Soil permeability shaping ARGs patterns by affecting soil available nutrients in paddy fields

Though the evidence for soil property could influence the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) profiles is mounting, studies regarding the effect of soil permeability on soil ARGs patterns are still ignored. This study investigated the dynamic distribution of ARGs in paddy fields with different soil permeability over various rice growing stages, as well as revealed the abiotic and biotic factors that shaping ARGs profiles. Results indicate that soil with high permeability improved the ARGs abundance through elevating the available nutrients in the soil. The ARGs abundance trend across rice growth stages was consistent in different zones (decreasing at heading, increasing at maturity), with high-permeability soil showing minimal variation. The partial least-squares path model (PLS-PM) revealed that soil available nutrients (e.g., AP and NH₄⁺-N) and potential hosts (e.g., Bradyrhizobium and Serratia) play key roles in driving ARGs dynamics in soils with varying permeability. Meanwhile, increased permeability stabilized ventilation conditions, raising redox potential (Eh) in flooded soils, thus reducing the variation rate of ARGs in soil. This study offers important insights into the dissemination of ARGs in paddy fields across different levels of soil permeability.