Cropping patterns and nitrogen effects on goji berry root zone soil microbes
This study investigated the effects of cropping patterns and nitrogen application rates on the structure, diversity and functional traits of bacterial and fungal communities in the root zone soil of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) in an arid saline-alkali area of Jingtai County, Gansu Province, China. High-throughput amplicon sequencing targeting the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene (for bacteria) and the ITS2 region of the internal transcribed spacer (for fungi) was employed to characterize the microbial communities. The findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing wolfberry cultivation systems, reducing nitrogen fertilizer input and improving soil micro-ecological environment in arid saline-alkali regions.