Evaluating Silicon Fertilization in Rice–Shrimp Co-Culture: Impacts on Shrimp Survival and Soil Microbial Communities

Purpose

Rice–shrimp co-culture (RS) needs to balance agricultural productivity with water quality requirements for shrimp. Studies indicate Silicon (Si) promotes plant growth and development and resistance to stress, potentially addressing this challenge. However, the effects of Si on RS systems remain largely unexplored. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using Si as a fertilizer in RS systems. Given the crucial role of stable and effective microbial communities in maintaining healthy agroecosystems, the investigation focuses on two primary aspects: the impact of Si on shrimp and the community dynamics of bacterial and fungal within RS systems.

Methods

The study assessed the effects of Si on shrimp by measuring survival rates and antioxidant enzyme activity. Additionally, high-throughput sequencing technology was employed to evaluate the influence of Si on soil microbial communities in RS systems.

Results

Si did not induce significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress in shrimp, and reduced shrimp mortality under laboratory conditions. Si fertilizer had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on the richness and diversity of bacteria and fungi in the soil of the RS. Analysis of Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA), Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM), and Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) revealed that Si application could alleviate the effects of the RS system on soil microbial community structure and composition, thereby promoting a stable soil microbial ecological environment beneficial the co-culture system.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrate that Si fertilizer has no adverse effects on freshwater shrimp and the RS microbial communities, and is most likely to have positive effects. Hence, we propose that Si fertilizer represents a promising option for enhancing RS systems.