Comparative analysis of microbial community diversity and mineral elements cycling in Gastrodia elata rhizosphere soils of barren slope and under forest

Continuous cropping of the important achlorophyllous medicinal orchid Gastrodia elata causes soil microecology imbalance leading to soil-borne diseases. However, the impacts on different soil types remain largely unknown. Hence, this study investigated changes in soil nutrient composition and the global microbial community structure in the rhizospheres of G. elata cultivated on barren slope (HPGJ) and under forest (LXT). High-throughput sequencing revealed an increase in the abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Mucoromycota, Basidiomycota, and Ascomycota that drive N and C cycling genes in HPGJ and LXT. Notably, the fungal community was significantly improved in HPGJ (from 0.17% to 23.61%) compared to LXT (from 0.2% to 2.04%).