The Multiple Promoting Effects of Suaeda glauca Root Exudates on the Growth of Alfalfa under NaCl Stress

Abstract

Under abiotic stress, plant root exudates can improve plant growth performance. However, studies on the effect of root exudates on the stress resistance of another plant are insufficient. In this study, root exudates (REs) were extracted from Suaeda glauca to explore their effect on alfalfa seedlings under salt stress. The results showed that the plant height and fresh weight of alfalfa significantly increased by 47.72% and 53.39% after 7 days of RE treatment at a 0.4% NaCl concentration. Under 1.2% salt stress, REs reduced the Malondialdehyde content in alfalfa by 30.14% and increased the activity of its antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase and catalase) and the content of its osmotic regulators (soluble sugar and proline) by 60.68%, 52%, 45.67%, and 38.67%, respectively. Soil enzyme activity and the abundance of soil-beneficial bacteria were increased by REs. Spearman analysis showed that urease and neutral phosphatase were related to the richness of beneficial bacteria. Redundancy analysis confirmed that urease affected the composition of the soil bacterial community. The partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) revealed that REs had a direct positive effect on alfalfa growth under salt stress by regulating the plant’s injury and antioxidant systems, and the soil bacterial community had an indirect positive effect on alfalfa growth through soil enzyme activity.