Molecular Soil Biology 2026, Vol.17, No.1, 38-50 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 38 Case study Open Access Soil Microbial Community Changes under Continuous Cucumber Cropping in Greenhouse Systems Lingli Shen1,2 1 Tongxiang Hangji Ecological Agriculture Technology Co., Ltd., Tongxiang, 314500, Zhejiang, China 2 Zhejiang Agronomist College, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: 55983288@qq.com Molecular Soil Biology, 2026, Vol.17, No.1 doi: 10.5376/msb.2026.17.0004 Received: 03 Jan., 2025 Accepted: 05 Feb., 2026 Published: 18 Feb., 2026 Copyright © 2026 Shen, 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: Shen L.L., 2026, Soil microbial community changes under continuous cucumber cropping in greenhouse systems, Molecular Soil Biology, 17(1): 38-50 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2026.17.0004) Abstract Continuous cropping of greenhouse cucumbers is widely practiced in intensive vegetable production, but long-term monoculture often leads to soil degradation and continuous cropping obstacles. Soil microbial communities play a key role in maintaining soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and plant health. This study explores the changes in soil microbial community structure under greenhouse cucumber continuous cropping conditions. By combining soil physicochemical analysis with high-throughput sequencing techniques, the diversity and composition of soil microorganisms were examined under different continuous cropping durations. The results show that prolonged continuous cropping significantly alters microbial community structure, reduces microbial diversity, and increases the abundance of certain pathogenic microorganisms. Environmental factors such as soil pH, organic matter, and root exudates were identified as important drivers of these changes. The study highlights the importance of microbial regulation strategies, including bio-organic fertilizers and crop rotation, to improve soil health and promote sustainable greenhouse cucumber production. Keywords Continuous cropping; Greenhouse cucumber; Soil microbial community; Microbial diversity; Soil health 1 Introduction Greenhouse cucumber cultivation has become a vital component of modern horticulture due to its ability to provide high yields and quality produce throughout the year, independent of external climatic conditions. This intensive production system supports food security and economic development, especially in regions with limited arable land or unfavorable outdoor growing conditions. The controlled environment of greenhouses allows for optimized temperature, humidity, and light, which significantly enhances cucumber growth and productivity compared to open-field cultivation. As a result, greenhouse cucumber farming has expanded rapidly worldwide, becoming an essential practice for meeting increasing consumer demand and supporting sustainable agricultural intensification (Liu et al., 2020; Zhao et al., 2020). However, continuous cropping of cucumbers in greenhouse systems often leads to serious obstacles that threaten long-term productivity and soil health. These continuous cropping obstacles include soil nutrient imbalances, accumulation of soil-borne pathogens, increased salinity, and autotoxicity caused by root exudates. Such adverse effects result in reduced crop yields and quality over time, posing significant challenges for sustainable greenhouse vegetable production. The decline in soil quality under continuous monocropping is closely linked to changes in the soil microbial community structure and function, which play critical roles in nutrient cycling and disease suppression. Understanding these changes is crucial for developing effective management strategies to mitigate continuous cropping problems and maintain productive greenhouse systems (Yao et al., 2006; Liu et al., 2020). Soil microbial communities are key drivers of soil ecosystem functions and are highly sensitive indicators of soil health under continuous cropping regimes. Research on microbial community dynamics in continuously cropped cucumber soils reveals shifts in bacterial and fungal diversity, with decreases in beneficial microbes such as Bacillus and increases in potentially pathogenic fungi like Ascomycota. These microbial shifts correlate with changes in soil physicochemical properties such as pH, organic matter content, and nutrient availability.
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