Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2025, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (9): 1434-1447.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2025.0005  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2025.0005

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Nutrient regulation of plant-microbial association in Dendrobium huoshanense facilities and understory cultivation patterns

ZHU Rui-De1, YANG Jun-Wei1, LIU Xiao-Han1, CHEN Bing-Rui1, CHI Xiu-Lian2, TIAN Di1,*()(), YANG Guang2, CHENG Meng2, DAI Ya-Feng3, WANG Shi-Wen3   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    2State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
    3Jiuxianzun Huoshan Dendrobium Co., Ltd., Lu’an, Anhui 237000, China
  • Received:2025-01-02 Accepted:2025-04-08 Online:2025-09-20 Published:2025-09-01
  • Contact: TIAN Di
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(82173930);Science and Technology Innovation Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences(CI2021A03908);Science and Technology Innovation Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences(CI2023E002)

Abstract:

Aims Dendrobium huoshanense (Orchidaceae) is a nationally protected and endangered medicinal plant with dual-purpose (medicinal and edible) value in China. While facility and understory cultivation dominate its artificial propagation, the linkages between aboveground biomass and substrate/soil microbial communities remain unclear, hindering the understanding of aboveground-belowground association.
Methods Hence, we conducted field experiments with randomized sampling at a D. huoshanense cultivation base in the Dabie Mountains, Anhui, to investigate nutrient-regulated plant-microbe association under facility vs understory modes.
Important findings Facility substrates and understory soil showed significant differences in microbial biomass, diversity, and community composition. Specifically, facility substrates had higher microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) contents than understory soil, along with enriched bacterial diversity and ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM). While understory cultivation significantly altered soil microbial composition, facility substrates maintained stable microbial communities. The biomass of D. huoshanense in the facility substrate was significantly higher than that in the understory soil. Further, structural equation modeling results revealed that nutrient content in substrate/soil and the composition of microbial communities exhibit significant regulatory associations with the biomass of D. huoshanense plants, with distinct patterns emerging under varying cultivation regimes. Specifically, ECM fungi under nutrient-rich facility conditions directly promoted aboveground biomass, whereas pathogen proliferation in nutrient-limited understory soils might suppress aboveground growth. These findings clarify the associations between aboveground biomass and microbial communities in the facility and understory cultivation modes of D. huoshanense, providing actionable insights for developing microbial inoculants to enhance cultivation efficiency and conserve this endangered species.

Key words: Dendrobium huoshanense, understory cultivation, facility cultivation, soil microbe, biomass, nutrient, above- and below-ground