Mingwei Zhou
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Mingwei Zhou has a total of 7 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Guanghua Yin
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
1 shared publication - Hao Sun
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
1 shared publication - Jian Gu
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
1 shared publication - Ningning Ma
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China
1 shared publication - Shijun Sun
College of Water Conservancy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
1 shared publication - Xu Zhou
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 14 August 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Microorganisms
- Vol. 13 (8) , 1897
Subsoiling-Induced Shifts in Nitrogen Dynamics and Microbial Community Structure in Semi-Arid Rainfed Maize Agroecosystems
Global agricultural intensification has exacerbated soil compaction and nitrogen (N) inefficiency, thereby threatening sustainable crop production. Sub-soiling, a tillage technique that fractures subsurface layers while preserving surface structure, offers potential solutions by modifying soil physical properties and enhancing microbial-mediated N cycling. This study investigated the effects of subsoiling depth (0, 20, and 40 cm) on soil microbial communities and N transformations in a semi-arid maize system in China. The results demonstrated that subsoiling to a depth of 40 cm (D2) significantly enhanced the retention of nitrate-N and ammonium-N, which correlated with improved soil porosity and microbial activity. High-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing revealed subsoiling depth-driven reorganization of microbial communities, with D2 increasing the abundance of Proteobacteria (+11%) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Nitrososphaeraceae, +19.9%) while suppressing denitrifiers (nosZ gene: −41.4%). Co-occurrence networks indicated greater complexity in microbial interactions under subsoiling, driven by altered aeration and carbon redistribution. Functional gene analysis highlighted a shift from denitrification to nitrification-mineralization coupling, with D2 boosting maize yield by 9.8%. These findings elucidate how subsoiling depth modulates microbiome assembly to enhance N retention, providing a mechanistic basis for optimizing tillage practices in semi-arid agroecosystems.
- 14 August 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Microorganisms
- Vol. 13 (8) , 1897
Open AccessSubsoiling-Induced Shifts in Nitrogen Dynamics and Microbial Community Structure in Semi-Arid Rainfed Maize Agroecosystems
Global agricultural intensification has exacerbated soil compaction and nitrogen (N) inefficiency, thereby threatening sustainable crop production. Sub-soiling, a tillage technique that fractures subsurface layers while preserving surface structure, offers potential solutions by modifying soil physical properties and enhancing microbial-mediated N cycling. This study investigated the effects of subsoiling depth (0, 20, and 40 cm) on soil microbial communities and N transformations in a semi-arid maize system in China. The results demonstrated that subsoiling to a depth of 40 cm (D2) significantly enhanced the retention of nitrate-N and ammonium-N, which correlated with improved soil porosity and microbial activity. High-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing revealed subsoiling depth-driven reorganization of microbial communities, with D2 increasing the abundance of Proteobacteria (+11%) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Nitrososphaeraceae, +19.9%) while suppressing denitrifiers (nosZ gene: −41.4%). Co-occurrence networks indicated greater complexity in microbial interactions under subsoiling, driven by altered aeration and carbon redistribution. Functional gene analysis highlighted a shift from denitrification to nitrification-mineralization coupling, with D2 boosting maize yield by 9.8%. These findings elucidate how subsoiling depth modulates microbiome assembly to enhance N retention, providing a mechanistic basis for optimizing tillage practices in semi-arid agroecosystems.