Fallow improves the growth and yield of green beans and changes the rhizosphere microbial communities

Soil microorganisms support key ecosystem services for agriculture, and some agricultural practices can increase soil microbial activity and improve crop productivity. Fallow periods have been considered a strategy for restoring biological activity. However, our understanding of the link between fallow periods and the biological activity restored remains limited. The present study evaluated soil microbial communities under two different management strategies: continuous agriculture and fallow. Soil physicochemical parameters and microbial communities were determined through microbiological, biochemical, and molecular techniques. The results showed that fallow soil had significantly higher values (P<0.05) of organic matter, pH, counts of soil microorganisms, and soil enzymatic activities than agricultural soil. Finally, the evaluation of plant growth showed that plants in fallow soil grew significantly better (P<0.05) than those in agricultural soil. However, after sterilization, the differences between the two soils disappeared. Leaving the soil in fallow periods allows the accumulation of organic matter, the growth of key microbial functional groups, the enhancement of soil enzymatic activities, and a significant improvement in plant growth and yield.