Co-Application of Organic and Ca, Mg, Zn Fertilizers Reshapes Depth-Stratified Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in Orchard Soil

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Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are crucial symbiotic microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems, playing a vital role in maintaining orchard soil health and productivity. However, how organic–and Ca, Mg, Zn fertilizers co-application affect vertical stratification and ecological functions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in perennial fruit orchards remains unclear. Based on a five-year in situ peach trial, we established three fertilization regimes: low- (LWF), medium- (MWF), and high-input (HWF) regimes. We systematically analyzed the AMF community structure, diversity, and their correlations with soil physicochemical properties, as well as peach tree physiology, fruit yield, and quality across two soil depths: 0–20 cm (topsoil) and 20–40 cm (subsoil). HWF significantly inhibited AMF root colonization rates and spore density (p < 0.05), while reducing community α-diversity AMF α-diversity (p < 0.05), characterized by the enrichment of genera such as Glomus and a decrease in the relative abundance of Rhizoglomus. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified available Zn (AZn) and Mg (WMg) as key drivers of this restructuring. Integrating RDA results into depth-specific partial least squares structural equation models (PLS-SEM), we found that subsoil AZn/WMg indirectly boosted yield by reshaping AMF composition (β = 0.34, p = 0.006), mediated via improved canopy status (NDVI, PRI). Total effect analysis confirmed the dominant role of subsoil pathways. These findings challenge the prevailing topsoil-centric view of soil microbial ecology and underscore the importance of considering the full soil profile when evaluating the impacts of agricultural practices on beneficial symbionts. We conclude that sustainable management strategies should account for depth-dependent AMF responses to maintain both productivity and belowground biodiversity across the entire rooting zone.
Funding Information
  • Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (KJCX20250926)
  • Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (ZHS202602)
  • Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Adminitrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park (Z191100004019001)

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