Effect of rice-vegetable cropping system with a mid-late rice on soil enzyme activity and cultured microbial diversity

A series of field trials were conducted on various locations to investigate the influence of different rotation patterns on soil enzyme activity and cultured microbial diversity. Results indicated that the rotation system of rice-vegetable with mid-late rice and the pattern of summer fallow significantly enhanced the activity of soil invertase and acid phosphatase, between which rice-vegetable pattern was superior to summer fallow. In comparison with successive vegetable cropping, the rice-vegetable pattern increased the activity of soil invertase and acid phosphatase by 48.1% and 27.2% in average, meanwhile, significantly decreased the activity of soil catalase and polyphenol oxidase. After completion of each rotation of the various cropping patterns, the rice-vegetable pattern comparably improved cultured microbial community, where the number of soil bacteria and actinomycetes were significantly enhanced but the number of fungi was reduced, thus benefiting the maintenance and sustainability of land productivity.