Effects of soil sterilization and biological agent inoculation on the root respiratory metabolism and plant growth of Cerasus sachalinensis Kom.

•Effects of soil sterilization and biological agent inoculation were investigated.•Cerasus sachalinensis seedling height increased significantly after being treated with soil sterilization alone and soil sterilization plus biological agent inoculation.•Microbial biomass carbon and respiratory metabolism indicators were changed.•Soil sterilization alone and with biological agent inoculation were beneficial.

Plant growth and development is affected by soil environment, which is rich in soil microbes. In this study, three treatments [biological agent inoculation (BA), soil sterilization (SS), and soil sterilization plus biological agent inoculation (SSBA)] were used to determine the effects of microorganisms on the respiratory metabolism and growth of Cerasus sachalinensis Kom. seedlings. Results showed that the microbial biomass carbon was significantly decreased, whereas the height of the seedlings was increased in the SS treatment. Glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and cytochrome oxidase pathways were the dominant respiratory pathways from 5 d to 50 d after C. sachalinensis seedlings were subjected to SS, BA, and SSBA treatments. The variation trends of the tota lroot respiration rate, which increased initially and decreased subsequently, was the same in the three treatments. The total respiration rate of the roots in the three treatments was significantly lower than that in the control treatment at 20 d, whereas it was significantly higher than that in the control in SSBA treatment at 50 d only. Phosphofructokinase, malate dehydrogenase, and succinate dehydrogenase activities significantly changed in response to the three treatments, but pyruvate kinase activity significantly varied in SS and SSBA treatments. Therefore, SS and SSBA treatments were found to be beneficial for the growth of C. sachalinensis Kom. as determined by the significant increase in the height of the seedlings.