Aims <p>The increasing frequency of future drought events will negatively impact agroecosystem functions, such as inhibiting crop growth and reducing soil functions. Previous studies have shown that plant-derived ethylene plays an important role in responses to drought, but its effects on crop growth and soil functions in agroecosystems have not been validated.</p> Methods <p>We reduced the concentration of ethylene released from crops under drought stress by adding an ethylene inhibitor, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), and investigated the effects of AVG on the growth and soil functions of <i>Brassica oleracea var. capitata</i> Linnaeus, a common crop in subtropical agriculture, for one growing season. We measured soil respiration, soil extractable carbon, nitrogen content, and soil microbial activity to characterize soil functions, and also observed changes in soil microbial community structure.</p> Results <p>Drought caused significant negative effects on crop growth and soil functions, whereas reducing the concentration of plant-derived ethylene significantly mitigated the adverse effects of drought on agroecosystem functions, thereby promoting crop growth and soil functions. The underlying microbial mechanisms include the application of AVG under drought conditions, which remodels the soil microbial community structure. This lead to an increase in the relative abundance of Gram-negative bacteria, such as Aspergillus, which has a significant correlation with crop growth and soil function.</p> Conclusions <p>This study demonstrates that reducing plant-derived ethylene under drought can alleviate its detrimental effects on crop growth and soil functions in agroecosystems. This provides a scientific foundation for sustainable management of agriculture in the face of climate change in the future.</p>