Moderate nitrogen application improves growth and quality of Pseudostellaria heterophylla under continuous cropping via soil micro-ecology regulation

Pseudostellaria heterophylla is a widely cultivated medicinal plant in China, where continuous cropping obstacles often lead to monoculture-induced constraints. Although nitrogen (N) fertilization modulates soil biogeochemical processes and plant performance, the effects of varying N application rates on P. heterophylla under continuous cropping remain poorly understood. A field experiment was therefore conducted to quantify how gradient N rates influence the agronomic performance, yield, quality