Plant-Soil-Microbe Interactions in Natural Soils

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2022) | Viewed by 5785

Special Issue Editor

State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: bacterial community; soil science; plant resistance; signaling molecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant–soil–microbe interactions drive the biogeochemical process in the terrestrial ecosystem. In this system, plants release nutrients into the soil in the form of residue decomposition and root exudates, which improves the soil environment and supplies substrates to soil microorganisms, and microorganisms transform organic nutrients into inorganic nutrients for plant absorption and utilization. The synergistic relationship between plants, soil, and microorganisms is the internal driving force of maintaining ecosystem structure and functions, such as nutrient cycling, biodiversity conservation, and food provision. Plant–soil–microbe interactions have become a hot spot in soil ecology, plant science, and environment research. We especially encourage authors to conduct a profound investigation on the interactions of plant–soil–microbe in natural soils, such as grassland, shrub, forest, swamp, desert, and so on, and reveal the underlying mechanism between aboveground structure and belowground functions, such as the diversity–function relationship, nutrient–microbes associations, and rhizosphere dynamics.

Dr. Chao Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • plant community
  • soil ecology
  • microbial community
  • diversity
  • functions
  • nutrient cycling
  • community structure

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 5112 KiB  
Article
Combined Use of Novel Endophytic and Rhizobacterial Strains Upregulates Antioxidant Enzyme Systems and Mineral Accumulation in Wheat
by Zafar Iqbal, Bushra, Azhar Hussain, Abubakar Dar, Maqshoof Ahmad, Xiukang Wang, Martin Brtnicky and Adnan Mustafa
Agronomy 2022, 12(3), 551; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12030551 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1928
Abstract
Wheat is the third largest grown crop after maize and rice worldwide. Integrated use of chemical and biofertilizers have the potential to improve crop yield and quality due to their growth-promoting attributes. Therefore, the present study planned to evaluate the effectiveness of endophytic [...] Read more.
Wheat is the third largest grown crop after maize and rice worldwide. Integrated use of chemical and biofertilizers have the potential to improve crop yield and quality due to their growth-promoting attributes. Therefore, the present study planned to evaluate the effectiveness of endophytic (Paenibacillus sp. strain (ZE11), Bacillus subtilis (ZE15) and Bacillus megaterium (ZE32)) and rhizobacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis (ZR2) Bacillus subtilis (ZR3) and Bacillus megaterium strain (ZR19)), solely and in combination, to increase the productivity of wheat and microbial activity in the rhizosphere. The maximum increase in microbial biomass carbon (44%), available phosphorous (30%), ammonium–nitrogen (24%), nitrate–nitrogen (37%), iron (10%), zinc (11%) and bacterial population (31%) was recorded by co-inoculation of ZE11 + ZR3. Subsequently, co-inoculation of ZE11+ZR3 showed a maximum increase of 31%, 29%, 30%, 27%, 33%, 30%, 25%, 9%, 15%, 9%, 18% and 26% in superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase dismutase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POX), grain yield, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron and zinc in grains, respectively, as compared to uninoculated control. The sole inoculation of ZR19 showed maximum harvest index (45.5%). The sole inoculation of endophytes and rhizobacteria has a significant effect on growth, physiology, and wheat crop yield. However, co-inoculation had a better effect and can be used to develop multi-strain biofertilizer to promote growth and yield of crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Soil-Microbe Interactions in Natural Soils)
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12 pages, 2339 KiB  
Article
Single-Species Artificial Grasslands Decrease Soil Multifunctionality in a Temperate Steppe on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
by Kelu Chen, Huakun Zhou, Bingbing Lu, Yang Wu, Jie Wang, Ziwen Zhao, Yuanze Li, Mei Wang, Yue Zhang, Wenjing Chen, Guobin Liu and Sha Xue
Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2092; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11112092 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1921
Abstract
Artificial grasslands have been regarded as an effective method to improve grass production and quality, especially on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) plays an important role in sustainable regional development. However, few studies have investigated the impacts of artificial grasslands on [...] Read more.
Artificial grasslands have been regarded as an effective method to improve grass production and quality, especially on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) plays an important role in sustainable regional development. However, few studies have investigated the impacts of artificial grasslands on soil EMF. Here, we constructed single-species artificial grasslands in a natural temperate steppe and investigated soil microbial communities, abiotic factors (soil moisture and pH), and functions related to biogeochemical cycles to explore (1) how the transformation from temperate steppe to artificial grasslands affected soil EMF and (2) the roles of species and phylogenetic microbial diversities, microbial community composition, and abiotic factors in driving differences in soil EMF. Our results showed that artificial grasslands decreased soil EMF regardless of planting species; that the bacterial and fungal community composition contributed more to soil EMF prediction than species and phylogenetic diversities; and that microbial phylogenetic diversities were negatively associated with soil EMF. Soil pH played an important role in the effects of artificial grasslands on soil EMF—artificial grasslands increased soil pH, which was negatively associated with soil EMF. Overall, the benefits of establishing artificial grasslands, for example, higher grass production and quality, might be at the expense of soil EMF. Further studies should explore mixed-species artificial grasslands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Soil-Microbe Interactions in Natural Soils)
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11 pages, 2747 KiB  
Article
The Promotion of Festuca sinensis under Heavy Metal Treatment Mediated by Epichloë Endophyte
by Meining Wang, Pei Tian, Min Gao and Miaomiao Li
Agronomy 2021, 11(10), 2049; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11102049 - 12 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1373
Abstract
To more clearly clarify the relationship between the Epichloë endophyte and its host, F. sinensis, the effects of Epichloë endophyte on F. sinensis performance under heavy metal treatment was investigated. The growth performance and physiology variations of F. sinensis with (E+) and [...] Read more.
To more clearly clarify the relationship between the Epichloë endophyte and its host, F. sinensis, the effects of Epichloë endophyte on F. sinensis performance under heavy metal treatment was investigated. The growth performance and physiology variations of F. sinensis with (E+) and without the endophyte (E−) were evaluated after they were subjected to Zn2+ and Cd2+ treatments. The results showed that heavy metal treatments had significant effects on plants, as the performance of plants under Zn2+ and Cd2+ treatments was significantly different with plants under control treatment (p < 0.05). Cd2+ treatments showed a hormesis effect, whereas Zn2+ did not. The endophyte increased host heavy metal stress tolerance by promoting host growth as the E+ plants had significantly higher plant height, tiller number, root length (p < 0.05). The endophyte also promoted ion uptake by the host and induced endogenous hormone production (p < 0.05). These results suggested that the Epichloë endophyte regulated host growth and physiology to improve association tolerance to environmental conditions. This study provides another example that the Epichloë endophyte can increase plant tolerance to metal stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Soil-Microbe Interactions in Natural Soils)
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