Journal of Integrative Agriculture ›› 2017, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (10): 2206-2214.DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(17)61698-8

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  • 收稿日期:2016-10-26 出版日期:2017-10-20 发布日期:2017-09-30

Effects of seven different companion plants on cucumber productivity, soil chemical characteristics and Pseudomonas community

CHANG Chun-ling*, FU Xue-peng*, ZHOU Xin-gang, GUO Mei-yu, WU Feng-zhi   

  1. Department of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P.R.China
  • Received:2016-10-26 Online:2017-10-20 Published:2017-09-30
  • Contact: Correspondence WU Feng-zhi, Tel: +86-451-55190278, E-mail: fzwu2006@aliyun.com
  • About author:CHANG Chun-ling, E-mail: changchunling0709@163.com; FU Xue-peng, E-mail: hefangren2016@163.com;
  • Supported by:

    This study was supported by the earmarked fund for the China Agriculture Research System (CARS-25), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31471917).

Abstract: Companion cropping can influence cucumber productivity by altering soil chemical characteristics and microbial communities. However, how these alterations affect the growth of cucumber is still unknown. In this study, seven different plant species were selected as companion plants for testing their effects on cucumber productivity. The effects of different companion plants on changes in soil chemical properties such as electrical conductivity (EC) and contents of essential nutrients as well as the structure and abundance of the soil Pseudomonas community were evaluated. The results showed a higher cucumber yield in the wheat/cucumber companion system than that in the cucumber monocultured and other companion cropping systems. The lowest phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents in the soil were found in the cucumber monocultured system, and the highest NO3+-N and NH4+-N contents were observed in the rye/cucumber companion system. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time PCR analysis showed that the trifolium/cucumber companion system increased the diversity of the soil Pseudomonas community, while the chrysanthemum/cucumber companion system increased its abundance. Interestingly, plant-soil feedback trials revealed that inoculating the soil of the wheat/cucumber companion system increased the growth of cucumber seedlings. In conclusion, the effects of different companion plants on cucumber productivity, soil chemical characteristics and the soil Pseudomonas community were different, and wheat was a more suitable companion plant for increasing cucumber productivity. In addition, the altered microbial community caused by companion cropping with wheat contributed to increased cucumber productivity.

Key words: cucumber ,  companion plants ,  soil chemical characteristics , Pseudomonas community