Crop–Mushroom Rotation: A Comprehensive Review of Its Multifaceted Impacts on Soil Quality, Agricultural Sustainability, and Ecosystem Health

Abstract

Cross-kingdom rotation offers several agronomic and ecological benefits, including enhanced soil nutrient availability, reduced pest and disease prevalence, improved soil structure, and minimized chemical inputs, which contribute to a dynamic and resilient soil ecosystem, thereby fostering biodiversity and ecological balance. Additionally, crop diversity encourages plant root exudates that feed a wider range of beneficial soil microbes, ultimately leading to a balanced soil food web. Integrating rice cultivation with the edible mushroom Stropharia rugosoannulata further improves soil fertility and enhances organic carbon sequestration. This rotation introduces organic matter into the soil, affecting microbial community structure and supporting the decomposition of complex organic materials via lignocellulose-decomposing fungi. These processes contribute to soil organic carbon accumulation, nutrient cycling, and long-term soil health. The study emphasizes the importance of microbial communities (including live biomass and necromass) in maintaining ecosystem stability and highlights the potential of the rice–S. rugosoannulata rotation model as a sustainable agricultural practice. Further research is needed to clarify how fungal necromass contributes to soil carbon accumulation and to optimize agricultural practices for improving soil health and carbon sequestration in response to climate change. These findings provide valuable insights for developing sustainable agricultural strategies that balance productivity with environmental conservation.

Keywords

• crop rotation
• soil organic carbon
• mushroom cultivation
• fertility
• fungal necromass