Strong associations exist between microbial communities and soil functions in natural ecosystems at large spatial scales; however, it is unclear whether these linkages are maintained in intensively managed croplands and whether these associations influence plant productivity. We collected bulk and rhizosphere soils from wheat fields –one of the most functionally and economically important crops worldwide –across the North China Plain (∼300,000 km²), and examined the relationship between species-level multitrophic taxa, functional genes and wheat productivity. Our work identified significant and positive correlations between wheat productivity and the relative abundance of multitrophic cluster –a group of microbial taxa (bacteria, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and nematodes) from contrasting trophic levels strongly co-occurring within the soil food-web, and absolute abundance of functional genes associated with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur nutrient cycles. We observed significant, biologically meaningful correlations between plant productivity and the abundance of specific root-associated microbial taxa and functional genes. These important linkages were robust when considered in combination with spatial, climate, and edaphic variables. Our findings highlight the importance of soil multitrophic communities in regulating soil functional potential and plant productivity, and provide a list of key-stone functional genes, which could be targeted to promote food security and production.

在大的空间尺度上，自然生态系统中的微生物群落与土壤功能之间存在很强的联系；但是，目前尚不清楚这些联系是否在集约化管理的耕地中得以维持以及这些联系是否影响植物的生产力。我们从华北平原（〜300,000 km ^2）的麦田中收集了块状土壤和根际土壤，麦田是全球功能和经济上最重要的作物之一），并研究了物种水平的多营养类群，功能基因与小麦生产力之间的关系。我们的工作从土壤食物网中强烈同时出现的营养水平对比，确定了小麦生产力与多营养簇相对丰富度之间的显着正相关关系。和与碳，氮，磷，硫养分循环有关的功能基因的绝对丰度。我们观察到植物生产力与特定的根相关微生物类群和功能基因的丰度之间具有重要的生物学意义的相关性。当与空间，气候和水文变量结合考虑时，这些重要的联系是牢固的。