Abstract:A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of organic materials from different sources (chicken manure, cow manure, and mushroom residue) on the growth and quality of vegetable broad bean, and the chemical and biological properties of rhizosphere soil. The results showed that: 1) Organic materials had positive effects on the number of branches, pod dry weight, kernel dry weight, large-kernel dry weight, percent of large-kernel and kernel starch content. Cow manure or mushroom residue significantly (P<0.05) increased the percentage of large-kernel. Chicken manure significantly (P<0.05) increased the percentages of two-kernel pod and three-kernel pod, and also resulted in the largest increase in the starch content of kernel (69.1% higher than that of the control). 2) Organic materials not only increased the quantity of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi, but also significantly (P<0.05) increased the activities of neutral invertase, urease, acid phosphatase and polyphenol oxidase in rhizosphere soil (except an insignificant increase of neutral invertase by cattle manure treatment). Chicken manure led to the greatest increase in bacterial quantity, and neutral invertase and urease activities. 3) Chicken manure significantly (P<0.05) increased the contents of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and NH4+-N in rhizosphere soil. Cattle manure and chicken manure significantly (P<0.05) increased soil pH. The proportion of large kernel was positively correlated with soil acid phosphatase activity and available phosphorus content. Starch content of kernel was positively correlated with the quantity of bacteria, the activity of neutral invertase, and the contents of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and NH4+-N. The above results indicated that organic materials can provide more C and energy for bacteria, and hence lead to an increase in bacterial quantity. Bacteria are important producers of enzymes. The increase of bacterial quantity can increase the production and activities of enzymes (neutral invertase and urease) related with carbon and nitrogen cycles, result in more conversion from organic nitrogen to inorganic nitrogen (NH4+-Nthen increase soil nutrient (NH4+-N, total nitrogen) levels, and thus lead to improvement of the nutritional quality of broad bean.