Effect of Various Mulches on Soil Chemical Properties and Rhizosphere Bacteria of Wine Grape (Vitis vinifera)

Mulching has been used widely to improve the production capacity of the soil, yield and the quality of wine grapes (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon). However, the ecological mechanisms underlying the mulching materials were not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different mulching materials on soil chemical properties, bacterial community and wine grape quality. Experiments were performed at a grape-yard on the six-year-old wine grape ‘Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet sauvignon. Five kinds of mulching materials include living turfgrass (Grass), living Herba portulacae (Por), inorganic plastic black film (Film), organic chips of wood (Wood), and grape branches (Branch) were applied, while clean tillage (CK) was treated as a control. Soil chemical properties and grape quality indicators were measured. Soil bacterial community diversity was detected using the Illumina Miseq sequencing for the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 region. Mulching with plastic film, wood chips and Herba portulacae (Por) increased the content of soil organic matter, available N, P and K, total N and P. Film, grass, branch and Por mulching materials improved the content of tannin, anthocyanin, total phenol and titratable acid in grape (p<0.05). Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes were abundant bacteria. Mulching with grape branch and portulacae increased the relative abundance of Gemmatimonadetes and Chloroflexi phylum, Gemmatimonadaceae family, and decreased Micrococcaceae family and Pseudarthrobacter genus. Mulching with living, organic, or inorganic changed chemical properties and grape quality indicators. These changes might be correlated with the altered soil bacterial community diversity and richness. © 2022 Friends Science Publishers