Plant and Soil最新文献

{"title":"Impact of annual plant prevalence on soil carbon storage through root turnover and productivity","authors":"Yajie Zhang, Tao Zhou, Jingyu Zeng, E Tan, Jingzhou Zhang, Xuemei Wu, Qiaoyu Lin, Qi Zhang, Xia Liu, Yixin Xu, Bowen Liu","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07439-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07439-x","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Comprehending the mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation is essential for maintaining soil fertility and combating climate change. However, the potential processes and roles of plant life cycle traits in regulating SOC accumulation over broad geographic scales remain unclear.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We generated a map of annual plant prevalence using occurrence/absence records of 4,837 vascular species, integrated with species distribution models. Based on 51 field observations across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and a structural equation model, we systematically investigated the direct effects of climate and annual plant prevalence on SOC versus the indirect effects mediated by root turnover and productivity.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>We found that annual plants accounted for only 8.9% of plant species on the QTP. The proportion of annual plants increases with higher temperatures and lower precipitation, indicating that annual plants are more competitive than perennials in arid environments. Furthermore, annual plant prevalence exerted both direct and indirect positive effects on SOC, with indirect effects mediated by changes in belowground net primary productivity, belowground biomass carbon, and root turnover time. Importantly, the higher annual plant prevalence can offset the negative impact of warming on SOC storage.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>Our findings indicate that maintaining a high annual plant prevalence would enhance soil carbon storage and may help offset carbon losses due to global warming. The findings underscore the importance of adequately managing the vegetation of fragile ecosystems like those of the QTP for enhancing soil C sequestration, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"242 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143805727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors affecting colonisation success of the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (L.) in mesocosms on temperate pasture","authors":"Roos van de Logt, Nick van Eekeren","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07338-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07338-1","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background &amp; aims</h3><p>Changing precipitation patterns require climate adaptive measures to improve water regulation. Deep vertical earthworm burrows dug by the anecic species <i>Lumbricus terrestris</i> contribute to water infiltration rate and capacity, and deeper plant root growth. <i>L. terrestris</i> is considered a native species to western Europe, reaching its highest abundances in pastures. In pastures where the species is currently absent, water regulation could improve after inoculation with these earthworms. We conducted a field experiment to test the feasibility of introducing <i>L. terrestris</i>.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>Mesocosms were installed at two Dutch dairy farms. One farm had a resident <i>L. terrestris</i> population, the other did not. Subsequently, <i>L. terrestris</i> was introduced: half of the mesocosms received locally collected earthworms (NL), and the other half received commercially imported inoculum from Canada (CA). Twelve months later, the mesocosms were harvested and all earthworms were counted.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>The field experiment proved that <i>L. terrestris</i> can survive and produce offspring after introduction. At the location with a resident population, 15% of the <i>L. terrestris</i> introduced (tagged with Visible Implant Elastomer-tags) had survived, and at the <i>L. terrestris</i>-free site this was 26%. A hypothesised interspecific competitive relationship with <i>Lumbricus rubellus</i> (Hoffmeister) was not confirmed. Locally collected inoculum performed equal to or better than the commercial inoculum.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>Earthworm origin seems to influence chances of mesocosm colonisation success. VIE-tagging possibly interfered with survival. Future research could involve the role of pathogens and colonisation success in a non-enclosed set-up for a longer period of time.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143805726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of simulated climate change on soil characteristics under Carpobrotus edulis invasion in a coastal backdune","authors":"Cristina Vieites-Blanco, Josefina G. Campoy, Margarita Lema, Rubén Retuerto, Serafín J. González-Prieto","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07437-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07437-z","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Along coastal habitats worldwide, <i>Carpobrotus edulis</i> is a highly invasive and detrimental species, that acts as an ecosystem engineer by modifying many soil properties for its own benefit. However, the combined effects of <i>C. edulis</i> and climate change on soil characteristics remain largely unknown.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>To address this knowledge gap, we set up a factorial field experiment with five treatments and eight replicates per treatment: natural vegetation as an uninvaded control under current climate conditions, <i>C. edulis</i> under current climate conditions, and <i>C. edulis</i> subjected to increased temperature (+ 2 ºC), decreased rainfall (- 33%), and both factors combined (+ 2 ºC and - 33% rainfall). The soil 0–5 and 5–10 cm layers were sampled after 14 months and analysed for 21 properties.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Although the effect of depth on soil characteristics was greater in most cases, the treatments significantly affected soil pH_KCl, electrical conductivity, organic δ¹³C, NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N and available Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, and Zn. The discriminant analyses clearly differentiated the invaded from the uninvaded soils, reinforcing the view of <i>C. edulis</i> as an ecosystem engineer and highlighting the significant role of the species in shaping ecosystem dynamics. Besides, the analyses indicated that decreased precipitation had a greater impact on invaded soils than increased temperature, and suggested a synergistic effect of both climatic treatments.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>These findings underline the complex interactions between invasive species and climate change, highlighting the need for specific management strategies to mitigate <i>C. edulis</i> impacts on soil health and ecosystem integrity.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143797786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forage production and interspecific relationship of the cereal–legume mixed-cropping system coupling diversified sowing seasons in the Northwestern of China","authors":"Qin Feng, Xiangyu Wei, Jianqiang Deng, Tengfei Wang, Jian Lan, Samaila Usman","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07392-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07392-9","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Aims</h3><p>As the population continues to grow, increasing demand for livestock products is driving the development of livestock systems worldwide. Intensive cultivation by diversifying sowing dates has gradually become an important option to meet the increasing demand for food. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the productivity of the mixed-cropping system changes under the adjustment of the sowing season.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We investigated the effects of spring or summer sowing season on forage productivity and interspecific relationship in an oat and common vetch mixed-cropping system, based on a two-year field experiment conducted in northwestern China.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Our results show that no significant difference was observed in the forage biomass and land equivalent ratio (LER) of mixed-cropping system among different sowing dates. However, altering sowing season could pose obvious impact on the forage quality. Over the experimental period, the average crude protein (CP) content and relative feed value (RFV) were 9.0% and 12.9% lower in spring sowing compared to that in summer sowing. Furthermore, compared with the monoculture system, the mixed-cropping system with the combination of spring and summer sowing seasons increased average annual system forage productivity and economic benefit by 37.0% and 49.9%, respectively, during the whole experimental period.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>Mixed cropping with the combination of spring and summer sowing seasons is recommended as a sustainable agricultural system in the northwestern of China, in order to alleviate the seasonal impact on the forage productivity and interspecific competition, ensuring annual high-quality forage productivity stability.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143805725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A synergistic water-saving strategy combining stage-specific irrigation and application of exogenous thiamine enhances drought resistance of Xinjiang cotton","authors":"Fuxiang Zhao, Linjie Xia, Simin Sun, Hang Li, Yuxuan Rong, Yuxin Wang, Xuwen Wang, Xianhui Kong, Longfu Zhu, Xianlong Zhang, Yu Yu, Xiyan Yang","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07442-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07442-2","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Xinjiang is the largest cotton planting area in China. However, the perennial water shortage in Xinjiang restricts the development of the cotton industry, making drought one of the important limiting factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of water-saving scheme and thiamine (Thi) application on alleviating the adverse effects of drought stress on the growth and development of cotton.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>In this study, five Xinjiang-released cotton varieties (Jinken1775, Jinken1565, Huamian702, Zhongmian979, and Jinfeng2) were selected as the research object, and Xinluzao8 served as the drought-sensitive control. Comprehensive drought resistance index (D) of the drought resistance coefficient (DRC) of four yield and four quality traits were used to evaluate the drought resistant ability of the six cotton varieties under different water conditions and Thi spraying conditions.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>The stage-specific irrigation strategy (60% during vegetative vs. 90% during the flowering and boll stage) concurrently maintained higher drought resistance across cultivars, with Jinken1565 exhibited the highest drought resistance. This scheme reduced irrigation by 26% while sustaining fiber quality. Exogenous 50 mM Thi further enhanced drought tolerance, reducing transpiration rate by 33% and blade damage by 55%. These results demonstrate that stage-specific water management optimizes drought adaptation in cotton cultivation under drought conditions.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>Our study suggests that a 26% water-saving scheme was proposed for most drought-resistant varieties planted in Xinjiang, and an appropriate scheme to achieve stable yield by Thi application during the early drought condition was proposed for varieties with low drought resistant ability.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143797785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Control of Panax notoginseng root rot through the combined application of biogas slurry and Bacillus and its mechanistic insights","authors":"Chengxian Wang, Chengyue Liang, Changmei Wang, Fang Yin, Wudi Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07436-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07436-0","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Replant failure in <i>Panax notoginseng</i> (Sanqi) is often caused by root rot disease, which is exacerbated by continuous cropping. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and mechanisms of biogas slurry (BS) combined with <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> strain B19 in controlling root rot and improving soil health in Sanqi cultivation.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>A pot experiment was conducted comparing untreated soil, soil treated with BS alone, and soil treated with BS combined with <i>B. velezensis</i> B19. Soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial community structure were analyzed to evaluate the treatments'effects and mechanisms on disease suppression.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>The application of BS, either alone or with <i>Bacillus</i>, significantly improved soil properties by enhancing available phosphorus, organic matter, and enzyme activities (e.g., β-glucosidase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolase). BS alone reduced root rot incidence to 62.5% compared to 82.5% in untreated soil. Notably, the combined BS and <i>Bacillus</i> treatment further reduced root rot incidence to 28.1% (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), significantly outperforming BS alone. Disease suppression mechanisms included <i>Bacillus</i> enrichment in the rhizosphere, increased bacterial diversity, altered microbial community structure, and the stimulation of beneficial taxa such as <i>Lysobacter</i> and <i>Trichoderma</i>, which inhibited pathogens like <i>Fusarium</i>, <i>Plectosphaerella</i>, and <i>Ilyonectria</i>.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>The combination of BS and <i>Bacillus</i> offers a promising approach to reduce root rot in Sanqi by improving soil health, enhancing beneficial microbial communities, and suppressing pathogens. This approach shows promise as a sustainable strategy for managing root rot in Sanqi cultivation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143797787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationships between plant trait and environment and microbe vary across plant resource strategies","authors":"Jian-Guo Ma, Jian-Fei Yu, Xiao-Bo Wang","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07414-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07414-6","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Plant functional traits are key parameters of plant adaptation strategies to environmental changes and exhibit strong correlations with microbes. However, the differences in these relationships among plants with different resource strategies, particularly in relation to microbial eco-strategies, are not well understood.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We conducted a study on 18 whole-plant traits of 15 species and investigated the soil microbial characteristics across diverse environmental conditions on the eastern Qinghai Tibetan Plateau. To discern the differences between plants with acquisitive strategy (PAS) and those with conservative strategy (PCS), we examined the coordination of traits and their relationships with environmental factors and the soil microbial diversity, composition and life-history strategy.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>15 species adopted different resource strategies: two belonged to PAS, six to PCS, and seven to intermediate-strategy. PAS traits exhibited closer interactions and were more constrained by environmental conditions compared to PCS. Conversely, PCS traits were more closely associated with soil microbial diversity, composition and life-history strategy.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>The differences in the associations of PAS and PCS traits with environmental conditions and microbial communities provides a fresh perspective for understanding diverse performance of plant resource strategies. Our findings indicate that a trait-based framework may be an optimal approach to explore plant–microbe interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143790196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The application of nutrients in enhancing drought tolerance of secretohalophyte Atriplex canescens in the desert regions of Northwest China","authors":"Jian-jun Kang, Wen-zhi Zhao, Zhi-bin He, Bing Liu, Rong Yang, Hai Zhou, Dong-Mei Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07373-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07373-y","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Our previous studies indicated that nutrients (inorganic nutrients, IN; organic solutes, OS) played crucial roles in drought tolerance of desert xerophytes, which was closely related to the mutual combination and collaborative operation of nutrients (especially IN) to exert their comprehensive regulatory functions in plants. This study investigated the characteristic of main IN and OS in <i>A. canescens</i> (Perennial Chenopodiaceae introduced from the southwestern America desert to northwest China) in severely arid area (SAA) and extremely arid area (EAA), determined the optimal combination (OC) concentrations of the main IN in drought resistance of <i>A. canescens</i>, and then explored the roles and effectiveness of the OC concentrations as fertilizers application in desert regions of northwest China.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>The characteristic of nutrients was investigated by field sampling analysis, the mutual combination effects of IN were investigated by orthogonal experimental design (OED) in pot cultural test, and then the roles of OC concentrations of IN as fertilizers were studied in the nursery and afforestation tests in desert areas.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>We found that <i>A. canescens</i> mainly accumulated large amount of soluble sugars (SS, carbohydrates) and potassium (K) for drought tolerance in SAA and EAA. The contributions of SS and K to drought tolerance of <i>A. canescens</i> in EAA and SAA were greatest which accounted for 36.35% and 15.4%, 37.75 and 18.23%, respectively. There were obvious effects of IN in the drought tolerance of <i>A. canescens</i>, and two OC concentrations of KNO₃, CaCl₂, MgCl₂ and Na₂SiO₃ in <i>A. canescens</i> were 4: 3: 2: 4 and 6: 2: 2: 3 (g kg⁻¹ dry soil). The two OC concentrations of IN as fertilizers application significantly stimulated the growth performance and raised the survival rate of transplanting and, concomitantly, promoted SS, K, N and B accumulation for <i>A. canescens</i> to cope with drought stress.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>These results demonstrate that the IN combination plays very important roles in improving drought resistance of <i>A. canescens</i>, and the OC concentrations of IN can be utilized as fertilizers for <i>A. canescens,</i> which can be widely popularized and applied to restore and reconstruct degraded vegetation in arid areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143790198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interactive effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, and compost on durum wheat resilience, productivity, and soil health in drought-stressed environment","authors":"Chayma Ikan, Abdelaziz Nilahyane, Redouane Ouhaddou, Fatima Ezzahra Soussani, Naira Sbbar, Hajar Salah-Eddine, Lamfeddal Kouisni, Mohamed Hafidi, Abdelilah Meddich","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07432-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07432-4","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>This study examined the effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (R), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (M), and compost (C) on wheat growth, yield, and drought tolerance.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>Conducted with a randomized complete block design, the experiment involved two different irrigation water regimes: well-watered (WW) at 75% field capacity (FC) and drought-stressed (DS) at 25% FC.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>DS reduced plant growth, yield, and antioxidant enzyme activity but these effects were alleviated through the application of biostimulants. Shoot dry weight increased by 187% with AMF and 159% with C, while seed number and yield improved most significantly with C, C + M, C + R, and C + M + R treatments compared to the control. The application of C, R, and M either individually or in combination effectively mitigated DS by increasing root dry matter and improving the uptake of key minerals such as phosphorus through MR and CMR treatments, by 93% and 524%, respectively. Notably, C alone or combined with M improved the auxin content by 121% and 111%, which contributed to enhanced plant development. This combination strengthened the antioxidant system (including CAT, POX, PPO, and APX), promoted the synthesis of compatible solutes, and increased soil glomalin content. These effects reduced lipid peroxidation and H₂O₂ levels, thereby improving plant resilience under drought conditions.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>Biostimulants significantly improved soil physico-chemical properties and fertility, and enhanced the antioxidant system, including key enzymes like alkaline phosphatase, boosting overall soil health and resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143790195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Iron-modified biochar enhances cotton growth and iron uptake in saline-alkali soil by reducing salinity and facilitating root colonization of beneficial bacteria","authors":"Jiyuan Wang, Muhammad Riaz, Saba Babar, Zeinab El-Desouki, Yuxuan Li, Xiangling Wang, Xiaoyang Xia, Cuncang Jiang","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07415-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07415-5","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Biochar modification is an innovative approach to enhance its amelioration effect on saline-alkali soil. However, limited studies have compared the effects of different modified biochar on the improvement of saline-alkali soil.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the comparative effect of different biochar materials, including pristine biochar (PBC), acid-modified biochar (HBC), iron-modified biochar (FBC), and acid-iron-modified biochar (HFBC), on plant growth, chemical properties of saline-alkali soil, and the composition of soil bacterial and endophytic bacterial communities.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>The results demonstrated that FBC was the most effective in promoting cotton growth and reducing soil salinity and alkalinity among the four biochar materials. Compared to the CK (non-biochar) treatment, the application of FBC increased the biomass of cotton seedlings by 2.9 folds. Additionally, the lowest Na⁺ content in the 0–15 cm soil depth was observed in the FBC treatment, showing a 36.5% decrease compared to CK. Importantly, FBC amendment significantly increased soil available Fe content as well as Fe content in cotton shoot. Furthermore, FBC application enhanced soil bacterial diversity and increased the abundance of <i>Proteobacteria</i> and <i>Bacteroidota</i>. Moreover, FBC addition facilitated the colonization of beneficial endophytes (e.g., <i>Alcaligenaceae</i>) in roots.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>The findings indicate that FBC is a promising and novel material for improving saline-alkali soil due to its multiple effects, including reducing salinity, providing essential nutrients, and promoting root colonization by beneficial bacteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"73 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143782496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}