Evaluating micro-nano bubbles coupled with rice-crayfish co-culture systems: A field study promoting sustainable rice production intensification.

Traditional rice-fish symbiosis systems efficiently use soil and water resources but the adverse effects of prolonged flooding on the stability of rice growth can be mitigated. The feasibility and efficacy of injecting micro-nano bubbles (MNBs) in rice-crayfish co-cultures was investigated in a 22-hectare field experiment conducted over five months. This injection significantly enhanced the growth of both rice and crayfish, and increased total nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the soil, thereby augmenting fertility. Analysis of dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature and gene expression (rice and crayfish) clarified that micro-nano bubbles (MNBs) foster an optimal environment for rice root respiration, whereas rice establishes an optimal temperature for crayfish, thereby enhancing their activity and growth. Comparative analyses of gene expression profiles and metabolic pathway enrichment revealed that the injection of MNBs diversifies soil microbial communities and intensifies biological processes, such as plant hormone signal transduction. This was in marked contrast to the situation in our controls, rice monoculture (R) and micro-nano bubbles rice monoculture (MNB-R). The combination of rice-fish symbiosis with MNBs led to a 26.8 % increase in rice production and to an estimated 35 % improvement in economic efficiency. Overall, this research introduces an innovative and environmentally sustainable method to boost rice yields, thereby enhancing food security and providing additional income for farmers.