Long-term continuous cropping impacts soil fungi diversity and potential pathogens.
The study looked at how growing soybean, maize, and wheat continuously for a long time affects the soil's fungal community. They found that continuous soybean cropping increased fungal abundance and diversity, while continuous maize cropping decreased fungal abundance. Different crops had a bigger impact on fungal communities than continuous cropping. Some fungi that can harm plants increased in continuous cropping, while beneficial fungi decreased in maize and wheat but increased in soybean. Overall, the response of soil fungi to continuous cropping depends on the type of crop being grown.