Effects of Rotation and Intercropping on Bulk Soil Microbial Communities in Chili Pepper Cultivation
This project investigates the effects of alternative cultivation systems on non-rhizosphere soil microbial communities in chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fields. Soil samples were collected from two experimental sites in Hebei Province, China: (1) Jize County, where pepper-maize rotation was compared with pepper monoculture; and (2) Gaocheng District, where pepper-wheat intercropping was compared with monoculture. After six consecutive years of cultivation, bulk soil samples were collected during the flowering stage. Bacterial 16S rRNA (V3-V4 region) and fungal ITS1 amplicons were sequenced using Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform to characterize soil microbial community composition and diversity under different agricultural management practices.