Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41996243›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

Nutrient balance regulates soil microbial health under long-term fertilization.

Da Lin, Qing-Xu Ma, Yu-Qiu Ye, Wolfgang Wanek, Andrew S Gregory, Davey L Jones, David W Graham, Dong Zhu, Josep Penuelas, Yong-Guan Zhu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Da LinState Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.
Qing-Xu MaMinistry of Education Key Lab of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Yu-Qiu YeZhejiang Key Laboratory of Pollution Control for Port-Petrochemical Industry, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China.
Wolfgang WanekDivision of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Center of Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
Andrew S GregoryProtecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK.
Davey L JonesSchool of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK.
David W GrahamState Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
Dong ZhuState Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pollution Control for Port-Petrochemical Industry, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China. Electronic address: dzhu@iue.ac.cn.
Josep PenuelasCSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193 Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Campus Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193 Catalonia, Spain.
Yong-Guan ZhuState Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pollution Control for Port-Petrochemical Industry, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China; State Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fertilizer application in intensive agriculture critically influences microbial communities. It is still unclear how long-term input of different nutrients shapes microbial eco-evolutionary strategies and ecological functions. Through 180-year-old field fertilization experiment, alongside microbial culturing, pot experiments, and comprehensive metagenomic data analysis, we show that exclusive fertilization with inorganic chemicals causes carbon-nitrogen imbalances that increase microbial resource competition and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) levels. Viruses further amplify this expansion through "piggyback the winner" strategy. The imbalanced use of nitrogen in chemical fertilizers disrupt ecological niche connections, leading to an increase in virulent viruses and reducing microbial nutrient cycling capacity. In contrast, more balanced nutrient supplies from organic fertilization reduced microbial competition and promoted microbial growth. However, responsible antibiotic use in livestock is essential to maximizing these benefits. Our research provides insights into enhancing agricultural sustainability through the management of soil nutrient conditions.

Indexed as

180-year-old fertilizationantibiotic resistomesCP: microbiologymicrobial healthnutrient managementvirus-host interaction

Identifiers

PMID41996243
PMCPMC13125700

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.