Rhizosphere microbial community dynamics in Pseudostellaria heterophylla under continuous cropping regimes

This project employs 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (targeting the V3-V4 hypervariable regions) to characterize the bacterial and archaeal community structure in the rhizosphere soil of Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Taizishen) under continuous cropping conditions. P. heterophylla is a valuable medicinal herb suffering from severe yield and quality decline in monoculture systems, a phenomenon known as continuous cropping obstacle (CCO).The study aims to investigate how long-term monoculture alters the rhizosphere microbiome and whether these changes correlate with the observed plant growth inhibition. Soil samples were collected from fields with different cropping histories (one-year, two-year, and three-year continuous cropping) and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Additionally, controlled pot experiments were conducted to assess the impact of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and key pathogens (Serratia marcescens, Fusarium oxysporum) on the microbial community.The generated sequence data will provide insights into:The shifts in microbial diversity, composition, and structure associated with increasing cropping years.The identification of microbial taxa that are enriched or depleted in conducive vs. suppressive soils.The interactions between specific pathogenic bacteria, soil VOCs, and the broader microbial community in the context of CCO.This dataset serves as a foundational resource for understanding the microbial ecology of medicinal plant replant diseases and for developing microbiome-based solutions for sustainable agriculture.