Response of rice growth to soil microorganisms and soil properties in different soil types

Abstract In order to understand the relationship between rice ( Oryza sativa L.) yield and the microbial communities and soil properties of different soil types, and to clarify the advantages of rice production characteristics of different soil types, we investigated the soil bacterial communities and soil properties of five representative rice soils (granitic sandy soil, purple clayey soil, red yellow clayey soil, yellow clayey soil, and alluvial sandy soil) and determined their effects on rice yield. The granitic sandy soil showed the greatest potential for increasing rice yield, with a yield of 39.2 g per plant, which was 24.56% higher than the lowest yielding soil type, these differences were related to differences in the soil microbial community and soil properties. There were significant differences in the microbial communities and chemical properties among the soil types, of which the granitic sandy soil type had the highest total nitrogen, available nitrogen, available kalium, and soil organic carbon contents, which were 2.60 g kg −1 , 196.07 mg kg −1 , 230.65 mg kg −1 , and 24.67 g kg −1 , respectively. Moreover, there was a significant correlation among specific bacterial taxa, soil properties, and rice yield, with Bacteroidetes showing a significant positive correlation with rice yield. The results also showed that pH, alkaline soluble nitrogen, and fast‐acting potassium were the key soil properties affecting soil communities and rice yield. Both soil properties and soil microbial community influenced rice yield.