Rhizosphere Microbiomes in a Historical Maize-Soybean Rotation System Respond to Host Species and Nitrogen Fertilization at the Genus and Subgenus Levels

Abstract

Root associated microbes are key players in plant health, disease resistance, and nitrogen (N) use efficiency. It remains largely unclear how the interplay of biological and environmental factors affects rhizobiome dynamics in agricultural systems. Here, we quantified the composition of rhizosphere and bulk soil microbial communities associated with maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) in a long-term crop rotation study under conventional fertilization and low N regimes. Over two growing seasons, we evaluated the effects of environmental conditions and several treatment factors on the abundance of rhizosphere and soil colonizing microbial taxa. Time of sampling, host plant species and N fertilization had major effects on microbiomes, while no effect of crop rotation was observed. Using variance partitioning as well as 16S sequence information, we further defined a set of 82 microbial genera and functional taxonomic groups at the sub-genus level that show distinct responses to treatment factors. We identified taxa that are highly specific to either maize or soybean rhizospheres, as well as taxa that are sensitive to N fertilization in plant rhizospheres and bulk soil. This study provides insights to harness the full potential of soil microbes in maize and soybean agricultural systems through plant breeding and field management. Importance Plant roots are colonized by large numbers of microbes, some of which may help the plant acquire nutrients and fight diseases. Our study contributes to a better understanding of root-colonizing microbes in the widespread and economically important maize/soybean crop rotation system. The long-term goal of this research is to optimize crop plant varieties and field management to create the best possible conditions for beneficial plant-microbe interactions to occur. These beneficial microbes may be harnessed to sustainably reduce dependency on pesticides and industrial fertilizer. We identify groups of microbes specific to the maize or to the soybean host and microbes that are sensitive to nitrogen fertilization. These microbes represent candidates that may be influenced through plant breeding or field management, and future research will be directed towards elucidating their roles in plant health and nitrogen usage.

Impact of biocontrol microbes on soil microbial diversity in ginger (Zingiber officinaleRoscoe)

“…In the genus level, RB41 (Blastocatellaceae family from the phylum Acidobacteria) was commonly found in rhizosphere as a dominant genus and was shown to be a key role in N assimilation. 54,55 Nitrospira are ammonia-oxidizing bacteria that contribute to soil nitrification. 56 Their abundance being significantly increased in the BCA treated group may have promoted plant growth.…”

Association analyses of host genetics, root-colonizing microbes, and plant phenotypes under different nitrogen conditions in maize

“…In bulk soil, this is likely due to a direct effect of N application or lack thereof. In rhizospheres, however, only a subset of the observed changes can be attributed to direct effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization, while particular microbial groups may be subject to indirect effects induced by the plant host in response to N availability or deficiency ( Meier et al, 2021 ). A possible explanation for this could be that during most of the interval between maize domestication and the present, beneficial plant-microbe interactions have evolved in low-input agricultural systems characterized by relative scarcity of nutrients, predominantly nitrogen ( Brisson et al, 2019 ).…”

Advances in Soil Engineering: Sustainable Strategies for Rhizosphere and Bulk Soil Microbiome Enrichment

“…Maize-soybean crop rotation is a well known and economically relevant system that is used widely. These results once again underline the importance of adequate taxonomic resolution and suggest that the rhizosphere of maize and soybean tend to be colonized by highly specialized groups of microbes, namely Bradyrhizobium, Rhizobium, Nordella, Nitrobacter, Novosphingobium, Phenylobacterium, Strepto-myces_S1, Allostreptomyces, and Chitinophaga_S2 [48]. These microbes have coevolved with their respective hosts to form a symbiotic relationship that contributes to the productivity and stability of both cultures.…”