The impact of Ricinus straw on the tomato growth and soil microbioal community

Background and aims Returning straw can alter the soil microbial community, and promote plant growth. However, whether and how Ricinus straw, as an exogenous additive, benefits tomato growth is still unclear. Here we aimed to evaluate the effects of Ricinus straw on tomato growth and rhizosphere microbial community.Methods We carried out the microcosm experiments to investigate the effects of Ricinus straw with different dosages (0%, 1% and 3%) on tomato dry biomass and rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community.Results Ricinus straw promoted tomato growth and changed the abundance, diversities, and composition of tomato rhizosphere microbial communities. In detail, a 1% addition of Ricinus straw increased the relative abundance of putative beneficial bacteria and fungi in straw decomposition, such as Ramlibacter sp., Azohydromonas sp., Schizothecium sp., and Acaulium sp..Conclusions Ricinus straw promoted plant growth and changed the rhizosphere microbial community composition, which provides new evidence for understanding the improvement of key microorganism composition in improving crop growth and the sustainability of agriculture.