of different functional microorganisms and their microbial formulations are compared. However, current production applications of rhizosphere microorganisms still face challenges such as insufficient colonization stability of microbial agents, poor environmental adaptability, and lack of product standardization. Future research should focus on elucidating rhizosphere microorganism-plant-soil interaction mechanisms, combined with synthetic microbial community construction and formulation process optimization, to advance the application of rhizosphere microorganisms in the green control of tomato soil-borne diseases.
Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops in protected cultivation systems in China. Under intensive protected production, the increasing planting frequency and long term monoculture in the same field have led to increasingly serious continuous cropping obstacles, which have become a major constraint on the sustainable development of the pepper industry. This review systematically summarizes the major causes of continuous cropping obstacles in protected pepper, including deterioration of soil physicochemical properties, imbalance of soil microbial communities, and accumulation of autotoxins derived from root exudates and plant residues. Recent advances in ecological regulation strategies are also reviewed, with emphasis on soil improvement, biological regulation, and optimization of cultivation management, such as application of organic amendments and biochar, lime and gypsum conditioning, use of microbial inoculants and antagonistic microbes, crop rotation and intercropping, soil disinfestation, grafting, and precise waterfertilizer management. Finally, key research priorities and technical integration strategies are proposed for typical production regions such as Liaocheng, Shandong, and the Huang-Huai-Hai area, aiming to provide references for establishing green, efficient, and sustainable protected pepper production systems.
Tomato is an important vegetable crop in China, yet its production has long been challenged by continuous cropping obstacles and soil-borne diseases. Among these, bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is particularly severe, often resulting in significant economic losses. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathogen virulence, host resistance genetics, rhizosphere microbiome regulation, and novel control technologies. This review systematically summarizes the typical symptoms, pathogen characteristics, disease epidemiology, and transmission pathways of tomato bacterial wilt. Furthermore, it critically reviews the research progress on integrated management strategies based on resistant varieties and healthy cultivation, combined with physical, chemical, and biological control measures. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis for effective disease management and the sustainable development of the tomato industry.
With the advancement of agricultural intensification in China, soil-borne diseases have become increasingly severe, which pose significant challenges to sustainable agricultural production and ecological environment security. Thus, to achieve the goals of pesticide reduction and enhanced planting efficiency, the utilization of beneficial microorganisms for disease control and ecological regulation has emerged as a critical research direction now. Microbial biocontrol works by modulating the rhizosphere microbial environment, reducing pathogen inoculum density and virulence, and inducing systemic resistance in plants. These mechanisms alter plant-pathogen interactions and effectively suppress disease development. This article systematically reviews the current status of soil-borne diseases, elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of root exudates on microbial disease resistance, summarizes the biocontrol functions of beneficial soil microorganisms, outlines soil microbial control strategies, and analyzes the main challenges in current microbial regulation practices. This review aims to provide a reference for scientific research and practical applications in this field.
To address the challenges of massive vegetable waste generation and low efficiency of conventional composting, this study employed a self-developed continuous aerobic fermentation equipment using cowpea straw as the main feedstock. The effects of different moisture contents (60%, 65%, 70%) and initial carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (20∶1, 25∶1, 30∶1) on physicochemical dynamics, maturity, and microbial community structure were systematically investigated. The results showed that a moisture content of 65% combined with a C/N ratio of 25∶1 yielded the best overall composting performance. Under these optimal conditions, the temperature in the primary fermentation chamber peaked at 65.85 ℃, and remained above 55 ℃ for more than 5 d, satisfying hygienic standards. The seed germination index (GI) exceeded 85%, confirming complete maturity and the absence of phytotoxicity. Additionally, the total organic carbon (TOC) degradation rate reached 46.25%, accompanied by effective nitrogen retention and transformation. Microbial community analysis revealed that Firmicutes and Actinomycetota were the dominant phyla during composting. Notably, under optimal process conditions, the relative abundance of Actinomycetota significantly increased, accounting for 54.66% during the maturation phase. Functional genera associated with lignocellulose degradation, particularly Ornithinicoccus, were specifically enriched, whereas excessively high moisture content (70%) suppressed their proliferation. Appropriate moisture content and C/N optimized the microbial community structure, significantly enhanced the abundance and activity of functional microorganisms, thereby synergistically promoted efficient organic matter decomposition and humification. This study provides a theoretical foundation and technical reference for the continuous aerobic composting of vegetable waste.
Excessive phosphorus (P) input and its low utilization efficiency are persistent challenges in continuous greenhouse cucumber production systems. Using cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) as the test crop, a pot experiment was conducted in which cucumber was grown following a wheat cover crop. Three phosphorus application rates were set: no P fertilization (P0), 8.71 g · plant-1 (50% reduction of conventional P rate, P50), and 17.42 g · plant-1 (conventional P rate, P100). Plant growth attributes, photosynthetic characteristics, tissue nutrient status, and indices related to phosphorus use efficiency were systematically evaluated. Compared with the non-cover-cropping system, the incorporation of a wheat cover crop markedly improved cucumber growth performance and phosphorus utilization. Under the cover-cropping condition, significant differences among P treatments were detected for partial measured indices, with P50 exhibiting the most favorable overall response. Specifically, plant fresh and dry biomass, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b concentrations, and carotenoid content under P50 were significantly higher than those under P0 and P100. In addition, the net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance of lower leaves were significantly enhanced in the P50 treatment, whereas intercellular CO2 concentration was significantly reduced compared with the other phosphorus levels. Within the wheat cover-cropping system, the P50 treatment achieved the highest apparent phosphorus recovery efficiency and partial factor productivity, reaching 17.53% and 90.66 kg · kg-1 , respectively. Meanwhile, plant N, P, and K accumulation were significantly greater under P50 than under the other treatments. Overall, a 50% reduction in phosphorus application under a wheat cover-cropping system maintained normal cucumber growth and improved photosynthetic performance, while simultaneously enhancing nutrient accumulation and phosphorus use efficiency. These findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing phosphorus management strategies and promoting efficient fertilizer utilization in protected cucumber production.
To investigate the effects of different organic materials on the multifunctionality of facility soil, a facility soil-tomato planting system was adopted as the research object. Four treatments were established, including control (no organic material application, CK), straw (ST), vermicompost (VC), and humic acid fertilizer (HA). Soil physicochemical properties, microbial and nematode community structures, tomato yield and biomass were determined, and indices of soil individual functions and multifunctionality were calculated. The results showed that the application of straw, vermicompost, and humic acid fertilizer altered soil physicochemical properties as well as microbial and nematode community structures. Compared with CK, tomato yield per 667 m2 under ST and VC treatments were 4 877.05 and 4 803.63 kg, with increases of 17.13% and 15.37%, respectively; aboveground biomass were 280.64 and 292.56 g · plant-1 , with increases of 10.24% and 14.92%, respectively. All the differences were significant. Underground biomass under ST treatment was 2.45 g · plant-1 , which was significantly increased by 84.61% relative to CK. However, HA treatment exerted no significant effect on tomato yield, aboveground biomass and underground biomass. ST treatment significantly increased the soil productivity function index but decreased the soil nutrient cycling function index. VC treatment significantly increased the indices of soil productivity, buffering and filtration functions. HA treatment significantly decreased the soil nutrient cycling function index. The average soil multifunctionality index under VC treatment was 46.17% higher than that of CK. Under the 50% and 75% thresholds, the soil multifunctionality index of this treatment increased by 45.45% and 133.33%, respectively, and all differences reached significant levels. In contrast, neither ST nor HA treatment produced significant effect on the average soil multifunctionality index. Moreover, under the 50% threshold, the soil multifunctionality index under HA treatment decreased significantly by 36.36%. In conclusion, the application of vermicompost can significantly increase facility tomato yield, and effectively maintain the multifunctionality of facility soil.
This study addresses the issue of soil obstacles in greenhouse pepper cultivation. Six treatments were established, including corn straw return (S), corn straw return + elevated temperature + calcium cyanamide (SHN), corn straw return + elevated temperature + calcium cyanamide + balanced fertilization (SHNB), corn straw return + elevated temperature + calcium cyanamide + microbial fertilizer (SHM), corn straw return + elevated temperature + calcium cyanamide + microbial fertilizer + balanced fertilization (SHMB), and a control (CK). The effects of treatments on soil fertility characteristics, microbial community structure, and pepper yield were determined. The results showed that all treatments increased soil nutrient contents compared with the control, SHMB exhibited the best performance in improving soil organic matter, available phosphorus and available potassium, while SHM achieved the highest nitrate nitrogen content; the nutrient-improving effect of SHNB was slightly inferior to the above two treatments. The bacterial richness (Chao1 index) under S treatment was significantly higher than that of SHNB. SHM treatment significantly enhanced soil fungal Chao1 index compared to S. All treatments increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, and SHM treatment increased the relative abundance of Chytridiomycota by five fold. Soil nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen were the key environmental factors regulating the fungal community structure in the SHM treatment. The significant increase in the yield of pepper was observed in the treatment SHM and SHMB, with a yield increase of 23.3% in the SHM treatment. In conclusion, the SHM and SHMB treatments effectively ameliorated degraded greenhouse pepper soil, optimized microbial communities and increased pepper yield, exhibiting prominent effects in mitigating soil obstacles in greenhouse pepper cultivation.
To clarify the effects of reciprocal grafting combinations using Solanum torvum and susceptible eggplant as rootstock and scion on root-knot nematode resistance and rhizosphere soil nematode community regulation, and to elucidate the soil microecological mechanisms underlying grafting-induced disease resistance, four grafting treatments were established: ST (S. torvum self-grafted plants), SM (susceptible eggplant selfgrafted plants), STM (S. torvum as rootstock/susceptible eggplant as scion), and SMT (S. torvum as scion/ susceptible eggplant as rootstock). Root knot nematode disease index (DI) was evaluated, and high-throughput sequencing was performed to characterize the diversity, composition, and ecological indices of rhizosphere soil nematode communities. The results showed that the DI values among the treatments followed the order of SM ＞ SMT ＞ ST ＞ STM. Compared with the SM treatment, the DI values of STM and SMT were reduced by 97.29% and 20.27%, respectively. Analysis of nematode community diversity and composition demonstrated that SMT significantly increased nematode community diversity. Acrobeloides, Aphelenchus, Meloidogyne, and Basiria were identified as dominant genera. Meloidogyne was not detected in ST and STM treatments (relative abundance = 0), whereas its relative abundances in SM and SMT treatments were 75.01% and 48.24%, respectively. In the SM and SMT treatments, the relative abundance of plant-parasitic nematodes was the highest, at 75.90% and 53.43%, respectively. Moreover, the maturity index (MI) of free-living nematodes in STM was significantly increased by 159.68% compared with SM. Overall, S. torvum as a rootstock effectively suppressed root-knot nematode reproduction by regulating rhizosphere soil nematode communities through root-mediated effects. This grafting combination promoted the establishment of a more diverse and stable soil nematode community, providing new insights into the soil microecological mechanisms associated with grafting-induced resistance.
In order to improve the utilization efficiency and economic benefits of heavily saline-alkali soil, this study used the method of rotation of cash crop tomatoes after improved saline-alkali crops to explore the effects of different crop rotation modes on tomato yield and quality, so as to screen the optimal crop rotation mode and provide a theoretical basis for tomato cultivation in saline-alkali land. Through pot experiments, four treatments were set up, including non-crop rotation (CK), saline alkali tomato (T1), ice cabbage-tomato (T2) and alfalfa-tomato (T3), and the effects of halophytic crops on soil physical and chemical properties and the quality and yield of later crop tomatoes were systematically evaluated. The results showed that the planting of halophytic crops could effectively alleviate soil salinization, improve soil fertility, and then enhance the growth trend of tomatoes on saline-alkali land and reduce the harm of salt stress. In turn, the root vitality was improved, the ability of plants to absorb nutrients was enhanced, and the yield per tomato plant was increased by 1.44- 3.09 times. Compared with CK, T1, T2 and T3 treatments increased vitamin C content by 5.27%-18.84% and lycopene content by 11.30%-37.26%. Among them, the saline-tomato rotation mode (T1) performed the best in improving tomato quality and yield, and was a suitable crop rotation cultivation method in saline-alkali land.
To evaluate the application effects of different types of microbial fertilizers in greenhouse pumpkin production, the greenhouse pumpkin cultivar ‘Cinderella’ was used as the test material. Five treatments were established: no microbial fertilizer (CK), microbial inoculant 1 (M1), microbial inoculant 2 (M2), bio-organic fertilizer 1 (B1), and bio-organic fertilizer 2 (B2). Their effects on pumpkin yield, fruit quality, soil physicochemical properties, and soil bacterial and fungal community structures were investigated. The results showed that, compared with CK, microbial fertilizer application generally increased pumpkin yield and soluble sugar content, with average increases of 24.51% and 59.02%, respectively, across the four microbial fertilizer treatments. Among them, B1 showed the best overall performance, with a yield of 32.52 t · hm-2 and a soluble sugar content of 4.01 mg · g-1 , representing increases of 44.42% and 86.07%, respectively, compared with CK. M1 significantly increased soil electrical conductivity and nitrate nitrogen content, whereas B1 resulted in relatively high levels of available phosphorus, soil organic matter, and available potassium. M1 significantly enhanced bacterial community richness, while B1 was beneficial for maintaining fungal community diversity and evenness. Partial least squares path modeling indicated that bio-organic fertilizer promoted yield formation by increasing soil ammonium nitrogen availability and simultaneously facilitated soluble sugar accumulation. Overall, microbial inoculants and bio-organic fertilizers exerted distinct regulatory effects on the soil-microbe-yield-quality system in greenhouse pumpkin production. Among the tested treatments, B1 showed the best comprehensive performance and may serve as a suitable microbial fertilizer option for green and efficient greenhouse pumpkin production.
The accumulation of soil autotoxic substances caused by continuous cowpea cropping is akey obstacle restricting the sustainable development of the cowpea industry. Seasonal continuous croppinghas been proposed as an effective agronomic practice to alleviate such obstacles; however, its regulatoryeffects on soil phenolic acid autotoxins and the underlying microbial mechanisms remain unclear. In thisstudy, field experiments were conducted to systematically monitor the dynamic changes of p-hydroxybenzoicacid, phthalic acid, and cinnamic acid in soils under rice-cowpea seasonal continuous cropping system andits alternative rotation regimes. Meanwhile, soil bacterial community characteristics were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing, and selective media using target phenolic acids as the sole carbon source were appliedto directionally screen efficient degrading strains. The results showed that: ① the rice–cowpea rotation system(upland–paddy) consistently and significantly reduced the contents of the three phenolic acids; whereasthe dryland–dryland rotation patterns, such as cowpea–eggplant and cowpea–maize, failed to break theaccumulation trend of phenolic acids, and different dryland crops induced varying change patterns, indicatingthat the rice–vegetable system played an irreplaceable role in reducing autotoxic substances. ② Under differentseasonal cropping regimes, cinnamic acid and phthalic acid exhibited broadly similar temporal trends in soil,whereas p-hydroxybenzoic acid showed a distinctly different pattern. This divergence was closely associatedwith the composition of their corresponding dominant degrading bacterial communities. ③ Eleven phenolic
acid-degrading strains were successfully isolated from the soil. Among them, strain SD13 exhibited thestrongest degradation capacity against p-hydroxybenzoic acid, achieving a degradation rate of 94. 03% within48 h. However, most strains showed limited degradation efficiency toward both cinnamic acid and phthalic acid,indicating that the microbial degradation of phenolic acids is characterized by functional specificity. This studypreliminarily elucidates that the differential accumulation of phenolic acids driven by different cropping patternsis coupled with structural differentiation of the dominant degrading microbial communities in soil. Specifically,cinnamic acid and phthalic acid share a similar microbial degradation basis,whereas p-hydroxybenzoic acid relieson an independent microbial consortium.This differentiation is further corroborated by the functional preferencesof the isolated strains. Based on these functional differences,the construction of synthetic microbial consortiamay represent a promising strategy for the simultaneous degradation of multiple soil autotoxic substances incowpea fields.
To address the issue of large substrate temperature fluctuations commonly observed in current substrate-reduced cultivation systems in solar greenhouses, a novel layflat-hose cultivation device was developed. Using ‘Yuanwei No. 1’ high-quality tomato variety as the test crop, with north-south oriented single-row planting, comparative experiments were conducted in spring and autumn of 2025. The effects of different hose specifications and substrate volumes on tomato growth, yield, fruit quality, and substrate temperature were investigated, with three common soilless cultivation systems, namely PVC trough, foam trough, and sunken cultivation trough as controls. The results showed that the layflat-hose cultivation mode significantly reduced substrate usage while decreasing the daytime maximum temperature in summer and increasing the nighttime minimum temperature in winter, thus demonstrating excellent substrate temperature stability. Under low temperature conditions, the minimum substrate temperature of the hose mode was up to 7.6 ℃ higher than that of the PVC trough; under high-temperature conditions in summer, the maximum substrate temperature was up to 6.2 ℃ lower than that in the PVC trough. Among the treatments, T2〔6-cun (a Chinese customary unit) hose + 10 L substrate〕showed a better cooling effect in summer than T1 (6-cun hose + 5 L substrate), but no significant difference in tomato yield and fruit quality was found between the two treatments. Cost analysis showed that the annual cost per 667 m2 of T1 was 25.0% lower than that of the PVC trough, roughly equal to those of the foam trough and the sunken cultivation trough, and 45.1% and 62.2% lower than those of T2 and T3, respectively (which used the same hose specification but higher substrate volumes). Considering yield, quality, substrate volume, cost, and temperature stability comprehensively, T1 showed clear advantages and was identified as the optimal layflat-hose cultivation mode. This novel cultivation device achieves the dual goals of substrate reduction and temperature stability, providing a new approach for cost-effective and high-efficiency production of high-quality tomatoes in solar greenhouses.
In order to explore the effects of foliar application of water-soluble silicon fertilizer on the growth, yield, quality and rhizosphere soil physical and chemical properties of celery. The field experiment was carried out with ‘Huangxinkongqin’ as the test material. The randomized block design was used to set three silicon fertilizer concentration gradients (T1, 0.2 g · L-1 ; T2, 0.4 g · L-1 ; T3, 0.8 g · L-1 ), and the same amount of water was sprayed as the control (CK). The agronomic traits, nutritional quality, rhizosphere soil nutrients and key enzyme activities of celery under each treatment were measured and analyzed. The results showed that foliar spraying of water-soluble silicon fertilizer significantly promoted the aboveground growth of celery. The yield of celery under T2 treatment was the highest, reaching 71 275.62 kg · hm-2 which was 14.42% higher than CK, and the SPAD value was 16.88% higher than CK, with all differences reaching significant levels. In terms of quality, T2 treatment significantly increased the soluble sugar and amino acid contents of celery, which were 56.74% and 27.62% higher than CK, respectively. In addition, foliar spraying of silicon fertilizer significantly increased the pH value, electrical conductivity (EC) and available potassium, effective phosphorus and organic matter content of celery rhizosphere soil, and enhanced the activities of catalase, acid phosphatase, sucrase and urease. Correlation analysis confirmed that the enhancement of soil key enzyme activity was significantly or extremely significantly correlated with the improvement of celery quality, except for cellulose and sucrose enzymes. Comprehensive evaluation showed that the overall benefit of celery was the best when foliar spying 0.4 g · L-1 water-soluble silicon fertilizer was applied. It was recommended to be applied in celery production in acid vegetable field in southern China.
In response to the problems of soil compaction, severe diseases, and reduced yield and quality of greenhouse melons due to continuous cropping, this experiment used ‘Xinkeyan No. 3’ melon as the test material and Isatis indigotica as the cover cropping. Three Isatis indigotica seeding rates of 4 kg per 667 m2 (B1), 8 kg per 667 m2 (B2), and 12 kg per 667 m2 (B3) were set up, with no Isatis indigotica seeding as the control (CK). The effects of different Isatis indigotica interplanting rates on the soil physicochemical properties and melon growth in greenhouses were studied to provide a theoretical basis for ecological cultivation of greenhouse melons. The results showed that interplanting Isatis indigotica could effectively control powdery mildew and downy mildew of melons, increase yield, and improve quality (fructose, polysaccharide, vitamin C, flavonoid, and saponin contents all significantly increased). At the same time, it effectively increased the contents of organic matter, available phosphorus, available potassium, ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen in the soil, as well as the activities of urease, sucrase, and phosphatase in the soil; it promoted the photosynthesis of plants, increasing chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and net photosynthetic rate; and it enhanced the activities of five defense enzymes (SOD, POD, PAL, CAT, and PPO) in the plants. Among them, the treatment with a seeding rate of 12 kg per 667 m2 (B3) of Isatis indigotica had the best effect, with control rates of 59.04% and 31.41% for powdery mildew and downy mildew, respectively. The contents of fructose, polysaccharide, vitamin C, flavonoid, and saponin in the fruit increased by 71.1%, 100.0%, 95.6%, 76.0%, and 87.9%, respectively.
Continuous cropping obstacles seriously restrict the healthy growth and sustainable production of facility cucumber. To clarify the alleviating effect and microecological mechanism of the combined application of ozone and biological bacterial fertilizer on cucumber continuous cropping obstacles, a pot experiment was conducted using soil with ten years of continuous cucumber cropping. Four treatments were set in this study, including a continuous cropping control (CK), single ozone treatment (O3), single biological bacterial fertilizer treatment (BF), and combined treatment of ozone and biological bacterial fertilizer (O3 + BF). Soil physicochemical properties, bacterial community structure, functional genes, and metabolite profiles were comprehensively analyzed to explore the regulatory mechanism of different improvement measures on soil microecology. The results showed that all treatments significantly improved soil nutrient status compared with CK, and the O3 + BF combined treatment exhibited the optimal ameliorative effect, which significantly increased soil pH, soil organic matter, available nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Long-term continuous cropping markedly reduced the richness and evenness of the soil bacterial community. The BF treatment significantly improved soil bacterial species richness, while the O3 treatment effectively enhanced community evenness. The O3 + BF treatment simultaneously optimized bacterial community richness and evenness, achieving the most prominent improvement in soil microbial community structure. PCoA indicated that the bacterial community structure of each treatment was significantly separated from that of the CK group, and the O3 + BF treatment showed the largest community variation. At the phylum level, both O3 and O3 + BF treatments significantly increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and decreased the abundance of Acidobacteria. KEGG functional annotation revealed that the combined treatment significantly upregulated multiple key pathways including nitrogen metabolism, ABC transporters and linoleic acid metabolism, whereas it downregulated the basic carbon metabolism pathway. Metabolomic analysis identified a large number of differential metabolites, and the common differential metabolic pathways were mainly involved in ABC transport, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Multi-omics correlation analysis demonstrated that beneficial bacterial genera such as Tetratrichomonas and Arthrobacter were significantly positively correlated with core metabolites including salicylic acid and succinic acid, while the genus Dokdonella was significantly negatively correlated with these beneficial metabolites. In conclusion, the combined application of ozone and biological bacterial fertilizer can effectively optimize soil bacterial community structure, remodel microbial metabolic functions, and block the synergistic damage caused by autotoxic substances and pathogens, thereby efficiently alleviating cucumber continuous cropping obstacle. This study reveals the microecological mechanism of ozone and biological bacterial fertilizer in alleviating cucumber continuous cropping obstacles based on metagenomics and metabolomics, and provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the green and sustainable cultivation of facility cucumber.
This study aimed To evaluate the performance of prefabricated solar greenhouses and their application effects on overwintering strawberry production in Gansu Province, this study systematically investigated the temperature and humidity characteristics of two types of greenhouses and their impacts on strawberry growth and development. The traditional soil-wall solar greenhouse (C37) was used as the control, while the prefabricated solar greenhouses (C4 and C5) served as the research subjects. The results showed that under typical sunny and cloudy conditions, the indoor temperature and humidity of C4 and C5 were generally lower than those of C37 with slighter temperature fluctuations. Notably, on cloudy days, C4 and C5 presented earlier and faster temperature rise and better dehumidification capacity. Monthly meteorological analysis indicated that the indoor temperature and humidity increments of C4 and C5 decreased with the increase of outdoor temperature and humidity, while those of C37 increased continuously. Affected by monthly changes in outdoor meteorological conditions, C4 and C5 had smaller variation ranges of monthly average, maximum and minimum temperature and humidity, whereas C37 showed more dramatic environmental fluctuations. In terms of strawberry growth and yield traits, plant height, petiole length, leaf number, large fruit number per plant, single fruit weight, maximum fruit weight and yield in assembled solar greenhouses were significantly superior to those in the traditional earth-wall solar greenhouse. The yield per 667 m2 of C4 and C5 increased by 762 kg and 1 002 kg, respectively, compared with C37, while the small fruit number per plant was significantly lower. No significant differences were observed in total fruit number per plant and main nutritional quality indices (soluble sugar, vitamin C and soluble solids content) among all treatments. In conclusion, the prefabricated solar greenhouse possesses stable temperature and humidity regulation performance and weak environmental fluctuation, which is more suitable for the overwintering growth of strawberries. It is worthy of further demonstration and popularization in Gansu Province.
To alleviate continuous cropping obstacles in protected soil and improve the soil microenvironment, this study investigated the effects of application rates of organic fertilizer produced from pod pepper residues on the yield, fruit quality of greenhouse cucumber and soil microenvironment. The early-spring greenhouse cucumber cultivar ‘Deruite 620’ was used as test material. Four treatments with different application rates of chili pepper residue organic fertilizer were set: T1, 1 000 kg per 667 m2 ; T2, 2 000 kg per 667 m2 ; T3,3 000 kg per 667 m2 ; and CK, conventional fertilization by local farmers. The results showed that the cucumber yield under T3 treatment was significantly higher than that of other treatments, reaching 9 579.36 kg per 667 m2 , with an increase of 15.15% compared with CK. Meanwhile, fruit crispness, springiness and chewiness in T3 were significantly greater than those in CK. T2 treatment achieved the optimal fruit nutritional quality, and its vitamin C content, soluble sugar content, soluble solids and sugar-acid ratio were significantly higher than those of CK. Fertilization treatments significantly altered physicochemical properties of cucumber rhizosphere soil, and T3 exhibited the highest values of soil nutrient indicators. Compared with CK, T3 significantly increased the activities of sucrase, urease, catalase and cellulase. In addition, T2 remarkably reshaped soil microbial community structure, and enhanced bacterial α diversity, β diversity and the relative abundance of dominant communities. In conclusion, on the premise of yield improvement, T2 performed better in enhancing cucumber fruit nutritional quality and optimizing soil microbial community structure, which is beneficial to mitigate soil continuous cropping obstacles.
To screen rhizobacteria for biocontrol of Meloidogyne incognita, strain CM1 was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Cucumis metuliferus using heat treatment. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, CM1 showed 99.85% identity to Bacillus cereus and was identified as a member of the Bacillus cereus group. Four treatments were established in the pot experiment: CK (blank control), CKN (inoculated with M. incognita only), CM1 (inoculated with strain CM1 only), and CM1N (inoculated with both strain CM1 and M. incognita). The effects of strain CM1 on cucumber seedling growth and nematode infection were assessed, and its extracellular metabolites were tested for nematicidal activity. Without nematode stress, the CM1 treatment had no significant effect on cucumber seedling growth compared with CK. Under nematode stress, the CM1N treatment significantly increased cucumber shoot dry weight (1.84 g), root dry weight (0.53 g), plant height (12.72 cm), and stem diameter (6.18 mm) compared with the CKN treatment, by 21.46%, 33.02%, 14.80%, and 9.11%, respectively. Furthermore, compared with CKN, the CM1N treatment significantly reduced root galls, increased root volume, and improved root development. The extracellular metabolites of strain CM1 caused over 80% mortality of second-stage juveniles (J2) within 24 h. Metabolite root drenching significantly reduced gall numbers and suppressed giant cell development, markedly decreasing the proportion of giant cell area. In summary, Bacillus cereus strain CM1 secretes nematicidal metabolites that directly kill M. incognita and disrupt giant cell development without affecting cucumber growth, substantially alleviating infection. This strain represents a candidate for eco-friendly management of root-knot nematode disease in greenhouse cucumber.
This study aimed to investigate the control efficacy of combined microbial agents against Fusarium wilt in melon and its physiological basis. Four microbial agents, Bacillus subtilis (BS), Trichoderma longibrachiatum (TL), Streptomyces flavofuscus (SF), and Trichoderma harzianum (TH), were tested through plate confrontation assays and pot experiments. The inhibition rates of each agent and their combinations against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis, pot control efficacy, pathogen colonization quantity, plant growth parameters, chlorophyll content, leaf antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline (Pro) contents were determined. The results showed that all four microbial agents exhibited inhibitory effects against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, with S. flavofuscus showing the highest inhibition rate (69.03%). Among all combined treatments, the combination of S. flavofuscus and T. harzianum (SF + TH) demonstrated the best control efficacy against melon Fusarium wilt, reaching 75.01%. Compared with the control (inoculated with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis only), the SF + TH treatment reduced pathogen colonization in melon roots and stems by 59.67%, significantly increased plant height, maximum leaf area and chlorophyll content, significantly enhanced leaf SOD and POD activities, and significantly decreased MDA and Pro contents. In conclusion, the combination of S. flavofuscus and T. harzianum can effectively control melon Fusarium wilt through multiple mechanisms, including inhibition of pathogen proliferation and enhancement of antioxidant defense, demonstrating good application prospects.
To identify the host-specialized form of the pathogen causing cucumber Fusarium wilt in Yuzhong county, Gansu Province, the FS-5C isolate was previously isolated and preserved from cucumber Fusarium wilt samples that collected in Yuzhong County, and used as the test material in the present study. The species and hostspecialized form of FS-5C isolate were identified by combining the methods of morphological observation, ITS region and TEF1-α gene sequence analysis, as well as SCAR marker primer amplification. The results showed that the inoculated seedlings exhibited leaf wilting, brown constriction at the basal stem, and yellowbrown discolorated of vascular tissues after inoculation with the FS-5C isolate in cucumber seedlings. The FS- 5C isolate can produce macroconidia, microconidia and chlamydospores after incubation in the media. The macroconidia were sickle-shaped with obvious septa, and the microconidia were oval, egg-shaped, as well as the chlamydospores were sub-spherical to oval. Meanwhile, the ITS region sequence of FS-5C was clustered with Fusarium oxysporum sj6-2 (accession No. OM883861.1) in the same clade, with a bootstrap value of 84%; the TEF1-α sequence was grouped with F. oxysporum A2-W-RC (accession No. MT313859.1), with a bootstrap value of 100% after identified by phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and TEF1-α sequences. Furthermore, the FS-5C isolate was further identified and confirmed that belongs to the F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum using the primers Foc and Forc of SCAR markers. Finally, the FS-5C isolate was identified as Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum by integrating with the morphological and molecular identification. The present study clarifies the pathogen that is responsible for cucumber Fusarium wilt in Yuzhong county, Gansu Province, and also provides a theoretical basis for the management of this disease.
To investigate the effects of intercropping systems of watermelon and legumes on crop yield, water use efficiency(WUE), and continuous cropping obstacles in gravel-mulched fields, seven treatments were established, including sole watermelon cropping(W)and watermelon intercropped with broad bean, soybean, and peanut at two row ratios(1∶1 and 2∶2)to explore the regulatory effects of diverse intercropping patterns. The results indicated that intercropping system had obvious advantages; the 1∶1 row ratio intercropping outperformed the 2∶2 counterpart comprehensively. It optimized soil water distribution, elevated WUE, improved soil microbial community structure, boosted soil enzyme activities, reduced the contents of autotoxic substances and pathogenic fungi, and effectively alleviated continuous cropping obstacles. Among all treatments, watermelon-peanut intercropping at a 1∶1 row ratio exhibited the optimal comprehensive performance, with its WUE and economic benefit significantly increased by 22.53% and 4 615.63 yuan · hm-2 compared with sole watermelon cropping(W), accompanied by markedly improved system yield. In conclusion, rational intercropping of watermelon with legumes in gravel-mulched fields can raise system yield and soil water content, cut down soil surface evaporation, enhance WUE, and efficiently mitigate continuous cropping obstacles of watermelon in gravel-mulched land.
‘Tailv 630’ is a new mid-late maturing broccoli F1 hybrid developed by crossing the cytoplasmicmale sterile line ‘CMS B1062-1-9-6-7-5-2-3-1-6-8’ as female parent and the inbred line ‘B650-2-34-2-7-5-6-3-1’ as male parent. It requires approximately 80 days from transplanting to harvest. The plants displaysemi-erect growth habit, with average plant height of 65.2 cm, spread of 90.9 cm, and 0.6 lateral branches perplant. The head is domed and compact, exhibiting medium-fine and uniform florets. The head color is dark green,and remains non-purple under low-temperature conditions. The average vertical and horizontal diameters ofhead are 10.2 cm and 13.9 cm, respectively, with single head weight of 0.56 kg. The vitamin C, soluble sugar,crude fiber contents are 976.0 mg · kg-1 , 2.64%, 1.1%, respectively. It has excellent commercial quality, andsuitable for both fresh consumption and quick-freezing processing. It is resistant to black rot and downy mildew,and moderately resistant to black spot. The yield is about 19.5 t · hm-2 . It is suitable for cultivation in Zhejiang,Jiangsu, and Gansu Province.
‘Ruyu 156’ is a new mid-maturing bitter gourd F1 hybrid developed by crossing inbred lines ‘09-3-55’ as female parent and ‘2012-5-51’ as male parent. The plants exhibit vigorous growth, cold tolerance, and strong continuous fruiting ability. In spring cultivation, the first female flower appears on main vine at about the 15th node, and period from flowering to marketable fruit maturity ranges from 15 to 18 days. The fruit is long cylindrical, nearly flat-topped, with 35-38 cm in length, 5-6 cm in transverse diameter, 1.0-1.2 cm in flesh thickness, and single fruit weight of 450-500 g. The rind is greenish-white and glossy, with alternating ridges and grooves on the surface. The flesh is firm and compact, with moderate bitterness. The vitamin C content is 623.0 mg · kg-1 , indicating excellent nutritional quality. It is resistant to Fusarium wilt and powdery mildew. The yield is about 52.5 t · hm-2 . It is suitable for early-spring greenhouse or spring open-field cultivation in Fujian, Anhui, Jiangxi Province.
