Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a severe threat to crop growth and agricultural safety. This study investigates the alleviating effects and underlying mechanisms of zinc-iron layered double hydroxide (ZnFe-LDH) on tobacco seedlings under Cd stress. An integrated approach combining physiological measurements with transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses was employed to systematically evaluate the response of tobacco to ZnFe-LDH treatment. The results demonstrate that while Cd significantly inhibits plant growth, ZnFe-LDH markedly mitigates this toxicity. Specifically, 15 mg/kg ZnFe-LDH treatment restored photosynthetic performance by repairing cellular structures and upregulating key photosynthetic genes. Furthermore, ZnFe-LDH reduced Cd accumulation in leaves and roots by 64.36% and 43.91%, respectively, primarily by promoting Cd immobilization in the cell wall. The treatment significantly boosted antioxidant enzyme activities, thereby reducing oxidative damage. Additionally, multi-omics analysis revealed that ZnFe-LDH modulates phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism pathways, leading to increased lignin content and ammonium levels, which enhance the cell wall's capacity for Cd sequestration. These findings indicate that ZnFe-LDH enhances plant resistance to Cd stress through a multi-mechanism including metabolic regulation and cell wall reinforcement. Consequently, ZnFe-LDH shows great potential as an environmentally friendly nanomaterial for the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils.

Algal-bacterial complexes are effective in enhancing crop yield and quality, mitigating soil degradation, and improving soil microbial communities, offering a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture. However, their application in tobacco fields remains limited. Eight treatments were established in a typical tobacco field: CK (water control), T1 (microalgae), T2 (XQ), T3 (Bacillus subtilis), T4 (Englang), T5 (microalgae + XQ), T6 (microalgae + Bacillus subtilis), and T7 (microalgae + Englang), to evaluate their effects on tobacco growth, yield quality, and soil microbial dynamics. The co-application significantly improved agronomic traits, with T6 showing the greatest increases in plant height and leaf number at both bud emergence and button top stages. T6, T5, and T7 also led to higher yields (5.13 %, 3.05 %, and 2.76 %) and output values (11.73 %, 7.41 %, and 7.38 %) compared with CK. T6 achieved the highest average price (+6.30 %) and a superior grade leaf ratio (+14.96 %). Soil chemistry improved under co-application, with T6 and T7 significantly elevating pH, dissolved organic carbon, available phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen. Microbial analysis revealed increased alpha-diversity and enrichment of beneficial taxa such as Actinobacteria, Bacteroidota, Rhizobiaceae, Streptomyces, and Bacillus. Functional genes associated with vitamin metabolism, glycosyl/glycan biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, and GH13 alpha-amylases were upregulated. Overall, the co-application of microalgae-beneficial bacteria enhanced soil fertility and microbial functional diversity, thereby promoting tobacco growth, yield, and leaf quality. T6 treatment delivered the most pronounced benefits. These findings offer new insights and methodological support for advancing sustainable practices within the flue-cured tobacco industry.

Abstract Seed mass is a key trait influencing plant form and function. It reflects parental resource investment and influences seedling growth as well as the construction of root and leaf organs. However, how seed mass regulates root and leaf functional traits in legume species remains unclear. In this study, we selected 16 common herbaceous legume species growing in pots. The results showed that seed mass exhibited a U-shaped quadratic relationship with both fine root diameter and fine root biomass. Seed mass was significantly positively correlated with single leaf area, specific leaf area, and stomatal length. However, it showed no significant correlation with leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf vein traits, or stomatal density. Meanwhile, the relationships between seed and root traits and between seed and leaf traits in these legume species were markedly different from those reported for global non-nitrogen-fixing plants. In summary, seed mass may selectively regulate certain root and leaf traits. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the formation of life history strategies in legumes and their responses and adaptations to environmental change.

Potential of exogenously applied nitric oxide (NO; 50 and 100 mu M) in improving the tolerance of to nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) stress. Applied NO alleviated the decline in growth, chlorophyll and carotenoids, glutamate 1-semialdehyde, and delta-amino levulinic acid, and the activity of delta-amino levulinic acid dehydratase and Rubisco. The oxidative stress parameters, like hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, and the activity of chlorophyllase, protease, and NADPH oxidase, were substantially reduced in NO-treated plants. NO promoted osmolyte accumulation and enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activity and the levels of reduced glutathione and cysteine, facilitating the radical scavenging and redox homeostasis. Importantly, NO reduced Ni, Zn, and As accumulation and mitigated the metal-induced decline in essential mineral elements. These results suggest that NO application improves phytostabilization of heavy metals by , therefore contributing to its improved tolerance to grow in Ni, Zn, and As contaminated soils.

Potential of exogenously applied nitric oxide (NO; 50 and 100 μM) in improving the tolerance of Ricinus communis to nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) stress. Applied NO alleviated the decline in growth, chlorophyll and carotenoids, glutamate 1-semialdehyde, and δ-amino levulinic acid, and the activity of δ-amino levulinic acid dehydratase and Rubisco. The oxidative stress parameters, like hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, and the activity of chlorophyllase, protease, and NADPH oxidase, were substantially reduced in NO-treated plants. NO promoted osmolyte accumulation and enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activity and the levels of reduced glutathione and cysteine, facilitating the radical scavenging and redox homeostasis. Importantly, NO reduced Ni, Zn, and As accumulation and mitigated the metal-induced decline in essential mineral elements. These results suggest that NO application improves phytostabilization of heavy metals by Ricinus communis, therefore contributing to its improved tolerance to grow in Ni, Zn, and As contaminated soils.

Phosphorus, as a crucial element affecting the physical properties and chemical quality of tobacco leaves, is often used excessively in tobacco production, leading to a prolonged surplus in the soil that poses risks to both the environment and tobacco quality. Despite its importance, there is limited research on the variations in phosphorus levels among tobacco leaves positioned differently in high-phosphorus soils. Therefore, investigating the rational reduction of phosphorus fertilizers in phosphorus-rich soils is essential. This study was conducted in the Guiyang Tobacco Growing Area of Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China. The widely planted Yunyan 87 tobacco variety was utilized and three phosphorus levels were created, including CK representing farmers' habitual phosphorus fertilizer treatment (P2O5 139.65 kg ha-1), P1 reducing phosphorus by 25 % with base fertilizer (P2O5 104.85 kg ha-1), and P2 reducing phosphorus by 50 % with base fertilizer (P2O5 69.9 kg ha-1). The effects of phosphorus dosage on the physical properties and chemical quality of tobacco were investigated. In the phosphorus-rich soils, the conventional phosphorus application (CK) was optimal for the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 10th leaves; reducing phosphorus by 25 % with basal fertilizer (P1) was optimal for leaves 7-12; and reducing phosphorus by 50 % with base fertilizer (P2) was optimal for leaves 9-11. The excessive phosphorus application could decrease the coordination between the physical properties and chemical composition of tobacco leaves, particularly affecting the leaf thickness, single-leaf weight, total sugar, and reducing sugar. However, reducing the base and phosphorus fertilizer application by 25 % improved multiple indicators of tobacco leaf quality, aligning better with high-quality tobacco standards in the region.

Introduction Continuous monoculture of flue-cured tobacco causes soil degradation and microbial dysbiosis. While crop rotation can alleviate these obstacles, how different cropping patterns regulate soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolic functions remains unclear.Methods A four-year field experiment compared tobacco monoculture (CK), tobacco-maize rotation (TM), tobacco-rice rotation (TR), and tobacco-sweet potato intercropping (TP). Soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, metagenomic sequencing, and microbial network analysis were integrated.Results TR significantly improved soil health: pH (+6.6%), organic matter (+22.1%), and urease activity (+12.5%). It enriched beneficial microbes (Pseudomonadota +16.4%, Mucoromycota +327%) and upregulated C-cycle (korA +42.3%) and N-assimilation genes (amoC +460%), while suppressing denitrification (nirK). TM increased available P/K but enriched oligotrophic taxa and reduced sucrase activity. TP triggered pathogenic fungi (Olpidium +160%), depleted beneficial microbes, and broadly suppressed C/N metabolic genes (cbbL -94.5%, nirS -21.8%).Discussion Cropping patterns differentially reshape microbial communities and metabolic functions, determining their efficacy against continuous cropping obstacles. TR establishes efficient C/N cycling with "high assimilation, low denitrification," whereas TP induces pathogenic proliferation and metabolic suppression. This provides a functional framework for designing cropping systems to enhance soil health and tobacco productivity.

To sustain agricultural productivity and safeguard global food security, and confront the escalating challenges posed by climate change and water scarcity, it is essential to enhance the growth and productivity of rice under water stress. This study investigated the effects of lanthanum chloride on the chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and grain yield of rice under different irrigation modes. The rice cultivar H You 518 was selected and sprayed 20, 100, or 200 mg·L−1 lanthanum chloride at the booting and heading stages under deficit irrigation (where no rewatering was applied after the initiation of stress, allowing the water layer to evaporate naturally under high temperatures) or conventional irrigation (with daily rewatering to maintain a consistent water level). The results showed that the application of low concentrations lanthanum chloride promoted the chlorophyll content, whereas high concentrations decreased the chlorophyll content, under deficit irrigation, the effect of lanthanum chloride on the green fluorescence parameters of rice leaves at the booting stage was greater than that at the heading stage, and the booting stage was more sensitive to water deficit. The application of 100 mg·L−1 lanthanum chloride reduced the initial fluorescence (F0) and the non-photochemical quenching coefficient (qN); promoted the activity of leaf photosynthetic system II (PSII); and maximized the photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), and PSII relative electron transfer efficiency (ETR). Under deficit irrigation, this treatment significantly enhanced grain yield by increasing the thousand-grain weight, spikelet filling rate, and number of grains per panicle. These results suggest that spraying 100 mg·L−1 lanthanum chloride at the booting stage under deficit irrigation can effectively increase the chlorophyll content, thereby increasing the light energy conversion efficiency of the PS II reaction center, ultimately resulting in increased spikelet filling rate and grain yields.

The present study investigated the effect of the replacement of chemical fertilizers by organic fertilizers on agronomic traits of tobacco at maturity as well as on the conventional chemical quality of post-roasted tobacco leaves. To better understand the relationship between tobacco metabolites and roasted tobacco under organic nitrogen replacement treatments, post-roasting tobacco leaves were analyzed by an untargeted metabolomics analytical approach to identify key metabolites applicable to predicting tobacco quality. Methods: Yunyun Tobacco 87 was adopted as the test material in a field plot experiment with five fertilization treatments: T1 (100% chemical nitrogen fertilizer), T2 (25% organic nitrogen fertilizer + 75% chemical nitrogen fertilizer), T3 (50% organic nitrogen fertilizer + 50% chemical nitrogen fertilizer), T4 (75% organic nitrogen fertilizer + 25% chemical nitrogen fertilizer), and T5 (100% organic nitrogen fertilizer). Additionally, the non-targeted metabolomics approach was employed for the in-depth analysis of metabolites in roasted tobacco leaves. Results: The targeted metabolomic analysis identified 991 metabolites in the positive ion pattern and 673 in the negative ion pattern across all treatments. Among these, certain pathways such as alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, D-amino acid metabolism, purine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and galactose metabolism were up-regulated, whereas other pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism, betalain biosynthesis, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids were down-regulated and significantly enriched with differential metabolites. This study revealed the significant differences in the metabolite composition under different fertilization conditions, with a strong correlation between metabolites and tobacco quality indices. Organic fertilizers were observed to enhance tobacco quality by influencing tobacco metabolism, providing a scientific basis for optimizing fertilization strategies and improving tobacco quality.

Soil compaction often imposes stress on root development and plant survival. However, root anatomical responses that enable persistent root growth and functioning under soil compaction remain unclear. We grew 10 herbaceous species differing substantially in lateral root diameter, in soils with low (1.0 g cm-3) and high (1.4 g cm-3) bulk density, and assessed root traits including root biomass, anatomical structures, and respiration rates. Greater root thickening upon soil compaction was found in species with thicker first-order lateral roots, mainly due to larger cortical cell size. Both xylem vessel diameter and wall thickness increased more in compacted soils in these species. Despite these anatomical shifts, root respiration rate responded little to soil compaction across most species, likely due to the opposite investment in cortical cells and xylem vessels. Notably, root biomass, independent of root respiration rate and anatomical structures, determined whole-plant growth under soil compaction. Our study reveals two independent strategies of root response to soil compaction: anatomical remodeling for mechanical and metabolic maintenance, and root biomass investment for resource acquisition. These findings offer new insights for breeding and selecting species tolerant to soil compaction and highlight multidimensional strategies of plant adaptation to physical stress.

In order to analyze the physiological regulation mechanisms associated with exogenous melatonin on rice blast, this study treated rice seedlings with different concentrations of melatonin (0, 20, 100, and 500 µmol/L) in order to investigate the growth characteristics, root morphology, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and soluble protein content of rice seedlings. The results indicated that 100 µmol/L of melatonin exhibited a significant effect, improving the growth and antioxidant capacity of rice seedlings under rice blast fungus infection. The disease resistance level of rice seedlings against rice blast significantly decreased by 31.58% when compared to the 0 µmol/L melatonin treatment, while the plant height, stem base width, plant leaf area, total root length, aboveground dry weight, aboveground fresh weight, and underground fresh weight significantly increased by 8.72% to 91.38%. Treatment with 100 µmol/L of melatonin significantly increased catalase activities and soluble protein content, with respective increases of 94.99% and 31.14%. Simultaneously, the contents of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide significantly decreased, reaching 18.65% and 38.87%, respectively. The gray relational grade analysis indicated that hydrogen peroxide content and resistance level exhibit the highest gray relational grades with melatonin concentration and, so, can be used to evaluate the effect of melatonin on the severity of rice blast fungus infection. Furthermore, the membership function analysis revealed that the 100 µmol/L melatonin treatment had the highest membership function value, indicating a significant improvement in the resistance of rice seedlings to rice blast disease. In conclusion, 100 µmol/L of melatonin enhances the resistance of rice seedlings to rice blast disease through promoting their growth and strengthening their antioxidant defenses. This study provides new insights into the tolerance mechanisms of rice seedlings against rice blast disease.

Drought stress severely impacts mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] production, making exploration of drought tolerance and breeding strategies critical. This study investigated drought resistance mechanisms in ten mung bean cultivars under polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000)-induced water deficit, analyzing germination, morphology, and physiology. Drought impaired vigor index (VI) and seedling growth across all cultivars, with mung bean Bing 20 exhibiting reduced VI (76.28

Silicon (Si) is widely used in agricultural crop practices. However, the effects of varying Si application rates on tobacco growth and quality remain unclear. Therefore, this study applied four different Si concentrations, i.e., 0, 750, 1500 and 3000 kg/ha of Si (S0, S50, S100 and S200), examined the impact of different Si concentrations on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. ‘Yunyan 87’) growth, nutrient utilization, and economic quality under field conditions. The results demonstrated that Si application significantly improved tobacco growth, the biomass significantly increased by 19.5%-26.53%; during button stage, the plant height significantly increased by 15.38%-19%. Si also enhanced nutrient use efficiency, particularly for nitrogen and potassium. The utilization efficiency of N and K fertilizer were significantly increased by 27.42%-43.71% and 40.25% - 44.63%, respectively. Furthermore, Si improved leaf physical properties, enhancing single-leaf weight and leaf area, while reducing leaf density and midrib ratio, optimizing leaf quality by improving the sugar-alkali ratio and potassium-chloride balance. Notably, the reducing sugar content in upper leaves increased by 15.21% with S50 treatment, while the chlorine content in middle leaves was decreased by 11.11% with S100. Additionally, among all treatments, S50 achieved the highest proportion (94.75%) of medium and high-quality tobacco leaves, along with a 15.70% increase in yield and a 30.76% boost in output value compared to S0. However, excessive Si application (3000 kg/ha) negatively affected quality, increasing nicotine levels and disrupting the sugar-alkali ratio, which elevate leaf irritancy. In conclusion, moderate Si application (750–1500 kg/ha) is an effective strategy for enhancing tobacco yield and quality, offering a sustainable approach to optimize cultivation practices.

With global climate warming, enhancing the heat stress tolerance of rice seeds is critical for ensuring crop yields and maintaining global food security. 2,4-Epibrassionolide (EBR) has been shown to effectively alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress on rice seed germination, but its mitigation mechanism has not been fully clarified. In this experiment, exogenous EBR was used as a seed priming agent. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble protein contents, and plant hormone levels were measured during rice seed germination under heat stress (38 °C). We constructed a cDNA library for transcriptome sequencing analysis. The results showed that exogenous EBR could effectively alleviate the effect of heat stress on rice seeds by enhancing SOD, POD, and CAT enzyme activity; reducing the MDA content; and increasing the soluble protein content. Additionally, exogenous EBR increases the levels of GA and IAA while decreasing the ABA content. According to a transcriptomic analysis, exogenous EBR can induce the expression of key genes involved in GA, IAA, and ABA hormone biosynthesis and metabolism, regulating GA-, IAA-, ABA-, and H2O2-mediated signaling pathways to promote the germination of rice seeds under heat stress. This study provides new insights into the application of rice seed priming techniques.

This study used the tobacco variety Yunyan 87 as the material and conducted a field experiment with a three-factor three-level orthogonal design to investigate the effects of different sweet potato varieties, intercropping time, and intercropping density on the economic traits, physical properties, and chemical composition of tobacco plants under the intercropping of tobacco and sweet potatoes. The results showed that the economic traits, physical properties, and chemical composition of the intercropped tobacco plants were slightly better than those of the control (tobacco monoculture). Compared with the control, the yields, value, proportion of superior and medium tobacco leaves is 10.25%-20.42%, 0.58%- 1.31%, 2.48%-8.71%, and 2.91%-7.95% respectively; the leaf length, leaf width, leaf thickness, leaf weight, and leaf weight of quality is 1.21%-2.27%, 1.54%-2.66%, 9.61%-14.0%, 2.26%-3.29%, and 6.20%-7.35% respectively; total sugar, reducing sugar, total nitrogen, nicotine, and potassium ions is 1.07%-2.23%, 1.93%-2.34%, 0.69%-0.86%, 0.31%-0.60%, and 0.46%-0.64%, while chloride ions is 14.28% - 21.01% in the intercropped plants. Although there were differences in the physical properties and chemical composition of the tobacco leaves under the intercropping treatment, the tobacco leaves from different parts all met the standards of high-quality tobacco leaves. Among them, the T5 treatment had the largest increase in yield (20.42%) and the proportion of superior leaves (7.52%). Therefore, from an economic perspective, it is recommended to adopt the T5 treatment when intercropping tobacco and sweet potatoes in Fuquan City.

The photosynthetic-nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) of Brassica napus L. is reported to increase under low nitrogen (N) condition. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms are unclear. In this study, the physiological mechanisms underlying increase in the photosynthetic-nitrogen use efficiency of Brassica napus L. under low-nitrogen condition were investigated by assessing the changes in plant architecture, light reception, nitrogen allocation, and leaf tissue structure. The plants exhibited dwarf, upright, and compact phenotype under low-nitrogen condition. Although the total photons received by plants decreased, the average photosynthetic photon flux density remained unchanged. The nitrogen photon reception efficiency (NPRE, calculated as total photons/N accumulation in leaves) was significantly increased by 76.61%–100.63%. The proportion of nitrogen allocated for photosynthesis was increased by 22.06%–38.86%. Moreover, although the leaf thickness remained unchanged, the epidermal thickness increased, and the spongy tissues became thinner. The density of mesophyll cells and chloroplasts significantly increased. Low-nitrogen condition significantly decreased the resistance to CO2 transport and significantly increased stomatal conductance (gs), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), mesophyll conductance (gm), and CO2 concentration in chloroplasts (Cc). Correlation analysis revealed that light reception, nitrogen allocation in the leaves, and leaf tissue structure were significantly correlated with PNUE. Random forest analysis revealed that nitrogen photon reception efficiency and storage nitrogen were the primary factors positively and negatively impacting photosynthetic-nitrogen use efficiency, respectively. This study enhanced the understanding of the physiological mechanism of increased PNUE of B. napus under low-nitrogen condition.

Background and Aims: Tea plantations are frequently given substantial quantities of nitrogen fertilizers. However, there is the potential for considerable nitrogen loss to occur. This study assesses the nitrogen retention of acidic tea plantation’s soil and the role of biochar in improving nitrogen dynamics, highlighting the need for innovative technologies to streamline and enhance nitrogen supply management. Methods: Adopting a modified two-week aerobic incubation and ion-exchange membrane technology, this research offers a novel approach to evaluate soil nitrogen supply and to monitor the nitrogen dynamics of tea plantation soil following early-summer supplementary fertilization. Results: The study revealed that the surface soil of tea plantation had the ability to provide 48 mg N·kg -1 soil as inorganic nitrogen for 130 days. The utilization of a small amount of biochar (10 t·ha -1 ) had no impact on the soil's effective nitrogen availability. Nonetheless, the application of biochar at rates of 20 and 30 t·ha -1 resulted in a significant enhancement in soil effective nitrogen availability as measured using ion exchange membranes, with an increase of 65%–81%. Furthermore, the utilization of biochar-based organic fertilizers, when used at appropriate rates, has the potential to enhance the availability of nitrogen in the soil, thereby increasing its effectiveness. Conclusion: The study's findings underscore the efficacy of the employed methodologies in capturing the nuanced impact of biochar on nitrogen retention and availability in tea plantation soils. The use of aerobic incubation and ion-exchange membrane technology has proven effective in elucidating the potential of biochar to significantly improve nitrogen dynamics.

To mitigate food spoilage caused by microbial contamination and extend the shelf life of food, antibacterial and eco-friendly biological packaging materials as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics is encouraged. Herein, an innovative and green composite film with triple antibacterial activity has been fabricated by introducing prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) into chitosan (CS)-based films blended with gelatin (Gel) for the preservation of food, named CS/Gel/PB film. Due to the incorporation of PBNPs, CS/Gel/PB film exhibits enhanced mechanical, barrier and water resistance, and thermal abilities. The inherent bacterial trapping and killing capabilities of CS (contact killing), photothermal/photodynamic killing based on the excellent photothermal property of PBNPs under NIR irradiation synergistically facilitate the sterilization against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (antibacterial ratio = 99.99 %). The film exhibits outstanding preservation capability in product storage, significantly extending the shelf life of strawberry and pork to 15 and 7 days, respectively. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity assessment of CS/Gel/PB against HepG2 cells ascertains a cell viability exceeding 96 %, indicating a negligible toxicity level. Additionally, this film also exhibits superior biodegradability (preliminary degradation on the 10th day and completion on the 40th day) compared with PE film. Overall, these properties demonstrate great potential of CS/Gel/PB film as a novel packaging material.

Purpose Soil microbial communities are critically important to agricultural ecosystems. The present study aimed to evaluate the changes in soil microbial community composition and functional groups after planting Phallus rubrovolvatus . Methods Illumina platform were adopted to characterize the bacterial and fungal diversity in the soil cropped with P. rubrovolvatus for 0 and 1 year. Results The results showed that planting P. rubrovolvatus reduced the bacterial and fungal diversity in the soil, and the dynamics of the soil bacterial diversity changed more drastically. This study also indicated that, as keystone taxa, the dominant bacteria ( Actinobacteria , Sphingomonas , Xanthobacteraceae , and Gemmatimonadaceae ) and dominant fungi ( Mortierellales and Eurotiales ) served as a key component in the network of soil microbial communities. Moreover, the bacterial and fungal communities in the soil planted with P. rubrovolvatus formed more similar and weak networks. Conclusion Planting P. rubrovolvatus significantly influenced the structure and composition of microbial communities. In the future, we will focus on ways to improve the soil environment after planting P. rubrovolvatus .

Phytophthora nicotianae causes substantial economic losses in most countries where tobacco is produced. At present, the control of P. nicotianae mainly depends on chemical methods, with considerable environmental and health issues. We investigated the effects of ethanol extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) and Magnolia officinalis (MO). On mycelial growth, sporangium formation, and zoospore release of P. nicotianae. Both extracts inhibited the growth of P. nicotianae, with mycelial growth inhibition rates of 88.92% and 93.92%, respectively, at 40 mg/mL, and EC50 values of 5.39 and 5.74 mg/mL, respectively. The underlying mechanisms were the inhibition of sporangium formation, the reduction of zoospore number, and the destruction of the mycelium structure. At an SBG extract concentration of 16.17 mg/mL, the inhibition rates for sporangia and zoospores were 98.66% and 99.39%, respectively. At an MO extract concentration of 2.87 mg/mL, the production of sporangia and zoospores was completely inhibited. The hyphae treated with the two plant extracts showed different degrees of deformation and damage. Hyphae treated with SBG extract showed adhesion and local swelling, whereas treatment with MO extract resulted in broken hyphae. Mixture of the extracts resulted in a good synergistic effect.