Intercropping of Oats with Vetch Conducts to Improve Soil Bacteriome Diversity and Structure

Due to intensive crop cultivation, soil depletion has increased interest in intercropping, cover crops, and permanent land use. In our experiment, we investigated the effect of growing oats alone or together with vetch and green manure on the structure of the rhizosphere bacteriome. As a control, we used the bacteriome of bulk soil before sowing, during the growing season, and three months after green manure. The results revealed that its composition and structure change significantly due to the type of cultivation and the presence of plants. Plant roots had a significant impact by reducing pH and mobilizing nutrients. It was more evident in intercropping compared to the cultivation of oats alone. The rhizosphere bacteriome structure significantly differed from that of bulk soil. The different habitats in the rhizosphere and bulk soil led to a decrease in the representation of Proteobacteria and an increase in that of Actinobacteria. Intercropping contributed significantly to increased alpha diversity compared to the cultivation of oats alone and increased availability of nitrogen and potassium. The richness and inverse Simpson diversity index in the rhizosphere ranged from 7.361 to 8.015 across soils subjected to traditional oat cultivation or intercropping. However, the bacteriomes of the rhizosphere soil clustered together and were significantly different from those of the bulk soil. Our study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the influence of roots and cultivation type on bacteriome structure. It offers novel insights for soil management and plant health by reducing pathogens present in soil.