Micro-nano bubble water with potassium fertigation improves strawberry yield and quality by changing soil bacterial community

Aerated drip irrigation can increase the soil oxygen content and improve the utilization efficiency of fertilizer. However, limited information is available on how soluble potassium fertilizer with different aeration levels affects plant yield and quality. Specifically, the underlying mechanism associated with microbial community level has not been reported so far. In this study, a micro-nano bubble water (MNBW) drip irrigation experiment was conducted in a strawberry plantation greenhouse, with three ratios of MNBW and two potassium application amounts and a control treatment (without MNBW). The results showed that compared with the CK (no aeration, 100% traditional potassium fertilizer application, 144 kg hm−2 of potassium sulfate), MNBW irrigation improved the soil oxygen content and changed the structure and functionality of the soil microbial community in the strawberry rhizosphere. The bacterial diversity was reduced, and the microbial co-occurrence patterns were altered. The soil respiration intensity increased by 1.32%–14.22%. The soil temperature increased, and the decomposition of organic matter was enhanced. It was indicated that the increase of soil oxygen had a positive impact on soil fertility, strawberry yield, and quality under the condition of reducing potassium application. The yield and quality of strawberries in MNBW treatments were significantly higher than those treated with CK (p < 0.05), but the carbon dioxide emissions significantly increased. High potassium fertilizer application amount and MNBW ratio did not mean high yield and quality of strawberries. Thus, O20K70 (20% of irrigation water with micro-nano bubbles, 70% of traditional drip irrigation potassium fertilizer level, 101 kg hm−2 of potassium sulfate) and O60K70 (60% of irrigation water with micro-nano bubbles, 70% of traditional drip irrigation potassium fertilizer level, 101 kg hm−2 of potassium sulfate) could be chosen for strawberry plantations with MNBW.