title: Application of Serratia marcescens RZ-21 significantly enhances peanut yield and remediates continuously cropped peanut soil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Continuous cropping practices cause a severe decline in peanut yield. The aim of this study was to investigate the remediation effect of Serratia marcescens on continuously cropped peanut soil. A pot experiment was conducted under natural conditions to determine peanut agronomic indices, soil microorganism characteristics, soil enzyme activities and antagonism ability to typical pathogens at different growth stages. Four treatments were applied to red soil as follows: an active fermentation liquor of S. marcescens (RZ-21), an equivalent sterilized fermentation liquor (M), an equivalent fermentation medium (P) and distilled water (CK).
  
  
  RESULTS
  S. marcescens significantly inhibited the two typical plant pathogens Fusarium oxysporum A1 and Ralstonia solanacearum B1 and reduced their populations in rhizosphere soil. The RZ-21 treatment significantly increased peanut yield, vine dry weight, root nodules and taproot length by 62.3, 33, 72 and 61.4% respectively, followed by the M treatment. The P treatment also increased root nodules and root length slightly. RZ-21 also enhanced the activities of soil urease, sucrase and hydrogen peroxidase at various stages. In addition, RZ-21 and M treatments increased the average population of soil bacteria and decreased the average population of fungi in the three critical peanut growth stages, except for M in the case of the fungal population at flowering, thus balancing the structure of the soil microorganism community.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of S. marcescens being applied to continuously cropped peanut soil. The results suggest that S. marcescens RZ-21 has the potential to improve the soil environment and agricultural products and thus allow the development of sustainable management practices.
authors: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors: Hai-Yan
authors: HY
authors: Ma
authors: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Yang
authors: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors: Hong-Wei
authors: HW
authors: Wang
authors: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors: Qi-Yin
authors: QY
authors: Yang
authors: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors: Chuan-Chao
authors: CC
authors: Dai
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D010367:Arachis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D018533:Biomass; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D009195:Peroxidase; D063245:Plant Development; D055170:Plant Root Nodulation; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D058441:Rhizosphere; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development*; D012706:Serratia marcescens; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013393:Sucrase; D014510:Urease
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D009195:Peroxidase; D013393:Sucrase; D014510:Urease
keywords: Serratia marcescens; continuous cropping; ecological remediation; microbial community; soil enzyme