Kimchi Cabbage Microbiota under Long-Term Cropping

Kimchi cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt) is one of important vegetable crops in Korea. However, its production in highland regions has recently faced challenges caused by long-term continuous cropping. Such systems have been reported to reduce yield and quality, yet the underlying microbial mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated bacterial and fungal community dynamics in Kimchi cabbage cultivated under continuous and rotational cropping systems in highland field and pot conditions over nine to ten cropping cycles. Rhizosphere and bulk soil DNAs were subjected to 16S rRNA and ITS gene amplification and metagenomic sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The findings from this study are expected to provide a microbial basis for developing microbiota-informed strategies to improve Kimchi cabbage productivity and sustainability in highland agriculture.