To evaluate the effects of returning rice-straw to the field on the soil microbial community, the soil microbial communities under three proportions of rice-straw returning to the field (T1:33% ; T2:67%; T3:100%;CK:0) were measured. Bacterial amount and metabolic diversity (BIOLOG) assays were performed and significant differences were found in bacterial amount among the three treatments. The two indicators were the highest in T2, and lowest in CK. In the BIOLOG assays, average well colour development (AWCD) and the indices of richnes...