Effect of Inoculation Level on the Impact of the PGPR Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1 on Selected Microbial Functional Groups in the Rhizosphere of Field Maize

Abstract

The impact of inoculated plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on its host physiology and nutrition depends on inoculum level. Whether the impact of the inoculated PGPR on the indigenous rhizosphere microbiota also varies with the PGPR inoculum level is unclear. Here, we tested this issue using the PGPR Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1—maize model system, where the initial seed inoculation is known to enhance maize growth and germination, and impacts the maize rhizomicrobiota, including microbial functional groups modulating plant growth. A. lipoferum CRT1 was added to the seeds at standard (105–6 cells.seed−1) or reduced (104–5 cells.seed−1) inoculation levels, in three fields. The effect of the two PGPR formulations was assessed on maize growth and on the nifH (nitrogen fixation), acdS (ACC deaminase activity) and phlD (2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol production) microbial functional groups. The size of the three functional groups was monitored by qPCR at the six-leaf stage and the flowering stage, and the diversity of the nifH and acdS functional groups (as well as the bacterial community) were estimated by MiSeq metabarcoding at the six-leaf stage. The results showed that the benefits of the reduced inoculant formulation were significant in two out of three fields, but different (often lower) than those of the standard formulation. The effects of formulations on the size of the three functional groups differed, and depended on field site and functional group. The reduced formulation had an impact on the diversity of nifH and acdS groups at one site, whereas the standard formulation had an impact at the two other sites. Inoculation significantly impacted the total bacterial community in the three fields, but only with the reduced formulation. In conclusion, the reduced inoculant formulation impacted the indigenous rhizosphere microbiota differently, but not less efficiently, than the standard formulation.

Impact of Azospirillum sp. B510 on the Rhizosphere Microbiome of Rice under Field Conditions

“…The inoculation of maize with Azospirillum brasilense did not affect the specific rhizobacterial community [30]. In contrast, the inoculation with Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1 significantly impacted the total bacterial community in maize fields [31]. Changes in the microbial community resulting from Azospirillum inoculation have not yet been reported for other plant species.…”

Fertilising Maize with Bio-Based Mineral Fertilisers Gives Similar Growth to Conventional Fertilisers and Does Not Alter Soil Microbiome

“…Cluster B, consisting of Skermanella, Flavisolibacter, and Microvirga, exhibited strong positive correlations with fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content. This cluster comprises beneficial microorganisms such as Skermanella, a diazotroph commonly found in soil and reported as a biological control agent [76,77]; Flavisolibacter, a PGPR phosphate solubiliser and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) producer [78]; and Microvirga, a nitrogen-fixing bacterium [79,80].…”

Meta-omics integration approach reveals the effect of soil native microbiome diversity in the performance of inoculant Azospirillum brasilense

“…For instance, Herschkovitz et al (2005) have demonstrated that A. brasilense did not alter or disrupt the microbial system on maize field at the group-specific level. However, Renoud et al (2022) demonstrated that Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1 inoculation significantly impacted the total bacterial community in the three evaluated fields, but only with the reduced formulation. Few studies have demonstrated the effect of native microbial community on Azospirillum spp.…”