Mulching practices altered soil bacterial community structure and improved orchard productivity and apple quality after five growing seasons

Abstract Agricultural management influences soil characteristics, which may in turn affect the soil microbial community and composition based on microbial characteristics and biological functions. The effects of different mulching practices (grass mulch, cornstalk mulch, film mulch, CK) on the soil bacterial community structure, and their implications for orchard productivity and fruit quality were studied in an apple orchard in the Loess Plateau. Treatments were established and sustained in the apple orchard since September 2006. The soil bacterial community structure, soil physicochemical properties, apple size and fruit quality were determined in 2011. A total of 383 clones from libraries were recovered and analyzed. The results demonstrated that the predominant groups in the bacterial community were Alphaproteobacteria (12.27%), Betaproteobacteria (12.79%), Acidobacteria (13.58%) and Bacteroidetes (11.48%). The ratios of the phyla Alphaproteobacteria , Betaproteobacteria , Deltaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria differed significantly ( P