Continuous cropping of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) induces disease suppression via microbial community shifts

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.12.021

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Continuous cropping of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) induces disease suppression via microbial community shifts

Rongchun Zheng, Faxi Li, Qiong Wang, Yingde Li, Youlei Shen, Zhibiao Nan, Tingyu Duan^#

State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou University/Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Tech Innovation Centre of Western China Grassland Industry/College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China

Highlights

1. Continuous cropping of common vetch decreased yield and quality but reduced disease prevalence.

2. The effect of disease suppression was associated with altered soil microbial diversity, network stability, and community composition. Beneficial taxa (Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Arthrobacter) were enriched.

3. The shifts modulated nitrogen allocation and triggered induced systemic resistance. Pot experiments confirmed microbial-driven suppression of anthracnose in common vetch.

Abstract
References

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摘要

连作面临诸多挑战，包括土地退化、土传病原体扩散以及作物产量下降等问题，但也能促进植物-土壤正反馈的形成。然而，这一过程中涉及的微生物机制及地上部病害对其的影响尚不明确。本研究系统评估了不同连作年限下箭筈豌豆（Vicia sativa L.）的生长状况、病害发生情况、土壤性质以及根际微生物网络的复杂性与稳定性。结果表明，尽管连作导致作物产量和品质下降，但病情指数显著降低。病害抑制机制与以下变化相关：病害发生率降低、土壤全氮含量减少、微生物多样性下降，以及微生物网络复杂性与稳定性的非对称变化。根际富集的关键有益微生物（如芽孢杆菌属Bacillus、鞘氨醇单胞菌属Sphingomonas和节杆菌属Arthrobacter）被鉴定为潜在的病害抑制因子。在炭疽病侵染的土壤中，微生物介导的土壤遗留效应通过调控氮分配并激活植物系统获得性抗性，改变了箭筈豌豆的生长-防御权衡策略，从而降低了病害发生率。本研究揭示了微生物驱动的病害抑制机制在调控有益微生物群落中的关键作用，为农业系统的可持续病害管理提供了新见解。

Abstract

Continuous cropping presents various challenges including land degradation, the proliferation of soilborne pathogens, diminished yields. However, it can also foster the development of positive plant–soil feedbacks. The related microbial mechanisms and the potential impact of aboveground diseases on its formation remain unclear. This study systematically assessed the growth, occurrence of disease, soil properties and complexity and stability of the rhizosphere microbial network of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) across different continuous cropping years. In this study, although continuous cropping decreased crop yield and quality, it reduced disease prevalence. The establishment of disease suppression was linked to a decrease in the incidence of disease, reduction in the soil nitrogen, decrease in microbial diversity and asymmetric alterations in the complexity and stability of the microbial network. Key beneficial microorganisms recruited in rhizosphere, such as Bacillus, Sphingomonas and Arthrobacter, were identified as potential contributors to disease suppression. The microbial-mediated soil legacy of anthracnose-infected modulated the growth-defense trade-off of common vetch by influencing the allocation of N and activating the plant's induced systemic resistance. The study underscores the significance of microbial-driven suppression in modulating the beneficial microbiome and offers novel insights into sustainable strategies of disease management in agricultural systems.

Keywords: continuous cropping soil properties microbial co-occurrence network core species growth-defense trade-off

Online: 05 December 2025

Fund:

This study was financially supported by the China Modern Agriculture Research System (CARS-22 Green Manure).

About author: Rongchun Zheng, E-mail: zhengrch2023@lzu.edu.cn;#Correspondence Tingyu Duan, E-mail: duanty@lzu.edu.cn;

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Rongchun Zheng, Faxi Li, Qiong Wang, Yingde Li, Youlei Shen, Zhibiao Nan, Tingyu Duan. 2025. Continuous cropping of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) induces disease suppression via microbial community shifts. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.12.021

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