Sustainable alternative to biochar: Effects of oxychar on soil carbon sequestration pathway and microbial communities.

Multifunctional bacterial consortium degrading phthalates, promoting plant growth and inhibiting soil-borne pathogenic fungi.

Sustainable harnessing of Red Sea brown seaweed extracts as plant growth promoters: Analytical profiling and application to faba bean

Mitigation of lead-induced soil toxicity and plant growth promotion by phosphate-solubilizing bacterium Enterobacter hormaechei KR2215 isolated from mangrove rhizosphere.

Synergistic effect of β-cyclodextrin-functionalized biochar -based bacterial agent on soil lead/cadmium passivation and plant growth promotion

Salinity stress is a critical abiotic factor limiting the growth and yield of legume crops by inhibiting photosynthesis, exacerbating oxidative damage, and disrupting the balance of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism. This study aimed to elucidate the physiological regulatory mechanisms by which exogenous melatonin (MT) alleviates growth inhibition and yield loss in adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.) under salinity stress. Field experiments were conducted over three consecutive years (2023-2025), comprising four treatments: control (CK), control + melatonin (CKM), salinity stress (SW), and salinity stress + melatonin (SM). Systematic analyses were performed on yield formation, physiological and biochemical responses, and the integrated transcriptomic-metabolomic regulatory network. The results showed that salinity stress significantly reduced adzuki bean yield by 25.38%, 37.37%, and 36.46% across the 3 years, respectively. Compared with the SW treatment, the SM treatment increased yield by 10.51%, 6.61%, and 11.75%. At the physiological level, SM treatment significantly increased the net photosynthetic rate ( ) by 5.38% and the leaf area index (LAI) by 12.48% compared to SW. Furthermore, melatonin significantly enhanced the antioxidant defense system, with SOD, POD, and CAT activities increasing by 16.50%, 13.19%, and 14.19%, respectively, in the SM treatment. Additionally, melatonin promoted nitrogen assimilation and carbon metabolism, with NR, GS, and GOGAT activities increasing by up to 23.13%, alongside enhanced activities of enzymes related to sucrose metabolism. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that melatonin significantly activated linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways. Compared with SW, the SM treatment increased linoleic acid and arachidonic acid contents by 35.2% and 27.6%, respectively. Concurrently, key carbon metabolism genes, including INV, HK, GPI, and scrK, were significantly up-regulated by 31.2%-45.7%, promoting carbon flow redistribution and maintaining C-N metabolic homeostasis. Metabolite supplementation experiments further verified that linoleic acid enhances antioxidant capacity, and its synergistic application with melatonin further promotes plant growth. In conclusion, exogenous melatonin alleviates oxidative damage and metabolic disorders caused by salinity stress by enhancing antioxidant defense, regulating osmotic balance, and promoting nitrogen uptake and transport. Furthermore, melatonin synergistically regulates lipid signaling and energy metabolism with linoleic acid, thereby maintaining C-N metabolism coordination and stabilizing adzuki bean yield.

A comprehensive transcriptomic and hormonal analysis reveals a hormetic effect of low-level lead exposure on plant growth

Harnessing beneficial soil microbes provides an eco-friendly alternative to pesticides for sustainable crop protection. Members of the genus Streptomyces combine broad antagonistic activity with plant immune priming and growth promotion, yet their ecological roles and field reliability remain insufficiently understood. We investigated the soil actinobacterium Streptomyces murinus JS029 in the Brassica rapa-Sclerotinia minor pathosystem to elucidate its mechanisms of pathogen suppression, plant immune activation and rhizosphere microbiome modulation, and to develop a field-deployable formulation. Streptomyces murinus JS029 secreted chitinase, cellulase and protease and produced the polyene macrolides pentamycin and filipin I, which are known to disrupt fungal cell wallsand plasma membranes. Plants exposed to Streptomyces murinus JS029 exhibited strong activation of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene signalling pathways and were associated with enhanced biomass and strong protection against Sclerotinia minor. A barley-based solid formulation ensured reproducible field efficacy, reducing disease by approximately 70-80%. Rhizosphere sequencing revealed increased fungal richness and distinct bacterial-fungal compositional shifts, indicating functional reassembly of the soil microbiome. Genome analysis and ultraviolet (UV) mutagenesis linked antifungal activity to a polyene biosynthetic gene cluster. Streptomyces murinus JS029 integrates direct antagonism, immune priming and microbiome restructuring to support disease-suppressive soils. These findings provide mechanistic insights and a practical framework for deploying multifunctional Streptomyces bioinoculants as sustainable alternatives to chemical fungicides in integrated pest management systems. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

UV-328 disrupts mineral nutrient homeostasis and secondary metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana: Linking physiological responses to molecular mechanisms.

Large amounts of fish processing waste, by-products and low-value fish are produced globally, but their utilization efficiency is low. They are rich in substances that promote plant growth, with a potential application for producing fertilizer products. The fermentation broth for fish protein liquid fertilizer was prepared using synergistic technology of microbial fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis by using mackerel (Pneumatophorus japonicus) as materials. Mackerel was first enzymatically hydrolyzed using flavor proteases, followed by inoculation with Bacillus subtilis for fermentation. The bacteria-enzyme synergistic fermentation conditions were optimized through single-factor and orthogonal experiments. The optimal fermentation parameters were determined as: temperature of 37 °C, fermentation time of 72 h, inoculum size of 3.0% (V/m), and pH of 7.5. The hydrolysis degree of mackerel after the synergistic action of microbial fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis was significantly enhanced compared with the single enzyme hydrolysis and microbial fermentation without pretreatment by flavor proteases. The mackerel fermentation broth was rich in free amino acids, demonstrating excellent potential for application as an effective fish-based liquid fertilizer.

Mechanisms of AMF in regulating Cd contamination remediation and rhizosphere microenvironment of Phragmites australis under phosphorus fluctuation.

Metabolic module exchange in plant-endophyte coevolution: mechanisms and implications.

Soil salinization due to anthropogenic activity and climate change is a bottleneck to the global agricultural yield and food security. Conventional approaches for mitigating salt stress, including utilization of chemical fertilizers, have shown limited success, and the use of genetically engineered microbes as bioinoculants or salt-tolerant crop varieties against abiotic salinity stress often faces regulatory challenges with extended timelines. Contrary to the existing approaches, employment of halophilic bacteria and archaea offers a promising platform for eco-friendly and sustainable crop cultivation under salt-affected soils. These unique salt-loving microbes can thrive in hypersaline ecosystems and exhibit physiological features for tolerating salt stress along with plant growth-promoting traits. They have distinctive adaptations in homeostasis, biosynthesis, and accumulation of compatible solutes like glycine betaines and amino acids, production of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as osmo-protectants, and exopolysaccharide (EPS) formation. Apart from salt tolerance, plant growth-promoting bacteria and Halobacteria (PGP-HB) exhibit direct and indirect mechanisms. Direct mechanisms involve 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity, phytohormone production, siderophore production, nutrient solubilization, and biological nitrogen fixation, whereas indirect mechanisms involve the production of lytic enzymes, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and antimicrobial production, as well as induced systemic resistance. Biochar and Nano-encapsulated halophilic plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (HT-PGPR) together are an effective strategy for plant growth promotion. This review highlights the importance of halobacteria and halotolerant PGPR with an integrated omics approach to potentiate molecular mechanisms underlying adaptations and plant growth promotion in salt-affected soils. The focal point of this review is to explore the possibilities of exploiting halophilic bacteria and archaea in mitigating the negative impact of salt stress on crop production. It emphasizes solutions to current challenges, limitations, prospects of exploiting halophiles, and provides a translational route of eco-friendly bioformualtion production for sustainable agriculture with food security and is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2).

Host transcriptional and microbiome metatranscriptomic changes in soybean plants carrying the insect-pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana as an endophyte.

Serendipita indica improves phytoextraction efficiency of cadmium and lead by Sedum alfredii via stress alleviation and enhanced metal translocation.

Associative diazotrophic bacteria can promote plant growth; however, their efficiency depends on the compatibility among host, microorganism, and environment. This study evaluated bacterial strains with high in vitro potential for nitrogen (N) fixation and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis, isolated from the Atlantic Forest (Sp7), Cerrado (Ab-V5), and Amazon (MS32 and MS52) biomes, regarding their ability to promote growth and nodulation of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in a completely randomized design with eight replications. Emergence, chlorophyll index, morphological parameters, nodulation, and rhizospheric bacterial density were evaluated. Although the selected strains showed high in vitro potential for N fixation and IAA production, they did not promote common bean growth. These results indicate the need to investigate other growth-promotion mechanisms that may be more promising for selecting efficient bacteria for common bean growth promotion.

Phosphorus (P) is a vital macronutrient for plant growth, however, its availability in soils is limited due to fixation and poor solubility. This limitation results in high reliance on chemical fertilisers, contributing environmental concerns such as nutrient runoff and soil degradation. This study aimed to isolate, characterise and evaluate phosphorus solubilising bacteria (PSB) and phosphorus mineralising bacteria (PMB) for plant growth promotion in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under in vitro conditions. A total of 45 distinct bacterial isolates were obtained from five different soil samples using Pikovskaya’s (TCP and DCP), phytate, lecithin and Sperber's agar media. Further, the isolates were screened for plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as solubilisation of phosphorus, potassium and zinc, mineralisation of phosphorus and production of siderophore, indole-3-acetic acid, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide. Compatible isolates were grouped into three consortia, designated as C1, C2 and C3. Each consortium was formulated to ensure collective expression of all the screened PGP traits. Under in vitro conditions, consortium C2 showed the highest seed germination (100%), root length (9.45 ± 0.31 cm), shoot length (6.70 ± 0.22 cm), seedling length (16.16 ± 0.52 cm) and vigour indices (I: 1616 ± 42.6; II: 5.47 ± 1.9). These values were significantly higher than those of other consortia and the control. The bacterial isolates constituting consortium C2 were identified as Bacillus sp., Priestia megaterium and Bacillus subtilis. These findings highlight the potential of C2 consortia as a sustainable bioinoculants for enhancing rice growth, thereby supporting eco-friendly and sustainable agricultural practices.

Beneficial microbial consortia provide an eco-friendly alternative to conventional inorganic fertilizers and can serve as a complementary management tool for enhancing soil fertility and crop productivity. This study aimed to assess the impact of microbial consortia application on the indigenous maize rhizosphere microbiome under different fertilization regimes in organically managed fields in Germany. Three experimental microbial consortia (MC_B, MC_C, MC_C_AMF) and one commercial product (Micosat F) were tested in combination with three fertilization levels (unfertilized, 110kg nitrogen ha- 1, and 200kg nitrogen ha- 1) in a split plot design. The diversity, composition and functional potential of the maize rhizosphere microbiome were analyzed at different maize growth stages. Fertilization levels exerted a stronger influence than microbial consortia, significantly shaping community composition and functional traits of the indigenous soil microbiome. Increasing fertilization intensity altered the abundance of specific plant growth-promoting (PGP)-determinants, either stimulating or suppressing potential PGP bacteria. In contrast, microbial consortia application did not impact PGP-associated abundance profiles. Overall, the results indicate that multifunctional microbial consortia can act as effective biofertilizers in sustainable maize cultivation without compromising resident microbiome diversity, thereby reducing long-term ecological risks on natural biodiversity.

ABSTRACT Open‐pit mining severely disrupts ecosystems in the Yellow River Basin. Microbial reclamation strategies can accelerate soil functional recovery, yet the mechanisms underlying synergistic interactions between reconstructed microbial communities and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remain poorly understood. The work elucidated the effects and driving mechanisms of AMF and reconstructed microbial communities on soil functional restoration to promote plant growth and root expansion. It was hypothesized that AMF inoculation combined with reconstructed microbial communities would reshape rhizosphere community assembly through environmental filtering and niche enrichment, which would enrich soil nutrient availability. Six treatments were established using Amorpha fruticosa as the test plant, including (1) control (CK), (2) reconstructed microbial community from 5‐year natural reclamation (S), (3) reconstructed microbial community from 5‐year AMF‐assisted reclamation (F), (4) AMF alone, (5) co‐inoculation of AMF with the 5‐year natural reclamation microbial community (AS), and (6) co‐inoculation of AMF with the 5‐year AMF‐assisted reclamation microbial community (AF). Besides, samples were collected over four growth stages at 15, 30, 60, and 120 days. Soil physicochemical properties, plant nutrient levels, and bacterial community composition and diversity were analyzed using a random forest model. Functional potentials were predicted with Tax4Fun2 at three levels (Level 2, pathway, and KO). The AF treatment demonstrated the strongest synergistic effects, enhancing nutrient acquisition and signal transduction. This promoted soil nutrient availability and plant growth. Compared to the CK, the AF treatment increased available potassium, total potassium, available phosphorus, total phosphorus, and soil organic carbon by 46%, 4%, 17%, 19%, and 26%, respectively. This treatment also resulted in the highest bacterial phylogenetic diversity. Functional predictions indicated that carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were activated at an early stage. Carbon flow was channeled toward phospholipid and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)‐anchored biosynthesis pathways, which supported sustained hyphal–root interactions. Functional coupling among membrane transport, signal regulation, and carbon metabolism was established by Day 120. In contrast, the F treatment primarily enhanced membrane transport, whereas the AS treatment prioritized carbon stabilization. These findings provide theoretical support for integrating reconstructed microbial communities into AMF‐based reclamation strategies, which improves the ecological restoration of mining‐impacted soils.

Despite significant progress in understanding chitin oligosaccharides as plant immune elicitors, studies on their potential to induce insect resistance remain limited. In this study, we demonstrate that chitin oligosaccharides induce potent and broad-spectrum insect resistance in Brassica napus. NACOS treatment significantly reduced damage from both chewing insects (Plutella xylostella) and piercing-sucking insects (Myzus persicae). Multiomics analyses revealed that NACOS activated defense-related pathways, including peroxisome, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism, as evidenced by enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase, as well as the accumulation of defense-related metabolites such as GABA, tannins, and oxalic acid. While inducing robust defense responses, NACOS also upregulated photosynthesis-related pathways, leading to improved photosynthetic rates and markedly promoting plant growth and yield. Our study uncovers a dual-role mechanism of NACOS in balancing defense and growth, providing a theoretical basis and practical strategies for developing oligosaccharide-based biopesticides.