Nanobubble technology has shown considerable promise in sustainable agriculture due to its ability to enhance seed germination, plant growth, and soil quality without leaving harmful residues. While benefits are often attributed to improved soil aeration and soil texture changes (e.g., permeability), nanobubbles may also influence soil microbiome, an essential driver of plant health and nutrient cycling. This study systematically investigated how different nanobubble types-oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide-modulate soil chemistry and microbial community structure over a 4-week period. Multivariate analyses on microbiome taxonomic composition revealed distinct microbial responses to each gas type. Oxygen and hydrogen nanobubble treatments resulted in more pronounced shifts in microbial composition and functional potential compared to carbon dioxide nanobubbles. These shifts included enrichment of bacterial taxa associated with nutrient turnover, pollutant degradation, and pathogen suppression, such as Flavobacteriaceae, Comamonadaceae, Nannocystaceae, and Blastocatellaceae. Functional predictions showed that oxygen and hydrogen nanobubbles could promote metabolic pathways related to organic compound degradation and remediation of contaminated soil. Microbial network analysis further highlighted the beneficial impacts of nanobubbles on keystone taxa, such as Flavobacteriaceae, which in turn play pivotal roles in shaping soil ecosystem functions. Together, these findings demonstrate that gas-specific nanobubble irrigation can steer soil microbiome dynamics in ways that may enhance soil fertility, resilience, and crop productivity.IMPORTANCEThis study provides new insights into how nanobubble irrigation can be used to improve soil health and agricultural sustainability. By demonstrating that oxygen and hydrogen nanobubbles selectively enrich beneficial microbial taxa linked to soil nutrient turnover, pollution degradation, and pathogen suppression, this study identifies a promising approach to enhance plant growth and soil health through new nanobubble-driven processes. The detection of keystone taxa responsive to nanobubble treatments also reveals potential microbial mechanisms underlying the interactions between nanobubbles, soil, and plant health. Together, these findings highlight nanobubble irrigation as a novel and scalable strategy for microbiome engineering that could advance sustainable crop production and environmental stewardship. Furthermore, while prior studies have primarily focused on the microbial effects of air and oxygen nanobubbles, our study systematically examined and compared the impacts of less explored nanobubble types, specifically hydrogen and carbon dioxide, demonstrating the broad versatility of nanobubbles for diverse agricultural applications.
Le et al. (Mon,) studied this question.