Molecular Soil Biology 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 199-213 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 1 99 Case Study Open Access Impact of Maize Cultivation on Soil Health Wei Wang , Jinhua Cheng Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, China Corresponding email: tina.wei.wang@jicat.org Molecular Soil Biology, 2025, Vol.16, No.4 doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0019 Received: 20 Jun., 2025 Accepted: 25 Jul., 2025 Published: 15 Aug., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Wang and Cheng, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wang W., and Cheng J.H., 2025, Impact of maize cultivation on soil health, Molecular Soil Biology, 16(4): 199-213 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0019) Abstract Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important food crops in the world, not only related to food supply, but also closely related to economic development. Long term monoculture and high-intensity cultivation have brought significant pressure to the soil. This study mainly focuses on the effects of corn planting on soil physicochemical properties, biological communities, and enzyme activity, and analyzes the relationships between different tillage methods, fertilization patterns, climatic conditions, and soil types. Practices such as crop rotation, straw returning, organic fertilizer application, and conservation tillage can improve soil structure, increase organic matter content, and promote microbial diversity. Long term continuous cropping or excessive use of fertilizers often cause soil acidification, structural degradation, and ecological problems. The results of this study provide reference for corn production management and also contribute to better protecting and utilizing soil resources while increasing yield. Keywords Corn cultivation; Soil health; Bio-diversity; Nutrient cycling; Conservation tillage 1 Introduction Maize (Zea mays L.) is grown across the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Its high yield, broad adaptation, and many uses—food, feed, and industry—make it central to food supply. In many developing regions it also supports household income and national food security (Sobiech et al., 2025). At the same time, intensive and monoculture production puts pressure on soils and nearby ecosystems (Fujisao et al., 2020; Dawar et al., 2022; Mukhametov et al., 2024). Soil health is the base of sustainable farming. Soils with stable structure, enough organic matter and nutrients, and diverse microbes support plant growth, regulate water and nutrient flows, and buffer stress (Ablimit et al., 2022; Dawar et al., 2022; Yang et al., 2024). When soils lose organic matter, nutrients, or structure—and when biodiversity declines—yields fall and greenhouse gas emissions may rise (Fujisao et al., 2020; Yang et al., 2022). Protecting soil health is therefore a core goal for agriculture worldwide (Luo et al., 2024; Mukhametov et al., 2024). Maize management strongly shapes soil outcomes. Long-term monocropping can reduce soil organic carbon and key nutrients (N, P, K), weaken structure, and lower microbial diversity, which harms yield stability (Fujisao et al., 2020; Dawar et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2022; Mukhametov et al., 2024). High yields often rely on heavy fertilizer and pesticide inputs, which can add further stress (Zhang et al., 2022a; Afata et al., 2024). In contrast, crop rotation, intercropping, organic amendments, and biostimulants have improved soil properties, microbial activity, and nutrient cycling in many trials (Moreira et al., 2019; Ablimit et al., 2022; Dawar et al., 2022; Luo et al., 2024; Mukhametov et al., 2024; Wu et al., 2024; Yang et al., 2024). This study reviews long-term experiments and recent literature to assess how different maize systems—monoculture, rotations, intercropping, and fertilizer regimes—affect soil physical, chemical, and biological traits and yield. It also compares results across climates, terrains, and management styles to identify key drivers of soil health and to provide practical guidance for sustainable maize production in major growing regions. 2 Overview of Maize Cultivation Practices 2.1 History and regional trends of corn production Maize was domesticated in Central America about 9 000 years ago and is now one of the world’s leading cereal crops. Advances in technology and rising population have expanded its area and boosted yields, making it the
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