Applied Soil Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Bradyrhizobial peanut inoculant competitiveness is associated with rhizosphere microbiota","authors":"Yue Wang ,&nbsp;Yongju Xu ,&nbsp;Lingzi Zhang ,&nbsp;Ke Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaojun Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Zhang ,&nbsp;Petri Penttinen ,&nbsp;Xiaoping Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106292","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106292","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inoculating legumes with selected rhizobial inoculant strain(s) to promote legume growth affects rhizosphere microbiota, yet the effects of inoculation vary. We isolated rhizobia from peanut root nodules collected across Sichuan, China, assessed their symbiotic performance in greenhouses and at two field sites with different soil types and climates, determined their competitiveness against native strains using <em>rpoB</em> amplicon sequencing, and assessed inoculation-related differences in peanut rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities using 16S rRNA gene and ITS amplicon sequencing. Four of the eight strains utilized as inoculants in the field experiments were competitive against native soil rhizobia. The differences in structure and taxonomic composition of rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities were mostly noted between the sites. The number of differentially abundant rhizosphere genera was greater at the site with no prior peanut cultivation history than at the site in the traditional peanut cultivation areas. In the latter, differentially abundant genera were detected only in treatments where the inoculants were enriched in peanut nodules. The results provided minor support for the hypothesis that competitive inoculants would affect rhizosphere communities more than uncompetitive and ineffective inoculants, and that the effects of inoculation would be larger at a site with no peanut cultivation history. However, differences in the rhizosphere microbiota were likely to depend more on the local microbiota or soil conditions than on inoculation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106292"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535753","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":"Different responses of soil bacterial necromass carbon and fungal necromass carbon to nitrogen deposition in meadow steppe","authors":"Na Jiang ,&nbsp;Hao Zhang ,&nbsp;Siyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Jie Qin ,&nbsp;Hui Wang ,&nbsp;Yanjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Dianlin Yang ,&nbsp;Lili Wang ,&nbsp;Qiannan Yang ,&nbsp;He Ye ,&nbsp;Mei Hong ,&nbsp;Haifang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106282","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106282","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial necromass carbon (MNC) is a key contributor to the accumulation and stabilization of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the effects of nitrogen (N) deposition on MNC dynamics and SOC sequestration in grasslands remain poorly understood. We conducted a 12-year, multi-level N addition experiment with eight fertilization gradients (0, 15, 30, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 300 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) in a <em>Stipa baicalensis</em> steppe to simulate N deposition. Our results revealed that MNC constituted up to 60 % of SOC, significantly enhancing its contribution under N enrichment. We found that fungal necromass carbon (FNC) accounted for 75 % to 82 % of MNC in the <em>S. baicalensis</em> steppe. However, we observed that the concentrations of FNC, the FNC/SOC ratio, and the FNC/ BNC ratio peaked in the N30 treatment and gradually decreased thereafter. The concentration of bacterial necromass carbon (BNC) and the BNC/SOC ratio showed an increasing trend along the N addition gradient, significantly increasing in the N150 ~ N300 treatments. Using a ¹³C pulse-labeling approach, we tracked microbial carbon flow: newly assimilated ¹³C was initially dominated by fast-growing r-strategist bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), then progressively transferred to slow-growing saprotrophic fungi and actinobacteria. This microbial succession was tightly coupled to N-induced shifts in soil nutrient availability. N addition altered the soil pH, nutrient availability, and mineral content, driving changes in microbial community composition and enzyme activities. These factors were strongly associated with increased accumulation of BNC and its contribution to SOC, whereas FNC exhibited a negligible response. Long-term N addition significantly increased the necromass accumulation coefficient (NAC) and microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE). Regression analyses revealed significant positive correlations between BNC content, the contribution of BNC to SOC, NAC, and CUE while FNC and the contribution of FNC to SOC were not directly affected. The structural equation modeling (SEM) also demonstrated that increased CUE and higher Fe and Al contents directly enhanced BNC accumulation but did not directly affect FNC. Our results showed that N addition predominantly drives necromass carbon dynamics and SOC stabilization through accelerating bacterial turnover and altering BNC stabilization mechanisms. GP bacteria play a central role in these processes. Our findings demonstrate that N deposition preferentially stabilizes BNC through accelerated turnover and mineral association, fundamentally reshaping SOC persistence in grasslands. This study provides new insights into the differential responses of microbial necromass pools to N deposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106282"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535752","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":"Soil diatoms and their applications as an indicator of environmental changes","authors":"Murugesan Yogeshwaran ,&nbsp;Mital Thacker ,&nbsp;Neha Wadmare ,&nbsp;Anbukkarasu Vigneshwaran ,&nbsp;Cheran Radhakrishnan ,&nbsp;Samadhan Pardhi ,&nbsp;Balasubramanian Karthick","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106277","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106277","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diatoms are ubiquitous unicellular microalgae that play a crucial role in ecosystems and serve as bioindicators for monitoring environmental conditions in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. While extensive research has been conducted on marine and freshwater diatoms, studies on soil diatoms remain limited. Numerous studies have concentrated on the indicator properties of diatoms in soil without adequately understanding their ecological roles. Understanding soil diatom assemblages and their diversity across different geographical regions is essential for improving their application in environmental studies. This review examines the current state of soil diatom research globally, analyzing 122 studies from Google Scholar. It explores key aspects, including the historical development of soil diatom research, taxonomic advancements, ecological interactions, and their application in environmental monitoring. Despite their ecological significance, soil diatoms are influenced by natural and anthropogenic factors, impacting soil quality. Human activities in forests and agricultural lands have contributed to pollution, underscoring the need for soil diatom-based indices to assess soil health. However, existing assessments primarily rely on aquatic indices, such as the Specific Pollution Sensitivity Index, highlighting the necessity for soil-specific pollution indices. By synthesizing current knowledge, this review emphasizes the importance of soil diatoms in ecological studies and environmental assessments. Future research should focus on their ecological functions and develop targeted soil diatom-based monitoring tools to enhance soil management, environmental monitoring, and pollution assessment strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106277"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535751","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":"Phosphate-cycling activity of the soil microbiome in response to the recycled phosphates struvite and vivianite","authors":"Lena Faller ,&nbsp;George A. Kowalchuk ,&nbsp;Eiko E. Kuramae","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recycling phosphorus from waste streams is crucial for meeting rising fertilizer demands without depleting finite resources. Struvite and vivianite, recovered from wastewater treatment processes, have demonstrated potential as fertilizers. However, the impacts of these recycled phosphates on soil microbial communities, particularly those involved in phosphate cycling and their potential to solubilize struvite and vivianite, are poorly understood. This study examined the effects of struvite and vivianite amendments on soil microbial community composition and activity across diverse management regimes using soil incubation. The microbial community was assessed by 16S rRNA gene and ITS amplicon sequencing, and the phosphate-cycling capacity of the soil microbial communities was assessed via phosphatase activity and solubilization assays targeting inorganic phosphates, including tricalcium phosphate, struvite and vivianite. While the overall composition of the soil microbial community remained largely unchanged following recycled phosphate amendment, specific microbial taxa were enriched, reflecting the chemical properties of the amendments. Struvite application resulted in the enrichment of <em>Nitrosospira</em> and <em>Nitrospira</em> populations, while vivianite amendment favored <em>Streptomyces</em> and <em>Mortierella</em>. Despite these taxa-specific enrichments, all phosphate-cycling activity remained stable following vivianite amendment across all soil management types. Struvite amended soils exhibited a soil-specific dip in phosphate solubilization activity at the beginning of the experiment, but all phosphate-cycling activities were unchanged at the end of the soil incubation. These findings indicate that, independently of soil management regime, struvite and vivianite amendments maintain stable phosphate-cycling activity within soil microbial communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106296"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522301","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":"Root-soil-microbe interactions mediate phosphorus and iron uptake from lithium iron phosphate nanomaterials","authors":"Yaqi Jiang ,&nbsp;Yi Sun ,&nbsp;Changcheng An ,&nbsp;Pingfan Zhou ,&nbsp;Yuanbo Li ,&nbsp;Quanlong Wang ,&nbsp;Jason C. White ,&nbsp;Yukui Rui ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Addressing the critical challenge posed by the rapidly increasing amount of end-of-life lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries from electric vehicles and various industries, the presence of iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P), both essential plant nutrients in LiFePO₄, provides an opportunity to transform waste into valuable resources. This study explores an innovative strategy to sustainably utilize LiFePO₄ nanoparticles (n-LiFePO₄) as a fertilizer in a peanut (Fe-deficiency) and maize (P-deficiency) intercropping system to enhance crop productivity. We chose 50 and 250 mg/kg of n-LiFePO₄ mixed with soil and applied in monocropping maize, monocropping peanut and intercropping. The same content of P and Fe of ionic groups as n-LiFePO₄ was added as P and Fe fertilizer control. The final control group (CK) received no amendments. The results showed that n-LiFePO₄ at 50 mg/kg significantly increased root dry weight by 80 % compared to the control. While n-LiFePO₄ at 250 mg/kg still exhibited positive effects, the same concentration of Fe²⁺ reduced peanut root biomass by 23 %. Mechanistically, the improvements are attributed not only to the sustained release of P and Fe from n-LiFePO₄ but also to the stimulation of maize root exudation. This altered exudate profile positively influenced rhizosphere soil pH and enhanced the enrichment of Fe-solubilizing and P-mobilizing bacteria. These findings demonstrate that n-LiFePO₄ effectively enhances agricultural productivity, and intercropping systems further amplify these benefits through root-soil-microbe interactions, providing a promising strategy for sustainable crop management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106295"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522302","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":"Functional group of grassland plants affects their fungal symbionts more than long-term fertilisation in a field experiment","authors":"Petr Šmilauer,&nbsp;Marie Šmilauerová,&nbsp;Jiří Košnar","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106288","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106288","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fertilisation of productive grasslands affects plant communities and the relationship between plants and fungal symbionts. We investigated the effects of manipulated nutrient availability, vegetation composition, and host identity on the communities of symbiotic fungi – arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycotina, G-AMF) and fine root endophytes (Mucoromycotina, M-FRE). We collected individuals of 16 plant species from the plots of a long-term experiment in a semi-natural grassland with manipulated fertilisation (nitrogen and phosphorus added over 4 years) and vegetation composition (20 years of selective weeding of functional groups). Data from the roots of individual plants were complemented by sampling roots and rhizosphere soil in experimental plots to characterise the effects of fertilisation and plant community on G-AMF at the plant community level.</div><div>We found a strong effect of fertilisation on the composition of both fungal groups, but the differences among host species and particularly between their functional groups (forbs and C3 grasses) were much larger. Fertilisation reduced the abundance of both fungal groups in plant roots with a larger decline in G-AMF, and the α-diversity of G-AMF decreased substantially. Our results did not confirm difference of fertilisation effects on fungal symbionts between forb and grass species that was observed in earlier short-term pot experiment. Our results demonstrate the urgent need to perform studies examining the response of symbiotic fungal communities to experimental factors under field conditions, preferably by sampling roots of a wide range of individual plant species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106288"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522890","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":"Organic nitrogen increases nitrogen availability, microbial activity but limits carbon priming in soil","authors":"Sheikh M.F. Rabbi,&nbsp;Brianna C. Smith,&nbsp;Tara A. Rogan,&nbsp;Matthew R. Redding","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106291","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106291","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Synthetic fertiliser nitrogen (SFN) is immediately available in soil and prone to loss. Combining insect-derived organic N with SFN has potential to regulate mineral nitrogen (N) release in soil by enhancing microbial activity. Nonetheless, addition of organic N and microbial activity may induce positive soil carbon (C) priming and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission. We hypothesised that insect-derived organic N with SFN may increase mineral N release in soil by stimulating microbial activity without positive soil C priming or N₂O emission. We also hypothesised that, addition of C with organic N would further enhance mineral N release from the organic N. We incubated a Vertosol for 21 days with ground mealworm (<em>Tenebrio molitor</em>) (MWL) larvae with and without diammonium phosphate (DAP). We also mixed MWL and DAP with sugarcane residues (SCM) to add a C source. Microbial biomass and activities of β-glucosidase and <em>N</em>-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase were significantly higher in MWL, DAP+MWL (1:1 N ratio) and DAP+MWL + SCM (1:10:3.9 N ratio) than control and DAP. Catalytic efficiency of β-glucosidase and net N mineralisation was highest in MWL. Despite high microbial biomass and enzyme activity in DAP+MWL + SCM, it was the MWL and DAP+MWL that produced significantly higher mineral N. While DAP+MWL + SCM significantly increased soil priming, MWL and DAP+MWL did not. The highest N₂O emission was in DAP+MWL. These observations demonstrated the potential of organic N to increase mineral N alone or in combination with SFN without destabilising soil organic matter. Such novel hybrid fertiliser formulations may provide benefit to soil health, crop and environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106291"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522303","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":"Woody stem and root litters influence soil carbon decomposition through enzyme activities in boreal peatland","authors":"Dongxu Wang ,&nbsp;Xianwei Wang ,&nbsp;Shujie Wang ,&nbsp;Jing Xue ,&nbsp;Yu Du ,&nbsp;Qi Li ,&nbsp;Hao Zhang ,&nbsp;Li Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under the context of climate warming, the increased abundance of woody plants in boreal peatlands introduces uncertainty to the peatland soil carbon balance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the input and decomposition of woody litter on the CO₂ emissions of boreal peatland. Woody litters from two plant organs (stem and root) of four plant species, i.e., two shrub species (<em>Vaccinium uliginosum</em> and <em>Chamaedaphne calyculata</em>) and two tree species (<em>Betula platyphylla</em> and <em>Larix gmelinii</em>), were collected from a boreal peatland in northeast China and incorporated into the peat soil collected from northeast China for 100-day laboratory incubation experiments under various temperatures and soil moistures. The results showed that while the input and decomposition of woody litter increased CO₂ emissions by 130 %–210 %, the addition of woody litter had no significant effect on the temperature sensitivity of peat soil CO₂ emissions. Among the eight types of woody litters, the tree-type litters and root litters showed faster decomposition and higher accumulated CO₂ emissions compared to the shrub-type litters and corresponding stem litters, respectively, which could be attributed to low C/N ratios of tree-type litters and root litters. In addition, the temperature and soil moisture influenced the soil enzyme activities and thereby greatly impacted the woody litter decomposition and CO₂ emissions. The temperature increase and soil moisture decrease enhanced the woody litter decomposition and CO₂ emissions. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the effects of woody litter input and decomposition on CO₂ emissions from boreal peatlands, providing theoretical support for evaluating the impact of continuous climate warming on the carbon balance of boreal peatlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106293"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144521549","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":"Soil bacteria and symbiotic rhizobia synergistically promote nitrogen fixation and biomass production of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants even under water shortage conditions without altering the native rhizospheric microbiota","authors":"Lisa Cangioli ,&nbsp;Camilla Fagorzi ,&nbsp;Francesca Vaccaro ,&nbsp;Stefano Varriale ,&nbsp;Maria Laura Amenta ,&nbsp;Alessio Mengoni ,&nbsp;Rosolino Ingraffia ,&nbsp;Antonella Lo Porto ,&nbsp;Gaetano Amato ,&nbsp;Dario Giambalvo ,&nbsp;Jean Rodrigue Sangaré ,&nbsp;Roberto Defez ,&nbsp;Carmen Bianco","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106283","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106283","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In modern and sustainable agriculture, the exploitation of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is an alternative to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers which can lead to groundwater contamination, reduction of soil quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to exploit the synergistic effects of nitrogen-fixing symbiotic rhizobia and nonsymbiotic soil bacteria on alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa</em> L) yield in low-input farming. Two microbial consortia (Mix1 and Mix2) containing a nitrogen-fixing alfalfa symbiont <em>Sinorhizobium meliloti</em> were tested along with a different number of soil bacteria whose PGP (Plant Growth Promoting) characteristics (IAA production, nitrogen fixation, and phosphate solubilization) led to synergistic effect. The two consortia and the <em>S. meliloti</em> strain were tested under increasingly complex conditions, through in vitro strain culture testing, growth chamber, pot trials, and field trials. In the laboratory growth chamber, the alfalfa plants inoculated with the consortium Mix2, containing more strains with different activities, showed increased nitrogenase activity compared to those inoculated with <em>S. meliloti</em> alone. Field experiments showed that biomass production and assimilation of nitrogen due to nitrogen fixation (¹⁵N test) of Mix2-inoculated plants was significantly increased compared to Mix1-inoculated and uninoculated ones (native microbiota), even under water shortage. Moreover, no significant impact of consortia on the native rhizospheric microbiota was detected. Our findings indicated that consortia containing both rhizobia and non-rhizobia PGP strains, which don't alter soil ecology, could be used for the enhancement of growth and nitrogen fixation of legume plants and that diversity and synergistic interaction of the consortium could be a good index for predicting success in field trials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106283"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144521546","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":"Niche-conserved bacterial consortia enhanced maize agro-physiological performance and soil biological P-related traits under low-P conditions","authors":"Dounia Nkir ,&nbsp;Yassine Aallam ,&nbsp;Mohamed Idbella ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Alegria-Terrazas ,&nbsp;Brahim Benbrik ,&nbsp;Ammar Ibnyasser ,&nbsp;Meryem Haddine ,&nbsp;Tessa E. Reid ,&nbsp;George Lund ,&nbsp;Tim H. Mauchline ,&nbsp;Jim Harris ,&nbsp;Mark Pawlett ,&nbsp;Ian M. Clark ,&nbsp;Karim Lyamlouli ,&nbsp;Zineb Rchiad ,&nbsp;Adnane Bargaz","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106280","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106280","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Application of native bacterial consortia (BC) is gaining attention for their plant growth promotion potential through synergistic interactions among functionally diverse microbial species. In this study, thirty-six rhizoplane BC constructed from seven Moroccan maize-growing regions adopting the niche conservatism approach were tested for their ability to improve maize agro-physiological performance. With each region consisting of four zones, 28 intra-zone BC (niche conserved; using isolates from the same zone or rhizoplane), seven inter-zone (different zones within a region), and one inter-regional (global) BC were tested <em>in planta</em> and linked to biochemical and molecular phosphorus (P) cycling properties of the rhizoplane and bulk soils. Results showed that the <em>pqqC</em> gene in bulk soil (involved in P solubilization) was five times more abundant than the <em>phoD</em> gene (involved in P mineralization) in concert with increased acid phosphatase activity and decreased available P in rhizoplane soils. Plant inoculation experiments under controlled conditions revealed that BC enhanced P uptake and use efficiency, with notable contributions from the <em>pqqC</em> and <em>phoD</em> genes under low P conditions. The most significant improvement in plant growth, yield, and rhizosphere/root morpho-physiological P-related traits were obtained with intra-zone BC (10 out of 28) outperforming the inter-zone and global (inter-region) BC. Specifically, intra-zone BC originating from four regions enhanced soil available P and overall plant biomass (shoots “60 %”, roots “23 %”, and shoot height “14 %”) and nutrient acquisition (N, P and K). Moreover, soil properties, bacterial diversity and composition (rhizoplane and bulk) revealed significant correlations and were strongly associated with plant growth and yield traits. In conclusion, enhanced maize growth and nutrient uptake, particularly P, in response to intra-zone BC supports the effectiveness of the niche conservatism approach in constructing potential BC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 106280"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510884","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}