Molecular Soil Biology 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 272-286 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 272 Feature Review Open Access Discussion on High-efficiency Cultivation Technology of Legume Crops under Different Soil Types Dan Luo, Yunxia Chen, Hangming Lin Tropical Legume Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: hangming.lin@hitar.org Molecular Soil Biology, 2025, Vol.16, No.5 doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0025 Received: 04 Sep, 2025 Accepted: 13 Oct., 2025 Published: 27 Oct., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Luo et al., 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: Luo D., Chen Y.X., and Lin H.M., 2025, Discussion on high-efficiency cultivation technology of legume crops under different soil types, Molecular Soil Biology, 16(5): 272-286 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0025) Abstract Soil type is one of the key factors affecting the growth and yield of legume crops. This study reviews the physical and chemical properties of major soil types such as clay, loam and sandy soil, as well as the limiting effects of soil pH, permeability and nutrient status on nitrogen fixation and growth of legume nodules. In response to the problems existing in different soils, the study discusses the farming measures of improving soil structure, increasing organic matter, and adjusting pH, as well as the strategies of optimizing fertilization formula and inoculating microbial agents such as rhizobia according to soil type. At the same time, the study summarizes the practical cases of improving the yield and quality of legume crops in typical ecological regions (black soil area in Northeast China, alkaline soil area in Huanghuai, and red soil area in Southwest China), including the integrated application of technologies such as straw return to the field, application of soil conditioners, water-fertilizer integration, and mulching. The study shows that there are significant differences in high-yield cultivation of legumes under different soil conditions, and corresponding soil management and cultivation regulation technologies need to be adopted according to local conditions. This study proposes a prospect for the integrated innovation and regional promotion of legume crop cultivation technology in the future, in order to provide a scientific basis for achieving high yield and high efficiency of legume crops. Keywords Legume crops; Soil type; Rhizobium; Soil improvement; Cultivation techniques 1 Introduction Pulse crops include soybeans, peas, broad beans, peanuts and mung beans, etc., which play an important role in providing plant protein and improving soil fertility. According to statistics, pulses account for about a quarter of global crop production and contribute nearly 50% to human dietary protein. Through biological nitrogen fixation, legumes can fix a large amount of nitrogen for farmland every year, which not only reduces dependence on chemical fertilizers, but also increases the yield of subsequent crops. Therefore, legume crops are widely planted all over the world and are the second largest food crop after cereals. They play an important role in food security and sustainable agriculture (Ciampitti et al., 2021). Especially in China, with the improvement of people's living standards and the growth of livestock feed demand, expanding the planting of legume crops is of great strategic significance. The soil types in legume-producing areas in different regions vary significantly, forming different limiting factors for crop production and also containing corresponding potential for increasing production. High-latitude regions such as the Northeast are dominated by black soil (clay loam) rich in organic matter, with high natural fertility, but excessive tillage has led to soil structure degradation; calcareous soil and tidal soil are widely distributed in the Huanghuai region of North China, with a sticky texture and strong alkalinity, prone to compaction and nutrient imbalance problems; the south is mostly red soil with strong weathering, sandy texture and severe acidity, low fertility and poor water and fertilizer retention. Soil conditions directly affect the development of legume roots and rhizobia colonization. For example, the high salt and high pH environment of saline-alkali land will inhibit soybean nodulation and nitrogen fixation, limiting yield (Ren et al., 2023). Correspondingly, various types of soil also provide improvement potential for legume cultivation: for example, organic matter can be maintained through conservation tillage in black soil areas, improving pH and supplementing trace elements in alkaline soil areas can improve nutrient effectiveness, and strengthening water conservation and fertilization in red soil areas can significantly increase legume yields (Amer et al., 2023; Al-Tawarah et al., 2024).
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