Effects of long-term fertilization with different substitution ratios of organic fertilizer on paddy soil

In recent years, the abuse of chemical fertilizers has caused numerous environmental problems, such as soil acidification and compaction. Replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers can effectively alleviate these problems. However, the effects of alternative organic fertilizers remain unclear. To explore the effects of organic fertilizer substitution on rice yield and paddy soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure, we conducted a 5-year experiment using different proportions of organic fertilizer substitution in a double-cropping rice field in Jiangxi, China. Our results showed that replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers can reduce soil acidification, increase soil organic matter content, nutrient contents, and enzyme activities, improve soil physicochemical properties and microbial community, and enhance soil metabolism. Appropriate organic substitution also had positive effects on rice production. These findings enhance our understanding of the effects of different alternative organic fertilization methods and have important theoretical significance for the promotion of the use of organic fertilizers in the future.